Development of a PEMFC-based heat and power cogeneration system

Hydrogen-fed proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has to overcome high installation and operation cost before being adopted as a distributed power candidate. Cogeneration of power and heat is a good approach to increase hydrogen energy utilization rate. A PEMFC-based power and heat cogeneration system is proposed and established in the current study to investigate system’s technological and economical feasibility. This cogeneration of heat and power (CHP) system composes of a 2.5-kW fuel cell stack, hydrogen supply system, air supply system, water and heat management system, and heat recovery system. The control strategies to automate the system operation are realized by a programmable automation controller (PAC) system. Detailed measurement of the system is also constructed along with a web-based human–machine interface (HMI) platform to facilitate experiments and demonstration. Preliminary testing of the CHP system shows good performance of heat and power outputs. System’s electrical power conversion efficiency and thermal efficiency of the CHP system are measured at 38% and 35%, respectively. System combined efficiency therefore reached about 73%.     

燃料电池发电系统安全与标准化

燃料电池因具有高效、节能、环保等优点,在电动汽车、分布式电站、便携式备用电源等方面具有广泛的应用前景,而燃料电池的安全标准是燃料电池产品市场准入的重要保证。燃料电池发电系统的安全涉及机械危险、电气危险、热危险、化学危害、物理危险、设备故障危险、因不适当的人机工程学原理而导致的危险及人机界面危险、合理预见的误用、环境条件危险、污染等方面。本文介绍了国内外燃料电池发电系统安全技术以及标准化的现状。     

Development of a fuel cell propulsion system for the existing Mercedes B-Class 160 of petrol driven car

This paper presents a theoretical comparison between fuel cell (FC) power train and conventional petrol driven propulsion system. FC has potential to reduce the CO₂-emissions from road. However, FC power trains require energy storing device, to meet the peak power during extreme drive situations and also able to recover the kinetic energy of the vehicle during break operation. The proposed system includes a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) based drive train and a super capacitor connected in parallel. The system is designed and dimensioned for a conventional petrol driven propulsion system of the Mercedes B-Class160. The feasibility study also includes comparison between the existing conventional systems. It is shown that although FC power train is heavier compared to existing system, urban performance is better and produces no CO₂ and other harmful emissions.     

Integrated energy management strategy of powertrain and cooling system for PHEV

ABSTRACT

Energy management strategy (EMS) is crucial in improving the fuel economy of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Existing studies on EMS mostly manage powertrain and cooling system separately which cannot get the minimum total energy consumption. This paper aims to propose a novel EMS for a new type of dual-motor planetary-coupled PHEV, which considers cooling power demand and effect of temperature on fuel economy. Temperature-modified engine model, lithium-ion battery model, two motors, and cooling system models are established. Firstly, the separated EMS (S-EMS) is designed which manages powertrain and cooling system separately. Sequentially, after the analysis of thermal characteristics of the powertrain and cooling system, the thermal-based EMS (T-EMS) is then proposed to manage two systems coordinately. In T-EMS, cooling power demand and the charging/discharging energy of motors are calculated as equivalent fuel consumption and integrated into the object function. Besides, a fuzzy controller is also established to deicide the fuel-electricity equivalent factor with consideration of the effect of temperature and state of charge on powertrain efficiency. Finally, the hardware-in-loop experiment is carried out to validate the real-time effect of EMS under the New European Driving Cycle. The result shows that cooling power demand and temperature can significantly affect the fuel economy of the vehicle. T-EMS shows better performance in fuel economy than S-EMS. The equivalent fuel consumption of the cooling system of T-EMS decreases by 27% compared with that of S-EMS. The total equivalent fuel consumption over the entire trip of PHEV using T-EMS is reduced by 9.7%.     

Analysis of an intermediate-temperature proton-conducting SOFC hybrid system

The performance of an intermediate-temperature proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cell (pSOFC) hybrid system is investigated in this work. The hybrid system consists of a 20-kW pSOFC, a micro gas turbine (MGT), and heat exchangers. Heat exchangers are used to recover waste heat from pSOFC and MGT. The performance of the system is analyzed by using Matlab/Simulink/Thermolib. Flow rates of air and hydrogen are controlled by assigning different stoichiometric ratio (St). St considered in this study is between 2 and 3.5 for air, and between 1.25 and 1.45 for hydrogen. Results show that the combined heat and power (CHP) efficiency increases as the fuel St decreases or air St increases. This is because lowering fuel St means fewer fuel will be wasted from the fuel cell stack, so the CHP efficiency increases. On the other hand, as air St increases, the amount of recovered waste heat increases, so does the CHP efficiency.     

