High-Temperature Fuel Cells for Mobile and Stationary Applications

HIGH-ENERGY, LOW-COST & ROBUST HYBRID SOFC/IC ENGINE POWER GENERATOR

This 4-year, $10 million funded project is part of the U.S. DOE ARPA-E INTEGRATE program. It is focused on the development of a high-efficiency (>70%), low-cost (<$900/kW) and robust hybrid power generator composed of an intermediate temperature (600˚C) ceramic fuel cell stack, an efficient stationary internal combustion (IC) engine and state-of-the-art balance-of-plant (BOP) equipment.

generator schematic   partner logos

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack contains metal-supported SteelCellTM technology, which provides robustness for operation under pressurized conditions and high amounts of internal reforming. The IC engine combusts unused anode tail gas to integrate several BOP functions using engine shaft-mounted, low-speed, scroll-type rotating machinery and groundbreaking inverter technology. Colorado School of Mines and its collaborators, Colorado State University, Kohler Power Systems and Air-Squared Inc., aim to produce an end product similar to the image above.

Testing

The SOFC stacks will be operated at elevated pressures, with an intention to increase efficiency and power density. Led by Dr. Neal Sullivan, the Colorado Fuel Cell Center (CFCC) has developed a rig (see rendering below) to understand pressurization benefits by testing Ceres Power stacks. The gas handling technology has been configured to assure the anode, cathode and vessel volume maintain equal pressure, while the flow temperatures are closely monitored.  The pressure vessel’s body and equipment were sized to test the Ceres Power’s 1kWe and 5kWe stacks.

schematic

The figure below is of the test stand, ready for operation with a 1kWe Ceres Power stack at the CFCC.

test stand

test stand

Below are results from the first round of testing with the 1kWe stack.  The data supports theoretical performance predictions for a positive pressurization effect on voltage. Mines will be receiving a Ceres 5-kWe stack for the next stage of experiments.

voltage vs. current chart

Modeling

Mines produces high-fidelity thermodynamic models in PSE’s gPROMS ModelBuilder® to design and simulate the system. A model for the internal combustion engine, SOFC stack and fuel pre-reformer has been developed and will be validated against test and manufacturer’s data. The figure below is a schematic of the flowsheet, which is a simple representation excluding heat exchangers, bypass lines and other BOP equipment.

flowsheet schematic

It is anticipated that a successful design of such a system would accelerate the deployment of distributed electricity generation, which would help support the existing electric grid and eliminate losses due to transmission and distribution, while also displacing generation using fossil-fueled generation systems that are less efficient. This project could introduce a paradigm-shift in the fuel cell field by demonstrating that a hybrid fuel cell system, can drive both radically lower costs and increase electric efficiency beyond 70% for small-scale, distributed power generation applications.

FUNDING: U.S. DOE ARPA-E INTEGRATE Program

PI: Robert Braun
Co-PIs: Neal Sullivan, Tyrone Vincent (Mines); Todd Bandhauer, Dan Olsen, Brett Windom (CSU); Robert Danforth (Kohler); Bryce Schaffer (Air-Squared, Inc.)
Graduate Students: David Wahlstrom and James Frazar (MS candidates)
Other Contributors: Dr. Chris Cadigan, Dr. Soren Jensen, Dr. Mayur Mundhwa, and Chris Chmura

PUBLICATIONS

  1. R.J. Braun, E. Reznicek, C. Cadigan, N.P. Sullivan, R. Danforth, T. Bandhauer, S. Garland, D. Olsen, B. Windom, and B. Schaffer, Development of a Novel High Efficiency, Low Cost Hybrid SOFC/Internal Combustion Engine Power Generator, ECS Transactions, 91(1):355-360, (2019).

Current Projects

Past Projects

Selected Publications in This Research Area

Design of Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell Systems and Their Potential as a Distributed Power Generator with Electric Efficiencies Exceeding 70% (working paper)

A. Dubois, K. Ferguson, R.J. Braun

Journal of Power Sources, (2020)

Development of kW-Scale Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells and Systems

R.J. Braun, A. Dubois, K. Ferguson, C. Duan, C. Karakaya, R.J. Kee, … A. Wood

ECS Transactions, 91(1):997–1008, (2019)

Steady-State and Dynamic Modeling of Intermediate-Temperature Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells

K.J. Albrecht, A. Dubois, K. Ferguson, C. Duan, R.P. O’Hayre, R.J. Braun

Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 166(10):F687–F700, (2019)

Development of a Novel High Efficiency, Low Cost Hybrid SOFC/Internal Combustion Engine Power Generator

R.J. Braun, E. Reznicek, C. Cadigan, N.P. Sullivan, R. Danforth, T. Bandhauer, S. Garland, D. Olsen, B. Windom, B. Schaffer

ECS Transactions, 91(1):355–360, (2019)

Highly Durable, Coking and Sulfur Tolerant, Fuel-Flexible Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell

C. Duan, S. Ricote, H. Zhu, N. Sullivan, C. Karakaya, R.J. Kee, R.J. Braun, R. O’Hayre

Nature557:217–222, (2018)

Design and Dispatch Optimization of a Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Assembly for Unconventional Oil and Gas Production

G. Anyenya, R.J. Braun, K. Lee, N.P. Sullivan, A. M. Newman

Optimization & Engineering, 19:1037–1081, (2018)

Benchmarking the Expected Stack Manufacturing Cost of Next Generation, Intermediate-Temperature Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology

A. Dubois, S. Ricote, R.J. Braun

Journal of Power Sources, 369:65–77, (2017)

Modeling and Simulation of a Novel 4.5 kWe Multi-Stack Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Prototype Assembly for Combined Heat and Power

G.Anyenya, N.P. Sullivan, R.J. Braun

Energy Conversion & Management, 140:247–259, (2017)

Experimental Testing of a Novel Kilowatt-Scale Multistack Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Assembly for Combined Heat and Power

G.Anyenya, B. Haun, M. Daubenspeck, R. J. Braun, N.P. Sullivan

ASME Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion & Storage, 13(4):041001, (2016)

Readily Processed Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells with High Performance at Low Temperatures

C. Duan, J. Tong, M. Shang, S. Nikodemski, M. Sanders, S. Ricote, A. Almansoori, R. O'Hayre

Science, 349(6254):1321–1326, (2015)

Modeling Intermediate Temperature Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells

K.J. Albrecht, C. Duan, R. O’Hayre, R.J. Braun

ECS Transactions, 68(1):3165–3175, (2015)

A Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Program for the Optimal Design and Dispatch of Distributed Generation Systems

K. Pruitt, A. Newman, S. Leyffer, R.J. Braun

Optimization and Engineering15:167–197, (2014)

Evaluating Shortfalls in Mixed-Integer Programming Approaches for the Optimal Design and Dispatch of Distributed Generation Systems

K. Pruitt, R.J. Braun, A. Newman

Applied Energy102:386–398, (2013)

Establishing Conditions for the Economic Viability of Fuel Cell-Based, Combined Heat and Power Distributed Generation Systems

K. Pruitt, R.J. Braun, A. Newman

Applied Energy, 111:904–920, (2013)

Application of SOFCs in Combined Heating, Cooling and Power Systems

R.J. Braun and P. Kazempoor

Chap. 12 in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: From Materials to System Modeling, T.S. Zhao and M. Ni, editors, Energy and Environment Series No. 7, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, U.K. (2013)

View Other Research Areas:

MODELING AND SYSTEMS ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION SYSTEMS

RENEWABLES AND GRID-ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS