Nuclear Energy for New Europe 2009

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No: 1013

Conference: Nuclear Energy for New Europe 2009

Title: Electrolysis Byproduct D2O Provides a Third Way to Mitigate CO2

Theme: Radiation and Environment

Author(s): William Schenewerk

Contact : William Ernest Schenewerk

E-mail: wschenewerk@msn.com

Address: ARCO Exploration & Production Technology
Plano, TX 75075-8499

Country: USA

Rapid atomic power deployment may be possible without using FBRs or making undue demands on uranium resource. Byproduct D2O from water electrolysis is used in CANDU and RBMK piles. ICAPP02-1192, ICAPP03-3029, ICAPP05-5178, ICAPP07-7303, and Atlante 2008-P3_21 results are potentially circumvented. ICAPP02-1192 used spent LWR plutonium for breeder first cores. Atlante 2008-P3_21 sent U235 directly to breeders. ICAPP03-3029 used seawater uranium in LWRs. Using byproduct D2O and thorium-U233 in CANDU and RBMK piles may circumvent need for either FBRs or seawater uranium.
Atmospheric CO2 is presently increasing 2.25%/year in proportion to 2.25%/year exponential fossil fuel consumption increase. Roughly 1/3 anthropologic CO2 is removed by various CO2 sinks. CO2 removal is modeled as being proportional to 45-year-earlier CO2 amount above 280 ppmV-C. This is: Exp(-0.0225/year * 45 years) = 0.36. This is the fraction CO2 subtracted from anthropologic emissions, apparently by seawater absorption after a 45-year time-delay.
Water electrolysis produces roughly 0.1 kg-D20/kWe-y. Material balance assumes each electrolysis stage increases D2O bottoms concentration times 3. Except for first two electrolysis stages, all water from hydrogen consumption is returned to electrolysis. The unique characteristic of this process is the ability to economically burn all deuterium-enriched H2 in vehicles. Condensate from vehicles returns to appropriate electrolysis stage.
Atomic power expansion is: D2O CANDU/RBMK fleet = 350 GWe * EXP(0.05 * (year - 2000)), giving 52000 GWe by 2100. Deploying 1000 GWe hydro, 1000 GWe LWR, and 52000 GWe CANDU/RBMK/FBR power by year-2100 results in CO2 doubling year-2060. World primary energy is 4.78 EJt * EXP(0.0225 * (year - 2000)). Transportation switches to hydrogen and paint-stripping hydrazine. Beginning year-2100, excess CO2 declines at 2.25%/year.
Light water reactor (LWR) fleet grows to 2000 GWe nameplate and hydroelectric power grows to effectively 1000 GWe (~2000 GWe nameplate). 1000 GWe LWR fleet consume 12 Mt-HM (Heavy Metal) by 2100. CANDU and RBMK first cores require 12 Mt-HM. Optimum Thorium-U233 cycle depends on uranium resource base and rate of parallel FBR deployment. 5.0 Mt HM backup should be set aside for FBR first cores in case the D2O plan does not work. Present resource estimate is 35 Mt-HM from IAEA Uranium 2005.
Byproduct D2O from electrolysis permits CO2 mitigation by 2100. CO2 maximum is 635 ppmV-C around year 2080. Roughly 1.1 PW-y atomic electricity is required to reach 2100. A 100% D2O fleet Th-U233 cycle needs enough conversion to multiply a 35 Mt uranium resource times 4. CO2 will presumably decline back to 350 ppmV-C by roughly year-2200 if the 45-year-delay sink remains effective. If the 45-year-delay CO2 sink fails, due to perhaps ground saturation or ocean acidity increase, situation becomes worse than grim. There is now a third method for mitigating CO2 that uses byproduct D2O.

No:	1013
Conference:	Nuclear Energy for New Europe 2009
Title:	Electrolysis Byproduct D2O Provides a Third Way to Mitigate CO2
Theme:	Radiation and Environment
Author(s):	William Schenewerk
Contact :	William Ernest Schenewerk
E-mail:	wschenewerk@msn.com
Address:	ARCO Exploration & Production Technology Plano, TX 75075-8499
Country:	USA

Rapid atomic power deployment may be possible without using FBRs or making undue demands on uranium resource. Byproduct D2O from water electrolysis is used in CANDU and RBMK piles. ICAPP02-1192, ICAPP03-3029, ICAPP05-5178, ICAPP07-7303, and Atlante 2008-P3_21 results are potentially circumvented. ICAPP02-1192 used spent LWR plutonium for breeder first cores. Atlante 2008-P3_21 sent U235 directly to breeders. ICAPP03-3029 used seawater uranium in LWRs. Using byproduct D2O and thorium-U233 in CANDU and RBMK piles may circumvent need for either FBRs or seawater uranium. Atmospheric CO2 is presently increasing 2.25%/year in proportion to 2.25%/year exponential fossil fuel consumption increase. Roughly 1/3 anthropologic CO2 is removed by various CO2 sinks. CO2 removal is modeled as being proportional to 45-year-earlier CO2 amount above 280 ppmV-C. This is: Exp(-0.0225/year * 45 years) = 0.36. This is the fraction CO2 subtracted from anthropologic emissions, apparently by seawater absorption after a 45-year time-delay. Water electrolysis produces roughly 0.1 kg-D20/kWe-y. Material balance assumes each electrolysis stage increases D2O bottoms concentration times 3. Except for first two electrolysis stages, all water from hydrogen consumption is returned to electrolysis. The unique characteristic of this process is the ability to economically burn all deuterium-enriched H2 in vehicles. Condensate from vehicles returns to appropriate electrolysis stage. Atomic power expansion is: D2O CANDU/RBMK fleet = 350 GWe * EXP(0.05 * (year - 2000)), giving 52000 GWe by 2100. Deploying 1000 GWe hydro, 1000 GWe LWR, and 52000 GWe CANDU/RBMK/FBR power by year-2100 results in CO2 doubling year-2060. World primary energy is 4.78 EJt * EXP(0.0225 * (year - 2000)). Transportation switches to hydrogen and paint-stripping hydrazine. Beginning year-2100, excess CO2 declines at 2.25%/year. Light water reactor (LWR) fleet grows to 2000 GWe nameplate and hydroelectric power grows to effectively 1000 GWe (~2000 GWe nameplate). 1000 GWe LWR fleet consume 12 Mt-HM (Heavy Metal) by 2100. CANDU and RBMK first cores require 12 Mt-HM. Optimum Thorium-U233 cycle depends on uranium resource base and rate of parallel FBR deployment. 5.0 Mt HM backup should be set aside for FBR first cores in case the D2O plan does not work. Present resource estimate is 35 Mt-HM from IAEA Uranium 2005. Byproduct D2O from electrolysis permits CO2 mitigation by 2100. CO2 maximum is 635 ppmV-C around year 2080. Roughly 1.1 PW-y atomic electricity is required to reach 2100. A 100% D2O fleet Th-U233 cycle needs enough conversion to multiply a 35 Mt uranium resource times 4. CO2 will presumably decline back to 350 ppmV-C by roughly year-2200 if the 45-year-delay sink remains effective. If the 45-year-delay CO2 sink fails, due to perhaps ground saturation or ocean acidity increase, situation becomes worse than grim. There is now a third method for mitigating CO2 that uses byproduct D2O.