Thermodynamic and dynamic analysis off a wind-powered off-grid industrial building integrated with solid oxide fuel cell and electrolyzer for energy management and storage

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Pegah Mottaghizadeh ◽  
Mahshid Fardadi ◽  
Faryar Jabbari ◽  
Jacob Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Energy Storage System ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
System Level ◽  
Industrial Building ◽  
Oxide Fuel

Abstract In this study, an islanded microgrid system is proposed that integrates identical stacks of solid oxide fuel cell and electrolyzer to achieve a thermally self-sustained energy storage system. Thermal management of the SOEC is achieved by use of heat from the SOFC with a heat exchanger network and control strategies. While the SOFC meets the building electricity demand and heat from its electrochemical reactions is transferred to the SOEC for endothermic heat and standby demands. Each component is physically modelled in Simulink and ultimately integrated at the system level for dynamic analyses. The current work simulates a system comprised of a wind farm in Palm Springs, CA coupled with the SOEC (for H2 generation), and an industrial building powered by the SOFC. Results from two-weeks of operation using measured building and wind data showed that despite fluctuating power profiles, average temperature and local temperature gradients of both the SOEC and SOFC were within desired tolerances. However, for severe conditions of wind power deficit, H2 had to be supplied from previous windy days' storage or imported.

Thermal Management of a Reversible Solid Oxide System for Long-Term Renewable Energy Storage

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pegah Mottaghizadeh ◽  
Mahshid Fardadi ◽  
Faryar Jabbari ◽  
Jack Brouwer
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Storage System ◽  
Energy Storage System ◽  
Oxide System ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
System Level ◽  
Industrial Building

Abstract In this study, an islanded microgrid system is proposed that integrates identical stacks of solid oxide fuel cell and electrolyzer to achieve a thermally self-sustained energy storage system. Thermal management of the SOEC is achieved by use of heat from the SOFC with a heat exchanger network and control strategies. While the SOFC meets the building electricity demand and heat from its electrochemical reactions is transferred to the SOEC for endothermic heat and standby demands. Each component is physically modelled in Simulink and ultimately integrated at the system level for dynamic analyses. The current work simulates a system comprised of a wind farm in Palm Springs, CA coupled with the SOEC (for H2 generation), and an industrial building powered by the SOFC. Results from two-weeks of operation using measured building and wind data showed that despite fluctuating power profiles, average temperature and local temperature gradients of both the SOEC and SOFC were within desired tolerances. However, for severe conditions of wind power deficit, H2 had to be supplied from previous windy days’ storage or imported.

Performance Evaluation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Engines Integrated With Single/Dual-Spool Turbochargers

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
So-Ryeok Oh ◽  
Jing Sun ◽  
Herb Dobbs ◽  
Joel King
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Load Following ◽  
Fuel Flow

This study investigates the performance and operating characteristics of 5kW-class solid oxide fuel cell and gas turbine (SOFC/GT) hybrid systems for two different configurations, namely single- and dual- spool gas turbines. Both single and dual spool turbo-chargers are widely used in the gas turbine industry. Even though their operation is based on the same physical principles, their performance characteristics and operation parameters vary considerably due to different designs. The implications of the differences on the performance of the hybrid SOFC/GT have not been discussed in literature, and will be the topic of this paper. Operating envelops of single and dual shaft systems are identified and compared. Performance in terms of system efficiency and load following is analyzed. Sensitivities of key variables such as power, SOFC temperature, and GT shaft speed to the control inputs (namely, fuel flow, SOFC current, generator load) are characterized, all in an attempt to gain insights on the design implication for the single and dual shaft SOFC/GT systems. Dynamic analysis are also performed for part load operation and load transitions, which shed lights for the development of safe and optimal control strategies.

