Analysis of a biogas-fed SOFC CHP system based on multi-scale hierarchical modeling. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Yuqing; Wehrle, Lukas; Banerjee, Aayan; Shi, Yixiang; Deutschmann, Olaf
• Is Part Of: Renewable energy. Volume 163(2021)
• Page Start: 78
• Page End: 87
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: Biogas -- Solid oxide fuel cell -- Combined heat and power system -- Hierarchical model; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Énergies renouvelables -- Périodiques; Ressources énergétiques -- Périodiques; 333.794
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2020.08.091
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-1481

Abstract

Abstract: Biogas is an abundant renewable energy source which can be produced by anaerobic treatment of biological waste such as sewage sludge, agro-industrial waste, and industrial animal waste. The utilization of biogas instead of fossil fuels in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)-based system is a promising choice to achieve a fossil-free and sustainable energy future. A biogas-fed decentralized SOFC combined heat and power (CHP) system model is proposed and analyzed. The system consists of a pre-reformer, an SOFC stack, an afterburner and a heat-recovery boiler. The system model integrates a multi-scale hierarchical three-dimensional SOFC stack model with zero-dimensional balance of power component models, which enables simultaneous investigations of both the overall system performance and the stack-internal distributed properties down to the electrode scale. The effects of steam/carbon ratio, biogas composition and operation voltage of the SOFC stack on the electrical and CHP efficiencies of the system, as well as the temperature gradient within the SOFC stack were studied. The proposed system model is demonstrated as an insightful and powerful tool for designing hybrid SOFC combined heat and power systems. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Hierarchical modelling of a biogas-fed SOFC CHP system. Direct link from micro-scale model to stack and system scale simulation. Simultaneous analysis of system performance and stack-internal distributed properties. Effects of steam/carbon ratio, biogas composition and stack operation voltage were studied.