Energy and Exergy Analysis of a Gas‐Cooled Nuclear Reactor System for Sustainable Hydrogen Generation

This study presents a comprehensive energy and exergy analysis of a multigeneration system driven by the waste thermal energy of a modular high‐temperature nuclear reactor. The proposed configuration simultaneously delivers electricity, liquid hydrogen (H 2 ), freshwater (FW), heating, and cooling. The performance evaluation is conducted by examining energy and exergy efficiencies, as well as the exergy destruction rates of each subsystem and the overall plant. In addition, an initial environmental impact assessment and cost analysis were included in order to gain a more comprehensive view of the system implications. The results show that the plant can generate 8788 kW of electricity and H 2 at a rate of 0.06826 kg/s. Significant exergy destruction, however, is observed in the liquid H 2 production unit, the supercritical Brayton cycle, and the transcritical Rankine cycle. A parametric investigation is further conducted to assess the influence of ambient temperature, reactor coolant temperature, and mass flow rate, and the pinch point (pp) temperature difference in the heat exchanger. Overall, the findings demonstrate that nuclear waste heat can be effectively utilized for multigeneration applications, indicating promising potential for low‐carbon and sustainable energy pathways.