Designing Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Gas Turbine Hybrid Systems Using Exergy Analysis

The synergetic effects of carbon and hydrogen metabolism on the exergy destruction and loss in a coal-to-SNG process

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is expected to be applied to the distributed energy systems because of its high thermal efficiency and exhaust gas utilization. The exhaust heat from the SOFC can be transferred to the electric power by a gas turbine, and the high efficiency power generation can be achieved by constructing the SOFC and gas turbine hybrid system. In this study, we analyze the local processes in the electrodes and electrolyte of unit SOFC taking into account the heat conduction, mass diffusion, electrode reactions and the transport of electron and oxygen ion. The temperature and concentration distributions perpendicular to the electrolyte membrane are shown. The effects of the operating conditions on the cell performance are also shown. Furthermore, the entropy generation and exergy loss of each process in the electrodes and electrolyte are analyzed and the reason for generating the exergy loss in the SOFC is clarified. It is noted that two electrode reactions are responsible for the major exergy loss.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has undertaken a review of coal gasification technologies that integrate with solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) to achieve system efficiencies near 60% while capturing and sequestering >90% of the carbon dioxide [1–2]. One way to achieve an overall system efficiency of greater than 60% is in a power plant in which a catalytic coal gasifier produces a syngas with a methane composition of roughly 25% on a dry volume basis and this is sent to a SOFC, with CO2 capture occurring either before or after the SOFC. Integration of a catalytic gasifier with a SOFC, as opposed to a conventional entrained flow gasifier, is improved due to (a) decreased exergy destruction inside a catalytic, steam-coal gasifier producing a high-methane content syngas, and (b) decreased exergy destruction in the SOFC due to the ability to operate at lower air stoichiometric flow ratios. For example, thermal management of the SOFC is greatly improved due to the steam-methane reforming in the anode of the fuel cell. This paper has two main goals. First, we converted the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) estimates of various research groups into an average internal rate of return on investment (IRR) in order to make comparisons between their results, and to underscore the increased rate of return on investment for advanced integrated gasification fuel cell systems with carbon capture & sequestration (IGFC-CCS) compared with conventional integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC-CCS) systems and pulverized coal combustion (PCC-CCS) systems. Using capital, labor, and fuel costs from previous researchers and using an average price of baseload electricity generation of $61.50 / MW-hr, we calculated inflation-adjusted IRR values of up to 13%/yr for catalytic gasification with pressurized fuel cell and carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), whereas we calculate an IRR of ∼4%/yr and ∼2%/yr for new, conventional IGCC-CCS and PCC-CCS, respectively. If the carbon dioxide is used for enhanced oil recovery rather than for saline aquifer storage, then the IRR values improve to 16%/yr, 10%/yr, and 8%/yr, respectively. For comparison, the IRR of a new conventional IGCC or PCC power plant without CO2 capture are estimated to be 11%/yr and 15.0%/yr, respectively. Second, we conducted an exergy analysis of two different configurations in which syngas from a catalytic gasifier fuels a SOFC. In the first case, the CO2 is captured before the SOFC, and the anode tail gas is sent back to the catalytic gasifier. In the second case, the anode tail gas is oxy-combusted using oxygen ion ceramic membranes and then CO2 is captured for sequestration. In both cases, we find that the system efficiency is greater than 60%. These values compare well with previous system analysis [1–4]. In future work, we plan to calculate the IRR of these two cases and compare with previous economic analyses conducted at NETL [1–2].

Design performance analysis of pressurized solid oxide fuel cell/gas turbine hybrid systems considering temperature constraints

Thermodynamic analysis and multi-objective optimization of different gas turbine configuration strategies for an atmospheric SOFC system

SummaryA design study was undertaken of a 100 kW natural gas solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)/gas turbine (GT) hybrid system to evaluate the impacts of the reforming process under a broad range of SOFC fuel utilizations. An equilibrium reformer model and a one‐dimensional SOFC model are employed to perform system study for this hybrid, while balance of plant model is built in Ebsion to simulate the associated performance of GT cycle. Fifty design cases with varied external fuel reforming temperatures are analyzed based on different SOFC fuel utilization levels. With the decrease of reforming temperature, optimal fuel utilization in terms of efficiency shift from 90% with external reforming to 60% with internal reforming. Highest efficiency up to 74% was achieved with internal reforming, but this came with 1275 K cathode inlet air temperature and 1673 K turbine inlet temperature, which no current fuel cell and few GTs can tolerate. High fuel pre‐reforming rates provided a higher design flexibility and showed opportunities of efficiency improvement with appropriate thermal integration strategy. And the feasibility of achieving high efficiencies in the hybrid system with thermally integrated external reforming will be explored in our future work.Novelty StatementBoth fuel reforming process and fuel utilization could affect the heat and energy balance in the hybrid gas solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)‐gas turbine (GT) system. However, the optimal design condition considering different fuel reforming approaches and SOFC fuel utilization levels was not determined in the literature. In addition, appropriate integration strategies, used to balance the heat and power between the two subsystems (SOFC and GT), are imperative under different fuel reforming approaches and SOFC fuel utilization levels. But, the feasibility of those thermal integration strategies has not been examined in existing studies. This work studied the coupling effects of SOFC fuel utilization and fuel reforming process on system performance of a natural gas hybrid SOFC/GT cycle. Highest efficiency up to 74% was achieved with internal reforming, but this came with 1275 K cathode inlet air temperature and 1673 K turbine inlet temperature, which no current fuel cell and few GTs can tolerate. High fuel pre‐reforming rates provided a higher design flexibility and showed opportunities of efficiency improvement with appropriate thermal integration strategy.

