Rate of Hydrogen Combustion in Supercritical Water

Hydrogen is a clean burning energy source and an essential oxygen scavenger used in corrosion control chemistry for nuclear power plants. Here, we report on the combustion rate of hydrogen in supercritical water. The reaction of hydrogen oxidation by oxygen is studied in a flow-through reactor operating under continuous steady state conditions in terms of surface oxidation. Hydrogen released in situ from the metal oxide reactor surface is accounted for in the overall reaction kinetics. Rate constants are presented for 500, 550, and 650 °C at 25 MPa. The activation energy for the homogeneous oxidation reaction is estimated to be 96.4 kJ mol –1 . This value is comparable with the activation energies obtained for other small fuel molecules.