Modeling,downsizing, and performance comparison of a fuel cell hybrid mid-size car with FCEV for urban and hill road driving cycles

A fuel cell hybrid (FCH) mid-size car is modeled and simulated in Advanced Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR), the results are compared with 2017 Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) to examine the capability of hybridization and compare the fuel economy of the modeled vehicle. The aim of this analysis is to understand the energy interactions of the fuel cell and batteries and to identify an optimal energy management. In the current modeling, the fuel cell power is downsized by 30% with a corresponding increase in the number of battery modules by 50% to compensate the fuel cell power by maintaining the same motor power demand. The Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) and mountain driving cycle (NREL2VAIL) test cycles are considered to estimate the fuel economy for urban and hill road driving conditions. The FCH mid-size car achieves better performance in terms of acceleration and equivalent fuel economy in comparison with 2017 Toyota Mirai FCEV. The effectiveness of the optimal energy management of the hybrid FC/battery powertrain performance is better and validated with the 2017 Toyota Mirai FCEV.     

A real-time simulating non-isothermal mathematical model for the passive feed direct methanol fuel cell

In order to understand the complex transport phenomena in a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), a theoretical model is essential. The analytical model provides a computationally efficient framework with a clear physical meaning. For this, a non-isothermal, analytical model for the passive DMFC has been developed in this study. The model considers the coupled heat and mass transport along with electrochemical reactions. The model is successfully validated with the experimental data. The model accurately describes the various species transport phenomena including methanol crossover and water crossover, heat transport phenomena, and efficiencies related to the passive DMFC. It suggests that the maximum real efficiency can be achieved by running the cell at low methanol feed concentration and moderate current density. The model also accurately predicts the effect of various operating and geometrical parameters on the cell performance such as methanol feed concentration, surrounding temperature, and polymer electrolyte membrane thickness. The model predictions are in accordance with the findings of the other researchers. The model is rapidly implementable and can be used in real-time simulation and control of the passive DMFC. This comprehensive model can be used for diagnostic purpose as well.     

Energy,exergy analysis,and sustainability assessment of different engine powers for helicopter engines

The rapid decrease of energy resources has accelerated studies on energy efficiency. Energy efficiency refers to the effective use of energy, in other words, completing a specific task to the required standard by using less energy. Exergy is an effective instrument to indicate the effective and sustainable use of energy in systems and processes. Transportation is an important part of human life. The studies on energy saving and the effective use of energy in different areas around the world have also increased for transportation systems and vehicles. With the more effective use of fuel, there will be potential benefits for the environment as well as a reduction in operating costs. This study includes energy and exergy analyses as well as a sustainability assessment by using C₈H₁₆ as a fuel at different engine powers (150–600 SHP (shaft horse power)), for the piston-prop helicopter engine. The maximum exergetic sustainability index was found at the power that provided the maximum energy and exergy efficiency. As a result of this index, the lowest waste exergy ratio, the lowest exergy destruction factor, and the lowest environmental impact factor were obtained. The highest exergy destruction and the highest exergy loss value were obtained at maximum power (600 SHP).     

Simulation Study of a PEM Fuel Cell System with Steam Reforming

Abstract

This article summarizes the results of a study for a 100 kWe DC electrical power PEM fuel cell system. The system consists of a pre-steam reformer, a steam reformer, high and low temperature shift reactors, a preferential oxidation reactor, a PEM fuel cell, a combustor, and an expander. Acceptable net electrical efficiency levels can be achieved via intensive heat integration within the PEM fuel cell system. The calculations take into account the auxiliary equipment such as pumps, com pressors, heaters, coolers, heat exchangers and pipes. The process simulation package “Aspen-HYSYS 3.1’’ has been used. The operation parameters of the reactors have been determined considering all the technical limitations involved. A gasoline type hydrocarbon fuel has been studied as hydrogen rich gas source. Thermal efficiencies have been calculated for all of the major system components for selected operation conditions. The fuel cell stack efficiency has been calculated as a function of cell numbers (500, 750, 1000, and 1250 cells). Efficiencies of all of the major system components along with auxiliary unit efficiencies determine the net electrical efficiency of the PEM fuel cell system. The obtained net electrical efficiency levels are between 34 (500 cells) to 41% (1250 cells).     

Effect of air supply on the performance of an active direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) fed with neat methanol

Unlike the situation in the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) fed with dilute liquid methanol solution, the required water in anode for a DMFC fed with neat methanol is entirely transported from cathode. In this study, the water concentration in anode catalyst layer of such a DMFC operating with fully active mode is theoretically analyzed, followed by the experimental investigations on the effects of air flow rate and operating temperature on cell performance. The results revealed that the air flow rate has a strong impact on cell performance, especially at larger current density. Overmuch air causes rapid decline of cell performance, which results from the dehydration of membrane and lack of water in the anode reaction sites. Raising temperature induces faster reaction kinetics, while undesired stronger water dissipation from the DMFC. In practice, the stable cell resistance can be used as a criterion to help the DMFC to achieve a high and sustainable performance by finely combining the air flow rate and operating temperature.     

Biomass for Fuel Cells: A Technical and Economic Assessment

Fuel cells can be highly efficient energy conversion devices. However, the environmental benefit of utilising fuel cells for energy conversion is completely dependent on the source of the fuel. Hydrogen is the ideal fuel for fuel cells but the current most economical methods of producing hydrogen also result in the production of significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Utilising biomass to produce the fuel for fuel cell systems offers an option that is technically feasible, potentially economically attractive and greenhouse gas neutral. High-temperature fuel cells that are able to operate with carbon monoxide in the feed are well suited to these applications. Furthermore, because they do not require noble metal catalysts, the cost of high-temperature fuel cells has the greatest potential to become competitive in the near future compared to other types of fuel cells. It is, however, extremely difficult to assess the economic feasibility of biomass-fuelled fuel cell systems because of a lack of published cost information and uncertainty in the predicted cost per kW of the various types of fuel cells for large volume production methods. From the scant information available it appears that the current cost for fuel-cell systems operating on anaerobic digester gas is about US$2,500 per kW compared to a target price of US$1,200 required to compete with conventional technologies.     

Investigation of sustainable energy alternatives for powering remote communities in northern Ontario

ABSTRACT

Remote communities in the North of Ontario survive in isolation as their proximity to the southern industrial sector of the province limits their accessibility to the major grid. The lack of grid connection has led to antiquated methods of power generation which pollute the environment and deplete the planet of its natural resources. Aside from the primary means of electricity generation being by diesel generators, generation infrastructure is deteriorating due to age and the stagnation of the power supply has led to communities facing load restrictions. These challenges may be resolved by introducing clean energy alternatives and providing a fuel blend option. The primary energy sources investigated in this research are solar, wind, and hydrogen. To assess the viability of these energy production methods in Northern communities, an exergy analysis is employed as it utilizes both the first and second law of thermodynamics to determine systems’ efficiency and performance in the surroundings. Local weather patterns were used to determine the viability of using wind turbines, solar panels and/or hydrogen fuel cells in a remote community. Through analysis of the resources available at the community, it was determined that the hydrogen fuel cell was best suited to provide clean energy to the community. Wind resulted in low efficiency in the range of 2–3% while solar efficiencies resulted in ranges of 18 – 19%, as the seasonal variations between the three years is not very great. Due to the higher operating efficiencies observed of the PV panels it would also be an attractive alternative to diesel generators however, the lack of consistent operation above 30% efficiency throughout the year, resulted in hydrogen fuel cells being a better alternative.     

Operating experience with chemical looping combustion in a 120 kW dual circulating fluidized bed (DCFB) unit

This study presents first operating experience with a 120 kW chemical looping pilot rig. The dual circulating fluidized bed reactor system and its auxiliary units are discussed. Two different oxygen carriers, i.e. ilmenite, which is a natural iron titanium ore, and a designed Ni-based particle, are tested in the CLC unit. The pilot rig is fueled with H₂, CO and CH₄ respectively at a fuel power of 65–145 kW. High solids circulation, very low solids residence time and low solids inventory are observed during operation. Owing to the scalability of the design concept, these characteristics should be quite similar to those of commercial CLC power plants. Ilmenite shows a high potential for the combustion of H₂-rich gases (e.g. from coal gasification with steam). The H₂ conversion is quite high but there is still a high potential for further improvement. The Ni-based oxygen carrier achieves the thermodynamic maximum H₂ and CO conversion and also very high CH₄ conversion. A variation of the air/fuel ratio and the reaction temperature indicates that the Ni/NiO ratio of the particle has an influence on the performance of the chemical looping combustor. Generally, low solids conversion in air and fuel reactors is observed in almost any conditions. Despite a very low H₂O/CH₄ molar ratio, no carbon formation is observed.     

Shift to continuous operation of an air-cathode microbial fuel cell long-running in fed-batch mode boosts power generation

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) which are operated in continuous mode are more suitable for practical applications than fed batch ones. The aim of the present study was to characterize an air-cathode MFC operating in continuous mode and to determine the intrinsic properties for suitable performance and scalability. Air-cathode MFCs were constructed from plexiglass with a total working volume of 220 mL. Zirfon® separator used in this MFC had cross section area of 100 cm². The air cathode MFCs were operated in fed-batch mode and then shifted to the continuous mode. To determine the behavior of anode and cathode in long term operation (274 days), their contribution in MFC performance was evaluated over time. Once the active biofilm was formed, power production and substrate consumption rate were significantly higher. The internal resistance increased with the passage of time. After stabilization of biofilm when the MFC was placed in close circuit by connecting an external resistance, the anode-reference and cathode-reference electrode behavior showed that anode potential is near to the bacterial cell inside potential. The maximum open circuit voltage achieved was 623 mV and the highest power and volumetric power density were 38.03 mW/m² and 1296 mW/m³, respectively.     

Energy and exergy analysis of a solid-oxide fuel cell power generation system for an aerial vehicle (ISSA- 2015–139)

This paper presents the performance of the solid-oxide fuel cell/gas turbine hybrid power generation system with heat recovery waste unit based on the energy and exergy analyses. The effect of air inlet temperature and air/fuel ratio on exergy destruction and network output is determined. For the numerical calculations, air inlet temperature and air fuel ratio are increased from 273 to 373 K and from 40 to 60, respectively. The results of the numerical calculations bring out that total exergy destruction quantity increases with the increase of air inlet temperature and air/fuel ratio. Furthermore, the maximum system overall first and second law efficiencies are obtained in the cases of air inlet temperature and air/fuel ratio equal to 273 K and 60, respectively, and these values are 62.09% and 54.91%.     

Biogas upgrading and utilization from ICEs towards stationary molten carbonate fuel cell systems

Biogas production from anaerobic digestion has increased rapidly in the last years, in many parts of the world, mainly due to its local scale disposition and to its potential on greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions mitigation. Biogas can be used as fuel for combined heat and power systems (CHP), in particular for internal combustion engines (ICEs). In recent investigations, fuel cells have been considered as alternative CHP systems. In the present article, two different energy conversion systems are compared: a 1.4 MW class MCFC system, running on pipeline natural gas, and an in situ ICE, running on biogas. In the first case, biogas is considered as a source fuel to obtain upgraded gas to be injected in the natural gas grid. In such scenario, the location of the fuel cell power plant is no longer strictly connected to the anaerobic digester site. Several energy balances are evaluated, considering different upgrading techniques and different biogas methane/carbon dioxide ratios.     