Advanced airborne power generation technology represents one of the most effective solutions for meeting the electricity requirements of hypersonic vehicles during long-endurance flights. This paper proposes a power generation system that integrates a high-temperature fuel cell to tackle the challenges associated with power generation in the hypersonic field, utilizing techniques such as inlet pressurization, autothermal reforming, and anode recirculation. Firstly, the power generation system is modeled modularly. Secondly, the influence of key parameters on the system’s performance is analyzed. Thirdly, the performance of the power generation system under the design conditions is simulated and evaluated. Finally, the weight distribution and exergy loss of the system’s components under the design conditions are calculated. The results indicate that the system’s electrical efficiency increases with fuel utilization, decreases with rising current density and steam-to-carbon ratio (SCR), and initially increases before declining with increasing fuel cell operating temperature. Under the design conditions, the system’s power output is 48.08 kW, with an electrical efficiency of 51.77%. The total weight of the power generation system is 77.09 kg, with the fuel cell comprising 69.60% of this weight, resulting in a power density of 0.62 kW/kg. The exergy efficiency of the system is 55.86%, with the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) exhibiting the highest exergy loss, while the mixer demonstrates the greatest exergy efficiency. This study supports the application of high-temperature fuel cells in the hypersonic field.

This paper presents the energy and exergy analysis of thermal power plant Tuzla in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the components of a 200 MW steam power plant unit in order to identify and quantify the sites with the highest exergy losses and to calculate exergy efficiency values of all components when operating at nominal load. The influence of the change in ambient temperature and block load on the value of exergy losses and exergy efficiency was taken into analysis. The analysis further includes the impact of steam block operation without high-pressure and low-pressure heaters on the exergy efficiency of the steam block. The goal of the analysis is to determine the functional state of individual steam block components after a long period of exploitation and maintenance in order to take appropriate measures to improve their technical performance. Exergy losses during nominal operation of the steam power plant unit are the largest in boiler and amount to 313.42 MW, followed by a turbine with 205.60 MW, condenser 1 with 6.03 MW, condenser 2 with 5.75 MW, while other components of the steam power plant have exergy losses in the range of 0.03 to 2.15 MW. Operation of the unit at nominal load without HPH results in an exergy efficiency decrease from 5.60 to 9.80 %, while in case of operation without HPH and LPH it results in a decrease in exergy efficiency from 9.86 to 16.40 % depending on the pattern used to calculate. The conclusion after the analysis indicates that the biggest exergy losses are in the boiler and turbine and consequently these components have the lowest exergy efficiency values. The increase in ambient temperature has different effects on individual components of the thermal power plant, increasing exergy losses of the boiler while reducing the turbine exergy losses and condensers.

Studies of the unavoidable exergy loss rate and analysis of influence parameters for pipeline transportation process

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems are the most advanced power generation system with the highest thermal efficiency. The current trend of research on the SOFC systems is focused on multikilowatt scale systems, which require either internal reforming within the stack or a compact external reformer. Even if the internal reforming within the SOFC stack allows compact system configuration, it causes significant and complicated temperature gradients within the stack, due to endothermic reforming reactions and exothermic electrochemical reactions. As an alternative solution to the internal reforming, an external compact heat exchange reformer (CHER) is investigated in this work. The CHER is based on a typical plate-fin counterflow or coflow heat exchanger platform, and it can save space without causing large thermal stress and degradation to the SOFC stack (i.e., eventually reducing the overall system cost). In this work, a previously developed transient dynamic model of the CHER is validated by experiments. An experimental apparatus, which comprises the CHER, air heater, gas heater, steam generator, several mass flow controllers, and controller cabinet, was designed to investigate steady state reforming performance of the CHER for various hot air inlet temperatures (thermal energy source) and steam to carbon ratios (SCRs). The transient thermal dynamics of the CHER was also measured and compared with simulations when the CHER is used as a heat exchanger with inert gas. The measured transient dynamics of CHER matches very well with simulations, validating the heat transfer model within the CHER. The measured molar fractions of reformate gases at steady state also agree well with the simulations validating the used reaction kinetics. The transient CHER model can be easily integrated into a total integrated SOFC system, and the model can be also used for optimal design of similar CHERs and provides a guideline to select optimal operating conditions of the CHERs and the integrated SOFC system.

