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Title: Engineering a 70-percent efficient, indirect-fired fuel-cell bottomed turbine cycle

Conference ·
OSTI ID:209870
; ;  [1]
  1. Dept. of Energy, Morgantown, WV (United States)

We introduce the natural gas, indirect-fired fuel-cell bottomed turbine cycle (NG-IFFC) as a novel power plant system for the distributed power and on-site markets in the 20 to 200 megawatt (MW) size range. The NG-IFFC system is a new METC-patented system. This power-plant system links the ambient pressure, carbonate fuel cell in tandem with a gas turbine, air compressor, combustor, and ceramic heat exchanger. Performance calculations based on Advanced System for Process Engineering (ASPEN) simulations show material and energy balances with expected power output. Early results indicated efficiencies and heat rates for the NG-EFFC are comparable to conventionally bottomed, carbonate fuel-cell steam-bottomed cycles, but with smaller and less expensive components. More recent calculations extended the in-tandem concept to produce near-stoichiometric usage of the oxygen. This is made possible by reforming the anode stream to completion and using all hydrogen fuel in what will need to be a special combustor. The performance increases dramatically to greater than 70 percent.

Research Organization:
USDOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC), WV (United States)
OSTI ID:
209870
Report Number(s):
DOE/METC-95/1020; CONF-950886-; ON: DE96000554; TRN: 96:001697-0024
Resource Relation:
Conference: Fuel cells meeting, Morgantown, WV (United States), 9-10 Aug 1995; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the fuel cells `95 review meeting; George, T.J.; PB: 222 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English