Solid oxide fuel cells power systems

Bessette N.F., 1994. Modeling and Simulation for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Power Systems, Ph. D. thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Veyo S.O., Limdberg W.L., 1999. Solid oxide fuel cell power system cycles. ASME paper GT-419. 

Chan, S.H., Low, C.F., and Ding, O.L. (2002) Energy and exergy analysis of simple solid-oxide fuel-cell power systems. J. Power Sources, 103, 188-200. 

Vora, S. V. (2(X)4) Small-scale low-cost solid oxide fuel cell power systems. US Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, 2004, Fuel Cell Program Annual Report, pp. 33-35. 

Given these requirements, hybrid and nonhybrid PEMFC systems are the leading contenders for automotive fuel cell power, with additional attention focusing on the direct-methanol fuel cell (DMFC) version of the technology and the possibility of using solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems as auxiliary power units for cars and trucks. 

GE Hybrid Power Generation Systems (2004) Solid oxide fuel cell hybrid system for distributed power generation, DOE/NETL Cooperative Agreement DE-EC26-01NT40779, Phase 1 Topical Report. 

High-temperature solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The working electrolyte is a solid electrolyte based on zirconium dioxide doped with oxides of yttrium and other metals the working temperatures are 800 to 1000°C. Experimental plants with a power of up to lOOkW have been built with such systems in the United States and Japan. 

FuelCell Energy is a partner with Versa Power Systems, Nexant, and Gas Technology Institute to develop more affordable fuel-cell-based technology that uses synthesis gas from a coal gasifier. The key objectives include the development of fuel cell technologies, fabrication processes, and manufacturing capabilities for solid oxide fuel cell stacks for multi-mega-watt power plants. 

Siemens-Westinghouse Power Corporation, of Pittsburgh, PA, with a subcontract to Allison Engine Company, evaluated a pressurized solid oxide fuel cell coupled with conventional gas turbine technology without a steam plant. The system was operated at a pressure of 7 atm. The fuel cell generated 16 MW of power and the gas turbine generated 4 MW of power. The process showed 67 % efficiency as developed. An efficiency of 70 % is deemed achievable with improvement in component design. The COE is predicted to be comparable to present day alternatives. NOx levels were less than 1 ppm. 

McDermott Technology, Inc., of Alliance, OH, developed a conceptual design of a high efficiency power plant system that joins planar solid oxide fuel cell technology with microturbine technology in a combined cycle. The system was operated at atmospheric conditions. 

Siemens-Westinghouse Power Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA, and Solar Turbines developed a conceptual design of an economically and technically feasible 20-MW, 70-% efficient natural gas-fueled power system that employs solid oxide fuel cells operating at elevated pressure in conjunction with an Advanced Turbine System gas turbine. The fuel cell, operated at 9 atm pressure, generated 11 MW of power. Two Solar Mercury 50 gas turbines were used to generate 9 MW of power. The results of the study indicated a system efficiency near 60 %. A low COE relative to conventional power generation is predicted. 

Siemens-Westinghouse Power Corporation of Pittsburgh, PA developed and fabricated the first advanced power plant to combine a solid oxide fuel cell and a gas turbine. The microturbine generator was manufactured by Northern Research and Engineering Corporation of Woburn, Mass. The factory acceptance test was completed in April 2000. Southern California Edison will operate the new hybrid plant at The National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California-Irvine. A year of testing in a commercial setting will be performed at this site. The system cycle is expected to generate electric power at 55 % efficiency. 

Liese E.A., Gemmen R.S. (2005) Performance comparison of internal reforming against external reforming in a solid oxide fuel cell, gas turbine hybrid system. ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power 127, 86-90. 

Hahn A. (2002) Modeling and control of solid oxide fuel cell, gas turbine power plant systems. Thesis, University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering. 

Tang, E., Prediger, D., Pastula, M. and Borglum, B., The status of SOFC development and Versa Power Systems, in Proceedings of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells IX, The Electrochemical Society Proceedings, Electrochemical Society, Pennington, NJ, 2005, p. 89. 89(2005). 

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