Techno-Economic Optimal Design of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems for Micro-Combined Heat and Power Applications in the U.S.

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Braun
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Chp System ◽  
System Configurations ◽  
System Designs ◽  
The U.S

A techno-economic optimization study investigating optimal design and operating strategies of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) micro-combined heat and power (CHP) systems for application in U.S. residential dwellings is carried out through modeling and simulation of various anode-supported planar SOFC-based system configurations. Five different SOFC system designs operating from either methane or hydrogen fuels are evaluated in terms of their energetic and economic performances and their overall suitability for meeting residential thermal-to-electric ratios. Life-cycle cost models are developed and employed to generate optimization objective functions, which are utilized to explore the sensitivity of the life-cycle costs to various system designs and economic parameters and to select optimal system configurations and operating parameters for eventual application in single-family, detached residential homes in the U.S. The study compares the results against a baseline SOFC-CHP system that employs primarily external steam reforming of methane. The results of the study indicate that system configurations and operating parameter selections that enable minimum life-cycle cost while achieving maximum CHP-system efficiency are possible. Life-cycle cost reductions of over 30% and CHP efficiency improvements of nearly 20% from the baseline system are detailed.

Evaluation of Energy, Environmental, and Economic Characteristics of Fuel Cell Combined Heat and Power Systems for Residential Applications

2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Burak Gunes ◽  
Michael W. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Chp System

Residential combined heat and power (CHP) systems using fuel cell technology can provide both electricity and heat and can substantially reduce the energy and environmental impact associated with residential applications. The energy, environmental, and economic characteristics of fuel cell CHP systems are investigated for single-family residential applications. Hourly energy use profiles for electricity and thermal energy are determined for typical residential applications. A mathematical model of a residential fuel cell based CHP system is developed. The CHP system incorporates a fuel cell system to supply electricity and thermal energy, a vapor compression heat pump to provide cooling in the summer and heating in the winter, and a thermal storage tank to help match the available thermal energy to the thermal energy needs. The performance of the system is evaluated for different climates. Results from the study include an evaluation of the major design parameters of the system, load duration curves, an evaluation of the effect of climate on energy use characteristics, an assessment of the reduction in emissions, and a comparison of the life cycle cost of the fuel cell based CHP system to the life cycle costs of conventional residential energy systems. The results suggest that the fuel cell CHP system provides substantial energy and environmental benefits but that the cost of the fuel cell sub-system must be reduced to roughly $500/kWe before the system can be economically justified.

Dynamic Simulation of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System for Micro Combined Heat and Power Application

2013 ◽  
Vol 336-338 ◽  
pp. 695-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wei Kang ◽  
Wei Huang ◽  
Yang Xue ◽  
Guang Yi Cao ◽  
Heng Yong Tu
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽  
Thermal Inertia ◽  
System Optimization ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Cell System ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Chp System

In the past decade, developing solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems for micro combined heat and power applications (micro-CHP, 1-10 kWe) is one of the hot spots in the world energy field. To meet the requirements for system optimization and control design of SOFC micro-CHP systems, in this paper a dynamic model of an SOFC micro-CHP system is developed, based on which dynamic simulations are also carried out. Simulation results show that the present model can reflect the behavior of the SOFC micro-CHP system quite well; the influence of one component on another is an important factor to determine system dynamic behavior; as the system comprises many components and concerns different physical and chemical processes, it has dynamic processes with several kinds of time scales; for the air preheating need, the heat-exchange area of air pre-heater is quite big, which leads to its big thermal inertia, and causes the dynamic process lasting for several ten thousands of seconds.

Techno-Economic Optimal Design and Application of SOFC Systems for Residential Micro-CHP Applications in the U.S.

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Braun
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Optimal Design ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Operating Parameter ◽  
Cost Models ◽  
Economic Optimization ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Chp System ◽  
System Configurations ◽  
The U.S

A techno-economic optimization study investigating optimal design and operating strategies of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) micro-combined heat and power (CHP) systems for application in U.S. residential dwellings is carried out through modeling and simulation of various anode-supported planar SOFC-based system configurations. Five different SOFC system designs operating from either methane or hydrogen fuels are evaluated in terms of their energetic and economic performance and their overall suitability for meeting residential thermal-to-electric ratios. Life cycle cost models are developed and employed to generate optimization objective functions which are utilized to explore the sensitivity of the life cycle costs to various system design and economic parameters and to select optimal system configurations and operating parameters for eventual application in single-family, detached residential homes in the U.S. The study compares the results against a baseline SOFC-CHP system that employs primarily external steam reforming of methane. The results of the study indicate that system configurations and operating parameter selections that enable minimum life cycle cost while achieving maximum CHP system efficiency are possible. Life cycle cost reductions of over 30% and CHP efficiency improvements of nearly 20% from the baseline system are detailed.

Life cycle energy and environmental impacts of a solid oxide fuel cell micro-CHP system for residential application

2019 ◽  
Vol 685 ◽  
pp. 59-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Longo ◽  
Maurizio Cellura ◽  
Francesco Guarino ◽  
Giovanni Brunaccini ◽  
Marco Ferraro
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Chp System

scholarly journals Dynamic Modeling of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Combined Heat and Power System With Thermal Storage for Commercial Building Applications

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimihiro Nanaeda ◽  
Fabian Mueller ◽  
Jacob Brouwer ◽  
Scott Samuelsen
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Cell Model ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
System Model ◽  
Exhaust Gas ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Chp System ◽  
Duct Burner

A dynamic model of an integrated solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) combined heat and power (CHP) system has been developed. The model was developed by modifying a previously developed generic 5 kW simple-cycle SOFC system. Fuel cell model modifications include changes in methods and constants for estimating over-potentials to better simulate a modern anode-supported planar SOFC. In addition to scaling up and modifying the fuel cell model, a thermal energy storage (TES) tank, exhaust gas duct burner and hot water exhaust gas recuperator model were integrated into the system model. The fully integrated system model can effectively simulate an SOFC-CHP system and evaluate the system performance and efficiency in meeting building electricity and heating demand profiles. For the present effort, dynamic building electricity and heating data from a hotel operated in Orange County, southern California during the months of July and August 2008 were analyzed. Specifically, tradeoffs between SOFC performance and thermal energy storage have been investigated. The simulation results show that the SOFC-CHP system has the ability to follow the dynamic electrical load with appropriate system design and controls. Due to thermal power mismatch during electricity load-following operation, supplementary exhaust gas duct burner heat and/or a TES is required to independently dispatch the fuel cell power and meet the hotel heating demand. However, if the fuel cell is sufficiently sized, the system can achieve greater than 70% efficiency with only a small TES tank and without the need to fire the duct burner. The dynamic model and integrated SOFC-TES concept are shown to be useful for developing integrated CHP systems and to evaluate performance.

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