IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/appene/v208y2017icp620-636.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Design and analysis of compact hotbox for solid oxide fuel cell based 1kW-class power generation system

Author

Listed:
  • Rashid, Kashif
  • Dong, Sang Keun
  • Mehran, Muhammad Taqi
  • Lee, Dong Won

Abstract

For solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based stationary power generation systems, a compact and efficient design of the hotbox is crucial. The prime objective of this work is to examine a novel and compact hotbox design that is appropriate for a full-scale 1kW class SOFC system. The endothermicity of the processes including steam generation, reforming, and cathode air preheating is maintained by the exothermicity of an integrated fuel processor and heat recovery by heat exchangers. To achieve higher conversion efficiency, we propose a design that incorporates a fuel processor embedded in the hotbox to combust the off-gases from the fuel cell stack. The thermal energy from the fuel processor is utilized in the steam generator, reformer, and heat exchangers to balance the heat requirements of the SOFC system. The numerical simulations are executed in two steps: in the first step, a comprehensive numerical model is implemented on a standalone reformer to determine the heat duty required for the reforming process. The developed numerical model is further validated with experiments performed on a standalone reformer at different conditions. The validated model is subsequently employed on the integrated hotbox components (reformer, afterburner) to determine the efficacy and performance of the system. In the second step, two different heat exchanger designs are numerically examined to determine their effectiveness in terms of waste heat recovery of the stack and the BOP components. The numerical results show that the integrated reformer gives the same gas composition and methane conversion as that of a standalone reformer but the integrated design is more compact and offers improved efficiency for the SOFC system.