Development of fuel cells has been boosted by global and regional environmental issues. Among others, the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has been drawing much attention as a unit for distributed energy generation. Numerical analysis is used as a powerful tool in research and development of field cells, especially of the SOFC for which important and necessary thermal management information has scarcely been supplied experimentally. A central issue for achieving maximum benefit from the numerical analysis is how to properly model the complex phenomena occurring in the fuel cells. This chapter presents a numerical model for a tubular SOFC including a case with indirect internal reforming. In this model, the velocity field in the air and fuel passages and heat and mass transfer in and around a tubular cell are calculated with a two-dimensional cylindrical coordinate system adopting the axisymmetric assumption. Internal reforming and electrochemical reactions are both taken into account in this model. Electric potential field and electric current in the cell are also calculated simultaneously allowing their nonuniformity in the peripheral direction. A previously developed quasi-two-dimensional model was adopted to combine the assumed axisymmetry of velocity, heat and mass transfer fields and the peripheral nonuniformity of electric potential field and electric current. Details of those numerical procedures are described and examples of the calculated results are discussed. After presenting a re fundamental results, several strategies to reduce the maximum temperature gradient of the cell are examined for a case with indirect internal fuel reforming.

This paper deals with an exergetic performance analysis of a gas turbine cycle integrated with SOFCs with internal reforming. As the efficiency of a gas turbine cycle is mainly defined by the maximum temperature at the turbine inlet, this temperature is fixed at 1573 K for the analysis. In the cycle considered, the high-temperature gaseous flow from the turbine heats the input flows of natural gas and air, and is used to generate pressurized steam which is mixed with natural gas at the SOFC stack inlet to facilitate its conversion. The application of SOFCs provides the opportunity to reduce the exergy losses of the most irreversible process in the system: fuel combustion. Depending on the SOFC stack efficiency, the energy efficiency of the combined cycle reaches 70–80% which compares well to the efficiencies of 54–55% typical of conventional combined power generation cycles. Parametric studies are also undertaken to investigate how energy and exergy efficiencies of the integrated system change with variations in operating conditions. An increase in the efficiency of SOFCs is attained by increasing the fuel cell active area. Achieving the highest efficiency of the SOFC stack leads to a significant and non-proportional increase in the stack size and cost, and simultaneously to a decrease in steam generation, reducing the steam/methane ratio at the anode inlet and increasing the possibility of catalyst coking. Accounting for these factors, likely operating conditions of the SOFC stack in combination with a gas turbine cycle are presented.

Compact subsystems are pivotal to aeronautical applications, inclusive of advanced energy concepts. Regarding size minimization, an “exergogravimetric” approach has recently begun that attempts an exergy-aided weight reduction of advanced energy systems (inclusive of fuel); and this is based upon the added design insights afforded by Second Law considerations. The chief rationale and objective are to leverage the advancements that exergoeconomics affords in the realm of cost-effective thermal system design to aid size-effective thermal system design. A conceptual solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system for long-duration unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications has been initially modeled and simulated, inclusive of exergy analysis, and preliminary findings are discussed. Additionally, the concepts and methodologies can be extended to other advanced energy system technologies. There are project-specific and general milestones and conclusions drawn from the initial investigation. Specific to the project, a conceptual SOFC system simulation was completed via physics-based and literature-verified models along with structured language (i.e., MATLAB) numerical implementation. Specific component-level contributions to lost power potential and added mass were preliminarily resolved. Thermal exergy destruction and loss are predominant sources of unutilized specific power potential. Operational and physical degrees-of-freedom were explored, with the aid of exergy analysis, to resolve better design pathways. This included a counterintuitive preliminary finding that larger cell interconnects may facilitate smaller and more efficient system operation. Generally, exergy analyses allow a system design opportunity to gain higher resolution insights (i.e., to component- and spatial-extents) regarding inefficiencies throughout a thermal system, and this is afforded by the comprising blend of 1st Law and 2nd Law considerations. There is also an added means of accounting for 2nd Law effects. The traditional 2nd Law verification point of entropy generation being non-negative does not provide the same level of process analysis closure as does the related constraint that all processes have to account for exergy being stored, converted, destroyed or rejected through any defined control volume. This alternative 2nd Law perspective facilitates verification and validation of simulations.

Exergy flows in industrial processes

In this study, the thermodynamic performance of a combined gas turbine system equipped with a tubular solid oxide fuel cell and hydrogen fuel was investigated. All components of the system were separately modeled using thermodynamic relations. The simulation results showed that the efficiency of the combined system decreased with an increase in the turbine inlet temperature, whereas the power of the system increased. In addition, increasing the temperature entering the turbine and increasing the pressure ratio increased the production entropy and, as a result, increased the irreversibility of the system. The results of the research at the design point showed that 65% of the irreversibility of the system was caused by the combustion chamber and fuel cell (35% of the amount of entropy produced, the contribution of the combustion chamber, and 30% of the contribution of the solid oxide fuel cell) and 19% was due to the contribution of the heat exchanger. In addition, the combined system has an efficiency of 9.81%, while the system without a fuel cell has an efficiency of 33.4%, which shows the extraordinary performance of the combined system.