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Concept
Copper–chlorine cycle
Summary
The copper–chlorine cycle (Cu–Cl cycle) is a four-step thermochemical cycle for the production of hydrogen. The Cu–Cl cycle is a hybrid process that employs both thermochemical and electrolysis steps.
It has a maximum temperature requirement of about 530 degrees Celsius.
The Cu–Cl cycle involves four chemical reactions for water splitting, whose net reaction decomposes water into hydrogen and oxygen. All other chemicals are recycled. The Cu–Cl process can be linked with nuclear plants or other heat sources such as solar and industrial waste heat to potentially achieve higher efficiencies, lower environmental impact and lower costs of hydrogen production than any other conventional technology.
The Cu–Cl cycle is one of the prominent thermochemical cycles under development within the Generation IV International Forum (GIF). Through GIF, over a dozen countries around the world are developing the next generation of nuclear reactors for highly efficient production of both electricity and hydrogen.
The four reactions in the Cu–Cl cycle are listed as follows:
2 Cu + 2 HCl(g) → 2 CuCl(l) + H2(g) (430–475 °C)
2 CuCl2 + H2O(g) → Cu2OCl2 + 2 HCl(g) (400 °C)
2 Cu2OCl2 → 4 CuCl + O2(g) (500 °C)
2 CuCl → CuCl2(aq) + Cu (ambient-temperature electrolysis)
Net reaction: 2 H2O → 2 H2 + O2
Legend: (g)—gas; (l)—liquid; (aq)—aqueous solution; the balance of the species are in a solid phase.
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited has demonstrated experimentally a CuCl electrolyzer in which hydrogen is produced electrolytically at the cathode and Cu(I) is oxidized to Cu(II) at the anode, thereby combining above steps 1 and 4 to eliminate the intermediate production and subsequent transport of solid copper.
Approximately 50% of the heat required to drive this reaction can be captured from the reaction itself. The other heat can be provided by any suitable process. Recent research has focused on a cogeneration scheme using the waste heat from nuclear reactors, specifically the CANDU supercritical water reactor.
Official source
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