IM-SOFC-GT: Integrated modelling study of fuel cell/gas turbine hybrids

• Unité de recherche: PCRD EU
• Numéro de projet: 00.0380
• Titre du projet anglais: IM-SOFC-GT: Integrated modelling study of fuel cell/gas turbine hybrids

Mots-clé (Anglais)

Fuel cell; gas turbine;
Environmental Protection; Energy Saving; Renewable Sources of Energy

Autre Numéro de projet (Anglais)

EU project number: ENK5-2000-0302

Programme de recherche (Anglais)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.4b.1 Cleaner energy systems, including renewables

Description succincte (Anglais)

See abstract

Partenaires et organisations internationales (Anglais)

Coordinator: Rolls-Royce plc. (UK)

Résumé des résultats (Abstract) (Anglais)

In Europe, a strong emphasis is given to reducing manufacturing cost in stack technologies. As a result, they are still at a much smaller scale than their US competitors. Consequently, the range of Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine (FC/GT) hybrid configurations possible with these newer higher performance technologies has not yet been fully explored and a detailed study is now appropriate. The project aims at: Develop the capability to assess the performance of FC/GT hybrids using a novel approach of close integration of system and stack models. This approach enables a wider range of system configurations to be explored than to date and improves the potential for finding lower costs systems. Develop an understanding of the performance requirements for FC/GT hybrid based generation systems and the necessary system specifications needed to address different sectors of the energy market. Verify that through life environmental impact of FC/GT hybrids will be acceptable to clean energy customers. Obtain specifications of the fuel cell stack, turbo-machinery and other key balance of plant components by combining market understanding and integrated modelling capabilities.

Description of the work:
The project focuses on stationary power generation systems primarily fuelled by natural gas but includes work to identify the most favourable bio-gas for use in Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine (FC/GT) hybrids. Three types of sub-systems are considered: sub-MWe high efficiency distributed generation (DG) systems, 1-3 MWe systems suitable for CHP schemes and 20-30 MWe high efficiency DG systems. The project has 6 work packages, which are to be carried out over 2 and half years.

They cover:
- Assessment of how market pressures map into product requirement for each of the three classes of system;
- Development of generic modelling capabilities including the validation of detailed finite volume thermal and chemical models;
- Development of reduced complexity fuel cell models for use in integrated system modelling;
- Preliminary system designs, one in each size category;
- Recommendations for future work.

Expected Results and Exploitation Plans:
The main results are an assessment of product requirements, the development of generic modelling capabilities and preliminary system designs for the three sub-systems. The long term results are the transfer of fundamental fuel cell technology into commercially viable energy conversion systems, offering the people of Europe a competitively priced clean energy and guiding policy makers in setting the appropriate fiscal framework, regulations and standards to encourage adoption of clean energy conversion.

Références bases de données (Anglais)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 00.0380