Exergy Analysis of a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell-Turbo Expander-Steam Turbine Hybrid Cycle

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), P.O. Box: 3353-5111, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Exergy analysis of an integrated molten carbonate fuel cell-turbo expander-steam turbine hybrid cycle has been presented in this study. The proposed cycle has been used as a sustainable energy approach to provide a micro hybrid power plant with high exergy efficiency. To generate electricity by the mentioned system, an externally reformed molten carbonate fuel cell located upstream of the combined cycle has been used. Furthermore, the turbo expander and steam turbine systems have been considered as topping and bottoming cycles for the purpose of cogeneration, respectively. Results show that the proposed system is capable of reaching a net delivered power of 1125 kW, while the total exergy efficiency (including both electricity and heat) of this system is more than 68%. Moreover, the delivered power and exergy efficiency from the proposed cycle is stable against ambient temperature variations. In addition, the effect of a current density increase on cell voltage and total exergy destruction has been considered.

Keywords

Main Subjects


 
[1] Williams, M.C., 7th ed., Fuel Cell Handbook, EG&G Technical Services, Inc., 2004.
 
[2] Ozgoli, H.A., Ghadamian, H., Roshandel, R., Moghadasi, M., “Alternative Biomass Fuels Consideration Exergy and Power Analysis for a Hybrid System Includes PSOFC and GT Integration”, Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 2015, 37: 1962.
 
[3] Ozgoli, H.A., Ghadamian, H., Farzaneh, H., “Energy Efficiency Improvement Analysis Considering Environmental Aspects in Regard to Biomass Gasification PSOFC-GT Power Generation System”, Procedia Environmental Sciences, 2013, 17: 831.
 
[4] Ghadamian, H., Hamidi, A.A., Farzaneh, H., Ozgoli, H.A., “Thermo-Economic Analysis of Absorption Air Cooling System for Pressurized Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine Cycle”, Journal of Renewable and sustainable Energy, 2012, 4: 043115.
 
[5] Ozgoli, H.A., Ghadamian, H., Hamidi, A.A., “Modeling SOFC & GT Integrated-Cycle Power System with Energy Consumption Minimizing Target to Improve Comprehensive cycle Performance (Applied in pulp and paper, case studied)”, International Journal of Engineering Technology, 2012, 1: 6.
 
[6] Ozgoli, H.A., Moghadasi, M., Farhani, F., Sadigh, M. “Modeling and Simulation of an Integrated Gasification SOFC-CHAT Cycle to Improve Power and Efficiency”, Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 2016, DOI: 10.1002/ep.12487.
 
[7] Rashidi, R., Dincer, I., Berg P., “Energy and exergy analysis of a hybrid molten carbonate fuel cell system”, Journal of Power Sources, 2008, 185:1107.
 
[8] De Simon, G., Parodi F., Fermeglia, M., Taccani, R., “Simulation of process for electrical energy production based on molten carbonate fuel cells”, Journal of Power Sources, 2003, 115: 210.
 
[9] Carapellucci, R., Saia, R., Giordano, L., “Study of Gas-Steam Combined Cycle Power Plants Integrated with MCFC for Carbon Dioxide Capture”, Energy Procedia, 2014, 45: 1155.
 
[10] Rashidi, R., Berg P., Dincer, I., “Performance investigation of a combined MCFC system”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34: 4395.
 
[11] Campanari, S., Manzolini, G., Chiesa, P., “Using MCFC for High Efficiency CO2 Capture from Natural Gas Combined Cycles: Comparison of Internal and External Reforming”, Applied Energy, 2013, 112: 772.
 
[12] Sciacovelli, A., Verda, V., “Sensitivity Analysis Applied to the Multi-Objective Optimization of a MCFC Hybrid Plant”, Energy Conversion and Management, 2012, 60: 180.
 
[13] Hazarika, M.M., Ghosh, S., “Simulated Performance Analysis of a GT-MCFC Hybrid System Fed with Natural Gas”, International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering, 2013, 3, Special Issue 3: 292.
 
