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Start-up and operation characteristics of a flame fuel cell unit

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Yuqing
  • Zeng, Hongyu
  • Cao, Tianyu
  • Shi, Yixiang
  • Cai, Ningsheng
  • Ye, Xiaofeng
  • Wang, Shaorong

Abstract

This work aims to investigate a black start-up process for micro cogeneration (combined heat and power, CHP) systems based on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). A novel micro-CHP system concept using a flame fuel cell (FFC) for start-up is proposed. An FFC unit is experimentally implemented and studied by integrating a porous media burner with a micro-tubular SOFC. The FFC is demonstrated to start up within seconds with the fuel-rich combustion of a methane-air mixture. The porous media burner acts as a non-catalytic fuel processor for the SOFC with a maximum methane reforming efficiency of 49%. The flame fuel cell performance is tested for various equivalence ratios at a fixed inlet gas velocity of 0.15m/s. The power reaches a significant value of 1.5W at 0.7V with a single fuel cell when operating with a fuel-rich flame at the equivalence ratio of 1.6. A flame fuel cell unit with multi-cell configurations has the potential to provide heat and power simultaneously for micro-CHP systems during the start-up process without an external energy source.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Yuqing & Zeng, Hongyu & Cao, Tianyu & Shi, Yixiang & Cai, Ningsheng & Ye, Xiaofeng & Wang, Shaorong, 2016. "Start-up and operation characteristics of a flame fuel cell unit," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 415-421.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:178:y:2016:i:c:p:415-421
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.06.067
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    9. 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.
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    1. Zeng, Hongyu & Gong, Siqi & Shi, Yixiang & Wang, Yuqing & Cai, Ningsheng, 2019. "Micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell stack operated with catalytically enhanced porous media fuel-rich combustor," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 154-162.
    2. Rhushikesh Ghotkar & Ryan J. Milcarek, 2022. "Modeling of the Kinetic Factors in Flame-Assisted Fuel Cells," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Milcarek, Ryan J. & Ahn, Jeongmin, 2019. "Micro-tubular flame-assisted fuel cells running methane, propane and butane: On soot, efficiency and power density," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 776-782.
    4. Skabelund, B.B. & Milcarek, R.J., 2022. "Review of thermal partial oxidation reforming with integrated solid oxide fuel cell power generation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    5. Brent B. Skabelund & Joseph Elio & Ryan J. Milcarek, 2021. "Techno-Economic Assessment of a Hybrid Gas Tank Hot Water Combined Heat and Power System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-21, November.
    6. Ghotkar, Rhushikesh & Milcarek, Ryan J., 2020. "Investigation of flame-assisted fuel cells integrated with an auxiliary power unit gas turbine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    7. 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.
    8. Arsalis, Alexandros, 2019. "A comprehensive review of fuel cell-based micro-combined-heat-and-power systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 391-414.
    9. Alexander R. Hartwell & Cole A. Wilhelm & Thomas S. Welles & Ryan J. Milcarek & Jeongmin Ahn, 2022. "Effects of Synthesis Gas Concentration, Composition, and Operational Time on Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-16, June.
    10. Rhushikesh Ghotkar & Ellen B. Stechel & Ivan Ermanoski & Ryan J. Milcarek, 2020. "Hybrid Fuel Cell—Supercritical CO 2 Brayton Cycle for CO 2 Sequestration-Ready Combined Heat and Power," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-20, September.
    11. Luo, Yu & Liao, Shuting & Chen, Shuai & Fang, Huihuang & Zhong, Fulan & Lin, Li & Zhou, Chen & Chen, Chongqi & Cai, Guohui & Au, Chak-Tong & Jiang, Lilong, 2022. "Optimized coupling of ammonia decomposition and electrochemical oxidation in a tubular direct ammonia solid oxide fuel cell for high-efficiency power generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    12. Hu, Zunyan & Xu, Liangfei & Huang, Yiyuan & Li, Jianqiu & Ouyang, Minggao & Du, Xiaoli & Jiang, Hongliang, 2018. "Comprehensive analysis of galvanostatic charge method for fuel cell degradation diagnosis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 1321-1332.

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