Performance analysis of a reversible solid oxide cell system based on multi-scale hierarchical solid oxide cell modelling. (15th September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Yuqing; Banerjee, Aayan; Wehrle, Lukas; Shi, Yixiang; Brandon, Nigel; Deutschmann, Olaf
• Is Part Of: Energy conversion and management. Volume 196(2019)
• Page Start: 484
• Page End: 496
• Publication Date: 2019-09-15
• Subjects: Reversible solid oxide cell -- Temperature distribution -- System model -- Energy storage; Direct energy conversion -- Periodicals; Energy storage -- Periodicals; Energy transfer -- Periodicals; Énergie -- Conversion directe -- Périodiques; Direct energy conversion; Periodicals; 621.3105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2019.05.099
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0196-8904

Abstract

Highlights: Performance analysis of a reversible solid oxide cell system using multi-scale model. Model directly links micro-scale to stack-scale and system-scale. Effects of excess air ratio and fuel utilization were studied. Acquisition of 3-D stack temperature distributions and electrode/cell/stack/system performance. Abstract: The increasing penetration of intermittent renewable energy into power grids calls for energy storage means to balance the electricity production and consumption. The reversible solid oxide cell is a promising technology for distributed renewable energy storage. A system-level model is a useful tool for system design and efficiency optimization. In this study, a reversible solid oxide cell system model was developed in gPROMS ModelBuilder for distributed energy storage applications by integrating a multi-scale hierarchical three-dimensional solid oxide cell stack model with zero-dimensional balance of plant components models. The hierarchical rSOC stack model considers the electrochemical reactions at the electrodes, the one-dimensional + one-dimensional thermo-fluidic transport along the thickness and the flow direction at repeating unit level, and the three-dimensional heat transfer at stack level. The proposed system model enables the simultaneous investigations on both the total system performance and detailed stack temperature distributions. The roundtrip stack efficiency and roundtrip system efficiency reached 72.3% and 58.3% respectively at base case operation conditions. The effects of excess air ratio and fuel utilization on the system efficiency as well as the temperature uniformity of the reversible solid oxide cell stack were investigated. While increasing the excess air ratio decreases stack temperature gradients, it also decreases both the stack and system roundtrip efficiency. However, improved fuel utilization decreases stack temperature gradients without affecting the stack and system roundtrip efficiency.