Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for direct methane conversion to methanol. The methods can include exposing methane to an oxidant, such as O2, in a solvent at conditions that are substantially supercritical for the solvent while having a temperature of about 310° C. or less, or about 300° C. or less, or about 290° C. or less. The solvent can correspond to an electron donor solvent that, when in a supercritical state, can complex with O2. By forming a complex with the O2, the supercritical electron donor solvent can facilitate conversion of methane to methanol at short residence times while reducing or minimizing further oxidation of the methanol to other products.

Abstract: There is disclosed articles for and methods of confining volatile materials in the void volume defined by crystalline void materials. In one embodiment, the hydrogen isotopes are confined inside carbon nanotubes for storage and the production of energy. There is also disclosed a method of generating various reactions by confining the volatile materials inside the crystalline void structure and releasing the confined volatile material. In this embodiment, the released volatile material may be combined with a different material to initiate or sustain a chemical, thermal, nuclear, electrical, mechanical, or biological reaction.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an integrated process for production of electricity, hydrogen, and water using a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor as a single source, comprising: the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, a power conversion unit connected directly or indirectly with the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor to receive heat produced by a reactor core of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor and drive a gas turbine by the heat, thereby producing electricity through an electric generator, a hydrogen production unit that produces hydrogen by receiving the heat produced by the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor and/or the electricity produced by the electric generator, an electrical desalination unit that produces water by using the electricity produced by the electric generator, and a thermal desalination unit that produces water by distilling fresh water from salt water with waste heat recovered from a precooler and an intercooler of the power conversion unit.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to providing a method of producing synthetic fuels and organic chemicals from atmospheric carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide gas is extracted from the atmosphere, hydrogen gas is obtained by splitting water, a mixture of the carbon dioxide gas and the hydrogen gas (synthesis gas) is generated, and the synthesis gas is converted into synthetic fuels and/or organic products. The present invention is also directed to utilizing a nuclear power reactor to provide power for the method of the present invention.

Abstract: Disclosed is an advanced process that relates to the enhanced production of energy using the integration of multiple thermal cycles (Brayton and Rankine) that employ multiple fuels, multiple working fluids, turbines and equipment. The method includes providing a nuclear reactor, reactor working fluid, heat exchangers, compressors, and multiple turbines to drive compressors that pressurize a humidified working fluid that is combusted with fuel fired in at least one gas turbine. The turbine(s) provide for electrical energy, processes or other mechanical loads.

Abstract: A system for producing at least one hydrocarbon fuel from a carbonaceous material, the system including: a nuclear power plant; a hydrocarbon fuel manufacturing plant, including at least an electrolyzer unit for producing a first hydrogen stream from water and electric power provided by the nuclear power plant, and an hydrocarbon fuel synthesis unit, the nuclear power plant supplying power to a power distribution grid to which electric power consumers other than the hydrocarbon manufacturing plant are electrically connected; a buffer storage of at least one given hydrocarbon fuel; a reforming unit for producing a second hydrogen stream from the at least one given hydrocarbon fuel, and a device to feed the at least one given hydrocarbon fuel to the reforming unit at a controlled feed flow rate; a device to feed the hydrocarbon fuel synthesis unit with the first hydrogen stream at a first controlled flow rate and with the second hydrogen stream at a second controlled flow rate; and a device to control the fi

Abstract: A high-temperature and high-pressure corrosion-resistant process heat exchanger for a nuclear hydrogen production system decomposes sulfite (SO3) using heat from a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor to thereby produce sulfide (SO2) and oxygen (O2). The process heat exchanger comprises second and third system coolant channels, each of which is defined by a heat transmission fin, which is bent in a quadrilateral shape, and heat transmission plates, and has increased corrosion resistance thanks to ion-beam coating and ion-beam mixing using a material having high corrosion resistance. The third system coolant channel includes reaction catalysts for SO3 decomposition, and is made of a super alloy. Thus, a system differential pressure between the second and third system coolant channels can be greatly maintained at a high temperature of 900° C. or higher.

Abstract: There is disclosed articles for and methods of confining volatile materials in the void volume defined by crystalline void materials. In one embodiment, the hydrogen isotopes are confined inside carbon nanotubes for storage and the production of energy. There is also disclosed a method of generating various reactions by confining the volatile materials inside the crystalline void structure and releasing the confined volatile material. In this embodiment, the released volatile material may be combined with a different material to initiate or sustain a chemical, thermal, nuclear, electrical, mechanical, or biological reaction.