Suggested Citation

  • Rashid, Kashif & Dong, Sang Keun & Mehran, Muhammad Taqi & Lee, Dong Won, 2017. "Design and analysis of compact hotbox for solid oxide fuel cell based 1kW-class power generation system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 620-636.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:208:y:2017:i:c:p:620-636
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.09.091
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261917313739
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.09.091?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kang, Sanggyu & Ahn, Kook-Young, 2017. "Dynamic modeling of solid oxide fuel cell and engine hybrid system for distributed power generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 1086-1099.
    2. Kang, Sanggyu & Lee, Kanghun & Yu, Sangseok & Lee, Sang Min & Ahn, Kook-Young, 2014. "Development of a coupled reactor with a catalytic combustor and steam reformer for a 5kW solid oxide fuel cell system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 114-123.
    3. Sharifzadeh, Mahdi & Meghdari, Mojtaba & Rashtchian, Davood, 2017. "Multi-objective design and operation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Triple Combined-cycle Power Generation systems: Integrating energy efficiency and operational safety," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 345-361.
    4. Eveloy, Valérie, 2012. "Numerical analysis of an internal methane reforming solid oxide fuel cell with fuel recycling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 107-115.
    5. Menon, Vikram & Banerjee, Aayan & Dailly, Julian & Deutschmann, Olaf, 2015. "Numerical analysis of mass and heat transport in proton-conducting SOFCs with direct internal reforming," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 161-175.
    6. Al-Masri, A. & Peksen, M. & Blum, L. & Stolten, D., 2014. "A 3D CFD model for predicting the temperature distribution in a full scale APU SOFC short stack under transient operating conditions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 539-547.
    7. Andersson, Martin & Yuan, Jinliang & Sundén, Bengt, 2010. "Review on modeling development for multiscale chemical reactions coupled transport phenomena in solid oxide fuel cells," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(5), pages 1461-1476, May.
    8. Sandhu, Navjot Kaur & Hanifi, Amir Reza & Woldnik, Andrew & Amiri, Taghi & Etsell, Thomas H. & Luo, Jingli & Sarkar, Partha, 2016. "Electrochemical performance of a short tubular solid oxide fuel cell stack at intermediate temperatures," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 358-368.
    9. Buonomano, Annamaria & Calise, Francesco & d’Accadia, Massimo Dentice & Palombo, Adolfo & Vicidomini, Maria, 2015. "Hybrid solid oxide fuel cells–gas turbine systems for combined heat and power: A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 32-85.
    10. Ercolino, Giuliana & Ashraf, Muhammad A. & Specchia, Vito & Specchia, Stefania, 2015. "Performance evaluation and comparison of fuel processors integrated with PEM fuel cell based on steam or autothermal reforming and on CO preferential oxidation or selective methanation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 138-153.
    11. Fardadi, Mahshid & McLarty, Dustin F. & Jabbari, Faryar, 2016. "Investigation of thermal control for different SOFC flow geometries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 43-55.
    12. Barelli, L. & Bidini, G. & Cinti, G. & Gallorini, F. & Pöniz, M., 2017. "SOFC stack coupled with dry reforming," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 498-507.
    13. Adam, Alexandros & Fraga, Eric S. & Brett, Dan J.L., 2015. "Options for residential building services design using fuel cell based micro-CHP and the potential for heat integration," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 685-694.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zeng, Hongyu & Wang, Yuqing & Shi, Yixiang & Cai, Ningsheng & Yuan, Dazhong, 2018. "Highly thermal integrated heat pipe-solid oxide fuel cell," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 613-619.
    2. Shi, Wangying & Zhu, Jianzhong & Han, Minfang & Sun, Zaihong & Guo, Yaming, 2019. "Operating limitation and degradation modeling of micro solid oxide fuel cell-combined heat and power system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Kupecki, Jakub & Motylinski, Konrad & Milewski, Jaroslaw, 2018. "Dynamic analysis of direct internal reforming in a SOFC stack with electrolyte-supported cells using a quasi-1D model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C), pages 198-205.
    4. Guk, Erdogan & Venkatesan, Vijay & Babar, Shumaila & Jackson, Lisa & Kim, Jung-Sik, 2019. "Parameters and their impacts on the temperature distribution and thermal gradient of solid oxide fuel cell," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C), pages 164-173.
    5. Wang, Baoxuan & Zhu, Jiang & Lin, Zijing, 2016. "A theoretical framework for multiphysics modeling of methane fueled solid oxide fuel cell and analysis of low steam methane reforming kinetics," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 1-11.
    6. Xu, Haoran & Chen, Bin & Tan, Peng & Zhang, Houcheng & Yuan, Jinliang & Liu, Jiang & Ni, Meng, 2017. "Performance improvement of a direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell system by combining with a Stirling cycle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(P1), pages 979-987.
    7. Calise, Francesco & Figaj, Rafal Damian & Massarotti, Nicola & Mauro, Alessandro & Vanoli, Laura, 2017. "Polygeneration system based on PEMFC, CPVT and electrolyzer: Dynamic simulation and energetic and economic analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 530-542.
    8. Shao, Qian & Gao, Enlai & Mara, Thierry & Hu, Heng & Liu, Tong & Makradi, Ahmed, 2020. "Global sensitivity analysis of solid oxide fuel cells with Bayesian sparse polynomial chaos expansions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    9. Sharifzadeh, Mahdi & Meghdari, Mojtaba & Rashtchian, Davood, 2017. "Multi-objective design and operation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Triple Combined-cycle Power Generation systems: Integrating energy efficiency and operational safety," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(P1), pages 345-361.
    10. Li, Ang & Song, Ce & Lin, Zijing, 2017. "A multiphysics fully coupled modeling tool for the design and operation analysis of planar solid oxide fuel cell stacks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 1234-1244.
    11. Mingfei Li & Jingjing Wang & Zhengpeng Chen & Xiuyang Qian & Chuanqi Sun & Di Gan & Kai Xiong & Mumin Rao & Chuangting Chen & Xi Li, 2024. "A Comprehensive Review of Thermal Management in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Focus on Burners, Heat Exchangers, and Strategies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-30, February.
    12. Chen, Daifen & Zeng, Qice & Su, Shichuan & Bi, Wuxi & Ren, Zhiqiang, 2013. "Geometric optimization of a 10-cell modular planar solid oxide fuel cell stack manifold," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 1100-1107.
    13. Lee, Young Duk & Ahn, Kook Young & Morosuk, Tatiana & Tsatsaronis, George, 2018. "Exergetic and exergoeconomic evaluation of an SOFC-Engine hybrid power generation system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 810-822.
    14. Kim, Taebeen & Kang, Sanggyu, 2023. "Numerical analysis of a highly efficient cascade solid oxide fuel cell system with a fuel regenerator," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    15. Kim, Jaehyun & Kim, Yongtae & Choi, Wonjae & Ahn, Kook Young & Song, Han Ho, 2020. "Analysis on the operating performance of 5-kW class solid oxide fuel cell-internal combustion engine hybrid system using spark-assisted ignition," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    16. Komatsu, Y. & Brus, G. & Kimijima, S. & Szmyd, J.S., 2014. "The effect of overpotentials on the transient response of the 300W SOFC cell stack voltage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 352-359.
    17. Silva-Mosqueda, Dulce María & Elizalde-Blancas, Francisco & Pumiglia, Davide & Santoni, Francesca & Boigues-Muñoz, Carlos & McPhail, Stephen J., 2019. "Intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell under internal reforming: Critical operating conditions, associated problems and their impact on the performance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 625-640.
    18. Choi, Indae & Kim, Jung-Sik & Venkatesan, Vijay & Ranaweera, Manoj, 2017. "Fabrication and evaluation of a novel wavy Single Chamber Solid Oxide Fuel Cell via in-situ monitoring of curvature evolution," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 1038-1046.
    19. Putilov, L.P. & Demin, A.K. & Tsidilkovski, V.I. & Tsiakaras, P., 2019. "Theoretical modeling of the gas humidification effect on the characteristics of proton ceramic fuel cells," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 1448-1459.
    20. Preininger, Michael & Stoeckl, Bernhard & Subotić, Vanja & Mittmann, Frank & Hochenauer, Christoph, 2019. "Performance of a ten-layer reversible Solid Oxide Cell stack (rSOC) under transient operation for autonomous application," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:208:y:2017:i:c:p:620-636. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.