CO2 capture from power plants: Part I. A parametric study of the technical performance based on monoethanolamine

Capture and storage of CO₂ from fossil fuel fired power plants is drawing increasing interest as a potential method for the control of greenhouse gas emissions. An optimization and technical parameter study for a CO₂ capture process from flue gas of a 600 MWe bituminous coal fired power plant, based on absorption/desorption process with MEA solutions, using ASPEN Plus with the RADFRAC subroutine, was performed. This optimization aimed to reduce the energy requirement for solvent regeneration, by investigating the effects of CO₂ removal percentage, MEA concentration, lean solvent loading, stripper operating pressure and lean solvent temperature.Major energy savings can be realized by optimizing the lean solvent loading, the amine solvent concentration as well as the stripper operating pressure. A minimum thermal energy requirement was found at a lean MEA loading of 0.3, using a 40 wt.% MEA solution and a stripper operating pressure of 210 kPa, resulting in a thermal energy requirement of 3.0 GJ/ton CO₂, which is 23% lower than the base case of 3.9 GJ/ton CO₂. Although the solvent process conditions might not be realisable for MEA due to constraints imposed by corrosion and solvent degradation, the results show that a parametric study will point towards possibilities for process optimisation.     

Heat dissipation characteristic in the intake grille and radiator of a fuel cell vehicle

ABSTRACT

In this study, a three-dimension (3D) computational model was proposed to investigate the flow and heat transfer characteristics of the intake grilles of two different fuel cell vehicles. The models of the intake grilles were constructed according to the actual sizes of two vehicles, namely, Roewe 950 and Toyota Mirai, considering the heat dissipation unit to simplify the heat transfer model of the vehicle. The results showed that relative to Roewe 950, Mirai intake air flow rate was approximately 10% higher, the heat transfer capacity was approximately 7% higher, and the intake grille area was larger. The coolant outlet temperature of Mirai was lower than that of Roewe 950, which was beneficial for the long term and stable operation of a fuel cell. This comparative study provided guidance for the intake grille and radiator design of fuel cell vehicles. The only difference between fuel cell vehicles on the market and conventional vehicles was that in the former, the internal combustion engine was replaced with a fuel cell stack, which had insufficient heat transfer capacity because of the reducing temperature difference. Increasing the intake grille area and the heat exchange capacity of the radiator were the key issues for the development of fuel cell vehicles. In this study, an optimal window opening angle of the radiator fin of 23° provided a maximal heat transfer coefficient.     

Optimal sizing and siting of renewable energy resources in distribution systems considering time varying electrical/heating/cooling loads using PSO algorithm

Distributed Generation (DG) sources based on Renewable Energy (RE) can be the fastest growing power resources in distribution systems due to their environmental friendliness and also the limited sources of fossil fuels. In general, the optimal location and size of DG units have profoundly impacted on the system losses in a distribution network. In the present article, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is employed to find the optimal location and size of DG units in a distribution system. The optimal location and size of DG units are determined on the basis of a multi-objective strategy as follows: (i) the minimization of network power losses, (ii) the minimization of the total costs of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), (iii) the improvement of voltage stability, and (iv) the minimization of greenhouse gas emissions. The related distribution system was assumed to be composed of the fuel cells, wind turbines, photovoltaic arrays, and battery storages. The electrical, cooling, and heating loads were also considered in this article. The heating and cooling requirements of the system consist of time varying water heating load, space heating load, and space cooling load. In this study, the waste and fuel cell were used to produce the required heating and cooling loads in the distribution system. In addition, the absorption chiller was used to supply the required space cooling loads. A detailed performance analysis was carried out on 13 bus radial distribution system to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.     

Effect of culture time on the growth curve and power performance in a microbial fuel cell at a fixed amount of liquid culture

The microbial fuel cell uses the microorganism biochemistry to carry on the energy conversion. Concerning the experimental precision, the colony culture would be replaced by a fixed amount of liquid culture for Microbial fuel cell of Escherichia coli. The anode and cathode chambers whose each volume is 100 mL were utilized, the effective surface area of proton exchange membrane Nafion-117 is about 9 cm². In addition, the electrode area of carbon cloth is 20 cm². Three kinds of Escherichia coli, named as BCRC No. 10322, 10675 and 51534, respectively, would be selected. Results show that the electricity performance of Escherichia coli of BCRC No.51534 is better than the other microorganism studied because of having a larger open circuit voltage of 1.01 V and limiting current 22 mA, the maximum power density of 1342 mW/m^2, and average working power density of 295 mW/m² would be produced. These results would be useful to improve the performance of microbial fuel cell.