Reliability analysis for a multi-stack solid oxide fuel cell system subject to operation condition-dependent degradation

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Konrad W. Eichhorn Colombo ◽  
Peter Schütz ◽  
Vladislav V. Kharton
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽  
Reliability Analysis ◽  
Dynamic Program ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
System Level ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Up

PurposeA reliability analysis of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system is presented for applications with strict constant power supply requirements, such as data centers. The purpose is to demonstrate the effect when moving from a module-level to a system-level in terms of reliability, also considering effects during start-up and degradation.Design/methodology/approachIn-house experimental data on a system-level are used to capture the behavior during start-up and normal operation, including drifts of the operation point due to degradation. The system is assumed to allow replacement of stacks during operation, but a minimum number of stacks in operation is needed to avoid complete shutdown. Experimental data are used in conjunction with a physics-based performance model to construct the failure probability function. A dynamic program then solves the optimization problem in terms of time and replacement requirements to minimize the total negative deviation from a given target reliability.FindingsResults show that multi-stack SOFC systems face challenges which are only revealed on a system- and not on a module-level. The main finding is that the reliability of multi-stack SOFC systems is not sufficient to serve as sole power source for critical applications such as data center.Practical implicationsThe principal methodology may be applicable to other modular systems which include multiple critical components (of the same kind). These systems comprise other electrochemical systems such as further fuel cell types.Originality/valueThe novelty of this work is the combination of mathematical modeling to solve a real-world problem, rather than assuming idealized input which lead to more benign system conditions. Furthermore, the necessity to use a mathematical model, which captures sufficient physics of the SOFC system as well as stochasticity elements of its environment, is of critical importance. Some simplifications are, however, necessary because the use of a detailed model directly in the dynamic program would have led to a combinatorial explosion of the numerical solution space.

Optimization of an Integrated SOFC-Fuel Processing System for Aircraft Propulsion

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Brinson ◽  
Juan C. Ordonez ◽  
Cesar A. Luongo
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
System Level ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Fuel Processing ◽  
Aircraft Propulsion

As fuel cells continue to improve in performance and power densities levels rise, potential applications ensue. System-level performance modeling tools are needed to further the investigation of future applications. One such application is small-scale aircraft propulsion. Both piloted and unmanned fuel cell aircrafts have been successfully demonstrated suggesting the near-term viability of revolutionizing small-scale aviation. Nearly all of the flight demonstrations and modeling efforts are conducted with low temperature fuel cells; however, the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) should not be overlooked. Attributing to their durability and popularity in stationary applications, which require continuous operation, SOFCs are attractive options for long endurance flights. This study presents the optimization of an integrated solid oxide fuel cell-fuel processing system model for performance evaluation in aircraft propulsion. System parameters corresponding to maximum steady state thermal efficiencies for various flight phase power levels were obtained through implementation of the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Optimal values for fuel utilization, air stoichiometric ratio, air bypass ratio, and burner ratio, a four-dimensional optimization problem, were obtained while constraining the SOFC operating temperature to 650–1000 °C. The PSO swarm size was set to 35 particles, and the number of iterations performed for each case flight power level was set at 40. Results indicate the maximum thermal efficiency of the integrated fuel cell-fuel processing system remains in the range of 44–46% throughout descend, loitering, and cruise conditions. This paper discusses a system-level model of an integrated fuel cell-fuel processing system, and presents a methodology for system optimization through the particle swarm algorithm.

Surge Prevention Techniques for a Turbocharged Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Hybrid System

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Mantelli ◽  
Mario L. Ferrari ◽  
Alberto Traverso
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Solid Oxide ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Oxide Fuel ◽  
Surge Margin ◽  
Compressor Inlet

Abstract Pressurized solid oxide fuel cell systems are one of the most promising technologies to achieve high efficiencies and reduce pollutant emissions. This study focuses on an innovative layout, based on an automotive turbocharger, which improves cost effectiveness at small size (<100 kW), despite reducing slightly the efficiency compared to micro gas turbines based layouts. This turbocharged system poses two main challenges. On one side, the absence of an electrical generator does not allow the direct control of the rotational speed. On the other side, the large volume of the fuel cell stack between compressor and turbine alters the dynamic behavior of the turbocharger during transients, increasing the risk of compressor surge. The pressure oscillations associated with surge are particularly detrimental for the system and could damage the materials of the fuel cells. The aim of this paper is to investigate different techniques to drive the operative point of the compressor far from the surge condition when needed, increasing its reliability. Using a system dynamic model, developed with the TRANSEO tool by TPG, the effect of different anti-surge solutions is simulated: (i) water spray at compressor inlet, (ii) compressor fogging, (iii) air bleed, (iv) recirculation and (iv) ejector-aided recirculation at compressor intake. The system is simulated with two different control strategies, i.e. constant fuel mass flow and constant turbine inlet temperature. Different solutions are evaluated based on surge margin behavior, both in the short and long terms, but also monitoring other relevant physical quantities of the system.

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