Author : Nader Ragab Youssef Ammar
Degree : Ph.D. Marine
Title: Thermo-Energetic Analysis of solid Oxide Fuel Cell Hybrid Systems for
Marine Application
Abstract
Strong restrictions on emissions from
marine power plants particularly sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides will
probably be adopted in the near future. At the same time, the need to reduce
fuel consumption, and therefore the cost of fuel used, is stimulating the
exploration of alternatives for energy production with better waste energy
utilization. Furthermore, LNG is one of the suitable fuel solutions. In the
power generation, fuel cell hybrid systems operated with natural gas fuel are
an attractive option. In addition, integrating the waste heat recovery systems
(WHR) with natural gas fuel for the current marine diesel engines and marine
gas turbines can be a good solution.
Fuel cells are electrochemical
devices that directly convert chemical energy in fuels into electrical energy,
allowing power generation with high efficiency and low environmental impact.
Because the intermediate steps of producing heat and mechanical work typical of
most conventional power generation methods are avoided, fuel cells are not
restricted by thermodynamic limitations of heat engines such as the Carnot
efficiency. In addition, because combustion is avoided, fuel cells produce
power with minimal pollutant. The most promising options for marine
applications are Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel
Cell (PEMFC). The reason for preferring SOFC to be used in power generation is
due to its higher operating temperature which can reach IOOO°C. Furthermore,
the higher temperature fuel cells can favor the conversion of CO and CH4 to
hydrogen, and then use the equivalent hydrogen as the actual fuel.
Therefore, in this thesis a simple
model for SOFC has been developed. The model includes chemical and
thermodynamic relations governing the fuel cell operation and also the effect
of operating conditions on cell performance. Understanding the impact of
various parameters such as temperature, pressure, and gas constituents on
performance allows fuel cell developers to optimize their design of the modular
units and allows process engineers to maximize the performance of system
applications. Tn addition, the thesis includes a detailed thermodynamic
analysis for the SOFC hybrid systems. Mass and energy balances are performed
not only for the whole plant but also for each component in order to evaluate
the thermal efficiency of the combined cycle. The effect of using natural gas
as a fuel on the fuel cell voltage and performance is also investigated.
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