[14] Liu, A., Wang, B., Zeng, W., Chen, B., Weng, Y., “Catalytic Combustion and System Performance Assessment of MCFC-MGT Hybrid System”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2014, 39: 7437.
 
[15] Orecchini, F., Bocci, E., Di Carlo, A., “MCFC and micro Turbine Power Plant Simulation”, Journal of Power Sources, 2006, 160: 835.
 
[16] Liu, A., Weng, Y., “Performance Analysis of a Pressurized Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell/micro-Gas Turbine Hybrid System”, Journal of Power Sources, 2010, 195: 204.
 
[17] McLarty, D., Brouwer, J., Samuelsen, S., “Fuel Cell – Gas Turbine Hybrid System Design Part I: Steady State Performance”, Journal of Power Sources, 2014, 257: 412.
 
[18] Karvountzi, G.C., Price C.M., Duby P.F., “Comparison of Molten Carbonate and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for Integration in a Hybrid System for Cogeneration or Tri-generation”, Proceedings of IMECE04, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Anaheim, California, USA, November 13-20, 2004.
 
[19] Azegami, O., “MCFC/MGT Hybrid Generation System”, Special Issue Core Technology of Micro Gas Turbine for Cogeneration System, R&D Review of Toyota CRDL, 2006, 41: 36.
 
[20] Huang, H., Li J., He, Z., Zeng, T., Kobayashi, N., Kubota, M., “Performance Analysis of a MCFC/MGT Hybrid Power System Bi-Fueled by City Gas and Biogas”, Energies, 2015, 8: 5661.Azegami, O., “MCFC/MGT Hybrid Generation System”, Special Issue Core Technology of Micro Gas Turbine for Cogeneration System, R&D Review of Toyota CRDL, 2006, 41: 36.
 
[21] Leto, L., Dispenza, C., Moreno, A., Calabr, A., “Simulation Model of a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell - micro Turbine Hybrid System”, Applied Thermal Engineering, 2011, 31, 1263.
 
[22] El-Emam, R.S., Dincer, I., “Energy and Exergy Analyses of a Combined Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell - Gas Turbine System”, International journal of hydrogen energy, 2011, 36: 8927.
 
[23] Rashidi, R., Berg, P., Dincer, I., “Performance Investigation of a Combined MCFC System”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34: 4395.
 
[24] Chacartegui, R., Blanco, M.J., Mu~noz de Escalona, J.M., Sanchez D., Sanchez T., “Performance Assessment of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell-Humid Air Turbine Hybrid Systems”, Applied Energy, 2013, 102: 687.
 
[25] Haseli, Y., Dincer, I., Naterer, G.F., Thermodynamic Analysis of a Combined Gas Turbine Power System with a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell through Exergy”, Thermochimica Acta, 2008, 480: 1.
 
[26] Varbanov, P.S., Kleme, J., Shah, R.K., Shihn, H., “Power Cycle Integration and Efficiency Increase of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Systems”, Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology, 2006, 3: 375.
 
[27] Haghighat Mamaghani, A., Najafi, B., Shirazi, A., Rinaldi, F., “Exergetic, Economic, and Environmental Evaluations and Multi-Objective Optimization of a Combined Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine System”, Applied Thermal Engineering, 2015, 77: 1.
 
[28] Advanced Simulation for Power and Total Energy systems (ASIMPTOTE), Delft, Netherlands, http://www.asimptote.nl/software/cycle-tempo/
 
[29] Wester, W., “Computer Program for Fuel Cell Systems)”, Report EV- 1464, Delft University of Technology, Laboratory for Thermal Power Engineering, 1987.
 
[30] Razak, A.M.Y., Industrial Gas Turbines Performance and Operability, Woodhead Publishing Ltd., Oxford, UK, 2007.
[31] https://weatherspark.com/averages/32810/Tehran-Iran
 
[32] Koras, T.J., “Exergy Criteria of Performance for Thermal Plant: Second of Two Papers on Exergy Techniques in Thermal Plant Analysis”, International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 1980, 2:147.