Abstract: A system for generating hydrogen includes a liquid metal nuclear reactor having a non-radioactive secondary heat loop, a steam generator connected to the secondary heat loop, a high temperature water cracking system, and a topping heater. The heat produced by the nuclear reactor is used to raise the temperature of the feed water for the cracking system to between about 450° C. to about 550° C. The topping heater raises the feed water temperature from the 450° C. to 550° C. range to at least 850° C. so that the cracking system can operate efficiently to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

Abstract: A nuclear excited power system includes a gaseous core nuclear reactor through the core of which helium is passed. The helium is excited by the high energy radiation from the nuclear reactor and is coupled to a reaction chamber wherein the high energy helium mixes with hydrogen and a halogen, such as, chlorine. The energy thus transferred to the hydrogen and chlorine causes the hydrogen and chlorine to combine to form a hydrogen chloride plasma. The high temperature, high pressure hydrogen chloride plasma drives a turbine, magnetohydrodynamic generator or other electromechanical device to form electrical and/or mechanical energy. The helium and hydrogen chloride exhaust products are separated with the helium coupled back to the reactor core. The hydrogen chloride is disassociated and coupled back to the reaction chamber.

Abstract: A system for increasing the temperature of a fluid heated by a high temperature gas cooled nuclear reactor to a sufficient temperature to supply the heat of reaction for a high temperature chemical process. The system includes a secondary loop having a working fluid heated to a first temperature by the nuclear reactor, and has a heat pump connected in the secondary loop and adapted to increase and thereby augment the temperature of the working fluid in the secondary loop sufficiently to supply the heat of reaction for a high temperature chemical process such as in a reformer. The system also provides low temperature heat in the form of steam which may be used in a turbine to provide power to the compressor of the heat pump and for auxilliary apparatus.

Abstract: Organic hydrocarbon materials are produced from plentiful inorganic limestone type materials by: (1) reacting the limestone type materials with molten lithium metal to produce Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 (2) hydrolyzing the Li.sub.2 C.sub.2 to produce C.sub.2 H.sub.2, (3) catalytically reacting the C.sub.2 H.sub.2 with steam to produce CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3, (4) pyrolyzing the CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3 to provide ketene and methane, and separating the ketene. The ketene may then be decomposed to provide methylene, which can be reacted with an alkane, such as methane in an insertion chain reaction, to provide organic hydrocarbon materials. An in-place nuclear reactor can provide energy for the endothermic reactions of the system.

Abstract: Organic hydrocarbon materials are produced from plentiful inorganic limestone type materials by: (1) thermally decomposing the limestone type materials to produce CaO and CO.sub.2, (2) using the CO.sub.2 in a solid electrolyte electrolysis cell to produce CO, (3) catalytically decomposing the CO to produce carbon, (4) reacting the carbon with the CaO produced in step (1), to produce CaC.sub.2, (5) hydrolyzing the CaC.sub.2 toi produce C.sub.2 H.sub.2, (6) catalytically reacting the C.sub.2 H.sub.2 with steam to produce CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3, (7) pyrolyzing the CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3 to provide ketene and methane, and separating the ketene. The ketene may then be decomposed to provide methylene, which can be reacted with an alkane, such as methane in an insertion chain reaction, to provide organic hydrocarbon materials. An in-place nuclear reactor can provide energy for the endothermic reactions of the system.

Abstract: A power generation system includes a nuclear reactor having a core which in addition to generating heat generates a high frequency electromagnetic radiation. An electromagnetic radiation chamber is positioned to receive at least a portion of the radiation generated by the reactor core. Hydrogen and chlorine are connected into the electromagnetic reactor chamber and react with controlled explosive violence when exposed to the radiation from the nuclear reactor. Oxygen is fed into the reactor chamber as a control medium. The resulting gases under high pressure and temperature are utilized to drive a gas turbine generators.In an alternative embodiment the highly ionized gases, hydogen and chlorine are utilized as a fluid medium for use in magnetohydrodynamic generators which are attached to the electromagnetic reactor chambers.

Abstract: A catalytic cartridge internally heated is utilized as a SO.sub.3 decomposer for thermochemical hydrogen production. The cartridge has two embodiments, a cross-flow cartridge and an axial flow cartridge. In the cross-flow cartridge, SO.sub.3 gas is flowed through a chamber and incident normally to a catalyst coated tube extending through the chamber, the catalyst coated tube being internally heated. In the axial-flow cartridge, SO.sub.3 gas is flowed through the annular space between concentric inner and outer cylindrical walls, the inner cylindrical wall being coated by a catalyst and being internally heated. The modular cartridge decomposer provides high thermal efficiency, high conversion efficiency, and increased safety.

Abstract: Gas and combined gas/steam power cycles in which chemical energy is stored in a gaseous working fluid by radiolytic dissociation at a temperature below the temperature of thermodynamic macroscopic dissociation, such that the dissociated portion of the working fluid exists under conditions of macroscopic thermal non-equilibrium. The dissociated fluid components are then recombined with the energy of recombination adding heat to the working fluid for extraction in the power cycle.