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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Westinghouse fuel cell combined cycle systems

Conference ·
OSTI ID:462890

Efficiency (voltage) of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) should increase with operating pressure, and a pressurized SOFC could function as the heat addition process in a Brayton cycle gas turbine (GT) engine. An overall cycle efficiency of 70% should be possible. In cogeneration, half of the waste heat from a PSOFC/GT should be able to be captured in process steam and hot water, leading to a fuel effectiveness of about 85%. In order to make the PSOFC/GT a commercial reality, satisfactory operation of the SOFC at elevated pressure must be verified, a pressurized SOFC generator module must be designed, built, and tested, and the combined cycle and parameters must be optimized. A prototype must also be demonstrated. This paper describes progress toward making the PSOFC/GT a reality.

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Science and Technology Center
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FC21-91MC28055
OSTI ID:
462890
Report Number(s):
DOE/MC/28055--97/C0772; CONF-9608152--7; ON: DE97051836
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English