Comparison of molten salt heat recovery options in the Cu-Cl cycle of hydrogen production

This paper presents a comparative review of different options for recovering heat from molten CuCl in the Cu-Cl cycle of hydrogen production. Various technologies exist for recovering heat from the molten CuCl in the cycle, but each has its advantages and challenges. In this paper, different parameters such as heat transfer rate, additional materials in the cycle, energy efficiency, temperature retention, economics, material issues, and design feasibility are considered in the evaluation of methods. It is shown that casting/extrusion, atomization methods, with a separate vessel using water as a coolant and rotary/spinning atomization using air as a coolant, can be considered as the most efficient and reliable methods for heat recovery from molten CuCl. Copyright (C) 2010, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.