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Benchmarking solid oxide electrolysis cell-stacks for industrial Power-to-Methane systems via hierarchical multi-scale modelling

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  • Wehrle, Lukas
  • Schmider, Daniel
  • Dailly, Julian
  • Banerjee, Aayan
  • Deutschmann, Olaf

Abstract

Power-to-Gas (PtG) is prognosticated to realize large capacity increases and create substantial revenues within the next decade. Due to their inherently high efficiencies, solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) have the potential to become one of the core technologies in PtG applications. While thermal integration of the high-temperature SOEC module with downstream exothermic methanation is a very potent concept, the performance of SOECs needs to be boosted to amplify the technologies impact for future large-scale plants. Here, we use a combined experimental and modelling approach to benchmark commercial electrolyte- (ESC) and cathode-supported cell (CSC) designs on industrial-scale planar SOEC stack performance. In a first step, comprehensive electrochemical and microstructural analyses are carried out to parametrize, calibrate and validate a detailed multi-physics 2D cell model, which is then used to study the cells’ behaviour in detail. The analysis reveals that there exists a cell-specific threshold steam conversion of ∼80% for the ESC and ∼75% for the CSC design, which represents a maximum of the total (heat plus electrical) electrolysis efficiency. Moreover, while the ESC-design suffers from performance reductions under pressurized conditions, considerable performance increases of ∼9% at 20 atm (700 °C, 1.35 V) compared to atmospheric pressure are predicted for the CSC design, showcasing a unique advantage of the CSC cell for process integration with the catalytic methanation. Subsequently, based on a 3D stack model, a scale-up to the industrial stack size is conducted. To comparatively assess stack performances under application-oriented conditions, optimization studies are carried out for 150-cell stack units based on the two cell designs individually. When optimally selecting the stack operation points, the model predicts the CSC-based stack to reach a high capacity up to 36.6 kW (∼10.6 Nm3 H2 h−1) at 1.35 V and 700 °C, whilst ensuring reasonably low temperature gradients (<10 K cm−1) and sweep gas cooling requirements (<30 sccmcm−2). Thus, CSC-design stacks incorporating such a highly active cell design can be expected to further boost the competitiveness of high-temperature electrolysis in PtG plant concepts.

Suggested Citation

  • Wehrle, Lukas & Schmider, Daniel & Dailly, Julian & Banerjee, Aayan & Deutschmann, Olaf, 2022. "Benchmarking solid oxide electrolysis cell-stacks for industrial Power-to-Methane systems via hierarchical multi-scale modelling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:317:y:2022:i:c:s0306261922005190
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.119143
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    1. Lee, Wooseok & Bae, Yonggyun & Lee, Sanghyeok & Hong, Jongsup, 2024. "Elucidating the dynamic transport phenomena of solid oxide fuel cells according to rapid electrical load change operation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 359(C).
    2. Wehrle, Lukas & Ashar, Akhil & Deutschmann, Olaf & Braun, Robert J., 2024. "Evaluating high power density, direct-ammonia SOFC stacks for decarbonizing heavy-duty transportation applications," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 372(C).
    3. Li, Peiyang & Chi, Yingtian & Lin, Jin & Mu, Shujun & Song, Yonghua, 2024. "Inhomogeneity influence on the maximum current density of an SOEC stack tower: A circuit-based perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 375(C).
    4. Shangzhe Yu & Shidong Zhang & Dominik Schäfer & Roland Peters & Felix Kunz & Rüdiger-A. Eichel, 2023. "Numerical Modeling and Simulation of the Solid Oxide Cell Stacks and Metal Interconnect Oxidation with OpenFOAM," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-22, April.
    5. Furst, Oscar & Wehrle, Lukas & Schmider, Daniel & Dailly, Julian & Deutschmann, Olaf, 2024. "Modeling, optimization and comparative assessment of power-to-methane and carbon capture technologies for renewable fuel production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 375(C).

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