IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v17y2024i15p3614-d1441018.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Biogas-to-Power Systems Based on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Thermodynamic Analysis of Stack Integration Strategies

Author

Listed:
  • Arianna Baldinelli

    (Department of Energy, Systems, Land and Constructions Engineering (DESTEC), Università di Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 56122 Pisa, Italy)

  • Umberto Desideri

    (Department of Energy, Systems, Land and Constructions Engineering (DESTEC), Università di Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 56122 Pisa, Italy)

  • Francesco Fantozzi

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy)

  • Giovanni Cinti

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy)

Abstract

Biogas presents a renewable fuel source with substantial potential for reducing carbon emissions in the energy sector. Exploring this potential in the farming sector is crucial for fostering the development of small-scale distributed biogas facilities, leveraging indigenous resources while enhancing energy efficiency. The establishment of distributed biogas plants bolsters the proportion of renewable energy in the energy matrix, necessitating efficient power generation technologies. Given their proximity to bio-waste production sites like farms and digesters, optimising combined heat and power generation systems is imperative for energy self-sufficiency. Small-scale biogas facilities demand specific power generation technologies capable of achieving notable efficiencies, ranging from 40% to 55%. This study focuses on employing Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) in biogas-to-power systems and investigates the theoretical operation of SOFCs with fuel mixtures resulting from different biogas lean upgrading pathways. Therefore, starting from ten mixtures including CH 4 , CO 2 , H 2 , H 2 O, N 2 , and O 2 , the study proposes a method to assess their impact on the electrochemical performance, degradation, and energy equilibrium of SOFC units. The model embeds thermodynamic equilibrium, the Nernst potential, and energy balance, enabling a comprehensive comparison across these three analytical domains. The findings underscore the unsuitability of dry biogas and dry biomethane due to the potential risk of carbon deposition. Moreover, mixtures incorporating CO 2 , with or without H 2 , present significant thermal balance challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Arianna Baldinelli & Umberto Desideri & Francesco Fantozzi & Giovanni Cinti, 2024. "Biogas-to-Power Systems Based on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Thermodynamic Analysis of Stack Integration Strategies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:15:p:3614-:d:1441018
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/15/3614/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/15/3614/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Ligang & Zhang, Yumeng & Pérez-Fortes, Mar & Aubin, Philippe & Lin, Tzu-En & Yang, Yongping & Maréchal, François & Van herle, Jan, 2020. "Reversible solid-oxide cell stack based power-to-x-to-power systems: Comparison of thermodynamic performance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    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. 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.
    2. Goraj, Rafał & Kiciński, Marcin & Ślefarski, Rafał & Duczkowska, Anna, 2023. "Validity of decision criteria for selecting power-to-gas projects in Poland," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Iva Ridjan Skov & Noémi Schneider & Gerald Schweiger & Josef-Peter Schöggl & Alfred Posch, 2021. "Power-to-X in Denmark: An Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Zhong, Like & Yao, Erren & Zou, Hansen & Xi, Guang, 2022. "Thermodynamic and economic analysis of a directly solar-driven power-to-methane system by detailed distributed parameter method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    5. Saheli Biswas & Shambhu Singh Rathore & Aniruddha Pramod Kulkarni & Sarbjit Giddey & Sankar Bhattacharya, 2021. "A Theoretical Study on Reversible Solid Oxide Cells as Key Enablers of Cyclic Conversion between Electrical Energy and Fuel," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, July.
    6. Sánchez, Antonio & Martín, Mariano & Zhang, Qi, 2021. "Optimal design of sustainable power-to-fuels supply chains for seasonal energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    7. Yang, Chao & Jing, Xiuhui & Miao, He & Xu, Jingxiang & Lin, Peijian & Li, Ping & Liang, Chaoyu & Wu, Yu & Yuan, Jinliang, 2021. "The physical properties and effects of sintering conditions on rSOFC fuel electrodes evaluated by molecular dynamics simulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    8. Fiammetta Rita Bianchi & Barbara Bosio, 2021. "Operating Principles, Performance and Technology Readiness Level of Reversible Solid Oxide Cells," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-23, April.
    9. Sánchez, Antonio & Castellano, Elena & Martín, Mariano & Vega, Pastora, 2021. "Evaluating ammonia as green fuel for power generation: A thermo-chemical perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    10. Wang, Ligang & Zhang, Yumeng & Li, Chengzhou & Pérez-Fortes, Mar & Lin, Tzu-En & Maréchal, François & Van herle, Jan & Yang, Yongping, 2020. "Triple-mode grid-balancing plants via biomass gasification and reversible solid-oxide cell stack: Concept and thermodynamic performance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    11. Qi, Meng & Kim, Minsu & Dat Vo, Nguyen & Yin, Liang & Liu, Yi & Park, Jinwoo & Moon, Il, 2022. "Proposal and surrogate-based cost-optimal design of an innovative green ammonia and electricity co-production system via liquid air energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    12. Máté Zavarkó & Attila R. Imre & Gábor Pörzse & Zoltán Csedő, 2021. "Past, Present and Near Future: An Overview of Closed, Running and Planned Biomethanation Facilities in Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-27, September.
    13. Zhang, Yumeng & Wang, Ningling & Tong, Xiaofeng & Duan, Liqiang & Lin, Tzu-En & Maréchal, François & Van herle, Jan & Wang, Ligang & Yang, Yongping, 2021. "Reversible solid-oxide cell stack based power-to-x-to-power systems: Economic potential evaluated via plant capital-cost target," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    14. Risco-Bravo, A. & Varela, C. & Bartels, J. & Zondervan, E., 2024. "From green hydrogen to electricity: A review on recent advances, challenges, and opportunities on power-to-hydrogen-to-power systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    15. Tola, Vittorio & Lonis, Francesco, 2021. "Low CO2 emissions chemically recuperated gas turbines fed by renewable methanol," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    16. Blanco, Elena C. & Sánchez, Antonio & Martín, Mariano & Vega, Pastora, 2023. "Methanol and ammonia as emerging green fuels: Evaluation of a new power generation paradigm," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    17. Amladi, Amogh & Venkataraman, Vikrant & Woudstra, Theo & Aravind, P.V., 2024. "Hot air recirculation enlarges efficient operating window of reversible solid oxide cell systems: A thermodynamic study of energy storage using ammonia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 355(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:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:15:p:3614-:d:1441018. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.