R&D Status on Thermochemical IS Process for Hydrogen Production at JAEA

Thermochemical hydrogen production process is one of the candidates of industrial fossil fuel free hydrogen production. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting R&D of the thermochemical water splitting iodine-sulfur (IS) process since the end of 1980s. This paper presents the recent study on the IS process in JAEA. In 2005-2009, test-fabrication of components, collection of design database, improvement of process components for higher thermal efficiency, and proposition of composition measurement method were carried out. On the basis of them, the integrity test of process components is carried out in 2010-2014 to examine their integrities in severe process environments. At present, a Bunsen reactor, which produces acids, and incidental equipments has been already manufactured using corrosion resistant materials such as glass lining steel and fluoroplastic lining steel. Flow tests to examine the functionality and integrity of the materials are planned in 2012.