Design and Thermal Analysis of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System Integrated with Ethanol Steam Reforming

Abstract

In this study, a thermal management of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system integrated with a steam reformer was investigated. Due to its renewable and green energy sources, ethanol was chosen as a fuel for the SOFC system in which it was converted into a hydrogen rich gas via a steam reforming. Modeling of the SOFC system was performed using a process simulator. The SOFC system performance was evaluated with respect to key operating parameters such as reforming temperature, SOFC temperature and steam to ethanol ratio. It was found that the ethanol reformer and pre-heaters require high energy consumption. To improve its thermal efficiency, the SOFC system with heat integration was analyzed and the exhaust gas from an SOFC stack was considered a useful heat source. Pinch analysis was applied to design the SOFC system with the aim to minimize the requirement of external energy sources. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.