An investigation of the performance of a hybrid turboexpander-fuel cell system for power recovery at natural gas pressure reduction stations

As part of a one-year Department of Defense demonstration project, proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems have been installed at three residences to provide electrical power and waste heat for domestic hot water and space heating. The 5kW capacity fuel cells operate on reformed natural gas. These systems operate at preset levels providing power to the residence and to the utility grid. During grid outages, the residential power source is disconnected from the grid and the fuel cell system operates in standby mode to provide power to critical loads in the residence. This paper describes lessons learned from installation and operation of these fuel cell systems in existing residences. Issues associated with installation of a fuel cell system for combined heat and power focus primarily on fuel cell siting, plumbing external to the fuel cell unit required to support heat recovery, and line connections between the fuel cell unit and the home interior for natural gas, water, electricity, and communications. Operational considerations of the fuel cell system are linked to heat recovery system design and conditions required for adequate flow of natural gas, air, water, and system communications. Based on actual experience with these systems in a residential setting, proper system design, component installation, and sustainment of required flows are essential for the fuel cell system to provide reliable power and waste heat.

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Recovering lost power in natural gas pressure reduction stations using hybrid turbo expander and fuel cell systems

2017 Nineteenth International Middle East Power Systems Conference (MEPCON) ◽

10.1109/mepcon.2017.8301300 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shaimaa Tarek Soltan ◽

Mostafa A. Elshahed ◽

Mohamed S. Elsobki

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Natural Gas ◽

Gas Pressure ◽

Pressure Reduction ◽

Cell Systems ◽

Turbo Expander

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Thermodynamic and Economic Analysis of a Steam Reformer-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System Fed by Natural Gas and Ethanol

Energy Sources ◽

10.1080/00908310252888745 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 365-373 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Savvas Douvartzides ◽

Panagiotis Tsiakaras

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Natural Gas ◽

Economic Analysis ◽

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽

Cell System ◽

Solid Oxide ◽

Oxide Fuel ◽

Fuel Cell System ◽

Steam Reformer

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IdaTech unveils natural gas fuel cell system at Hannover Fair 2003

Focus on Catalysts ◽

10.1016/s1351-4180(03)00633-0 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2003 (6) ◽

pp. 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Natural Gas ◽

Cell System ◽

Fuel Cell System ◽

Gas Fuel

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Economic Analysis of Hydrogen Household Energy Systems Including Incentives on Energy Communities and Externalities: A Case Study in Italy

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14185847 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (18) ◽

pp. 5847

Author(s):

Niccolò Caramanico ◽

Giuseppe Di Di Florio ◽

Maria Camilla Baratto ◽

Viviana Cigolotti ◽

Riccardo Basosi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Fuel Cell ◽

Natural Gas ◽

Economic Analysis ◽

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽

Cell System ◽

Solid Oxide ◽

Oxide Fuel ◽

Fuel Cell System ◽

Net Metering

The building sector is one of the key energy consumers worldwide. Fuel cell micro-Cogeneration Heat and Power systems for residential and small commercial applications are proposed as one of the most promising innovations contributing to the transition towards a sustainable energy infrastructure. For the application and the diffusion of these systems, in addition to their environmental performance, it is necessary, however, to evaluate their economic feasibility. In this paper a life cycle assessment of a fuel cell/photovoltaic hybrid micro-cogeneration heat and power system for a residential building is integrated with a detailed economic analysis. Financial indicators (net present cost and payback time are used for studying two different investments: reversible-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and natural gas SOFC in comparison to a base scenario, using a homeowner perspective approach. Moreover, two alternative incentives scenarios are analysed and applied: net metering and self-consumers’ groups (or energy communities). Results show that both systems obtain annual savings, but their high capital costs still would make the investments not profitable. However, the natural gas Solide Oxide Fuel Cell with the net metering incentive is the best scenario among all. On the contrary, the reversible-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell maximizes its economic performance only when the self-consumers’ groups incentive is applied. For a complete life cycle cost analysis, environmental impacts are monetized using three different monetization methods with the aim to internalize (considering them into direct cost) the externalities (environmental costs). If externalities are considered as an effective cost, the natural gas Solide Oxide Fuel Cell system increases its saving because its environmental impact is lower than in the base case one, while the reversible-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell system reduces it.

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Retrofit of Tehran City Gate Station (C.G.S.No.2) by Using Turboexpander

ASME 2010 Power Conference ◽

10.1115/power2010-27087 ◽

2010 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ramin Taheri Seresht ◽

Hassan Khodaei Jalalabadi ◽

Babak Rashidian

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Gas Pressure ◽

Second Step ◽

Pressure Reduction ◽

Expansion Turbine ◽

Reduce Energy Consumption ◽

Power Recovery ◽

Oil Gas ◽

Wasted Energy

Worldwide energy crisis makes it necessary to optimize consumption. One of the fundamental ways to reduce energy consumption is recovery from wasted energy. This can be applied in oil, gas and petrochemical industries in which large amounts of energy waste occur. We can refer to gas transportation when there is a pressure reduction at natural gas pressure reducing stations. In common classic methods, this reduction is accomplished through regulators or throttle valves which the great amount of energy existing in pipelines lost by them. In this paper, it has been suggested to use expansion turbine for achieving pressure reduction, as well as energy recovery goals. In this regard, Tehran City Gate Station No.2 which is one of the large natural gas pressure reducing stations in Iran (both from capacity and inlet pressure perspectives), has been selected as a case study. In first step waste of energy was calculated by using exergy analysis and in second step, by using expansion turbines that are used parallel in the station for achieving the goals of gas reduction pressure and power recovery was simulated in four scenarios by Thermoflow1 software. The results show undeniable fact that the Energy loss at this station has been 38,443,578 KWhr for a year. As a result of using turboexpander, the exergy recovery will be 96%. At the final step, one scenario was selected as the best which its period of payback was about 2 years.

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