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Modeling of a Fuel Cell Based Micro-CHP System and the Development of a H2Generation Unit

Author: WangZiLiang
Tutor: JieDongLai
School: South China University of Technology
Course: Chemical Engineering
Keywords: natural gas micro-CHP energy analysis exergy analysis fuel processing unit
CLC: TM911.4
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2012
Downloads: 73
Quote: 2
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Abstract


A fuel cell-based micro combined heat and power (CHP) cogeneration system is aresidential scale clean energy conversion unit. It employs fuel cells in a compact system thatconverts natural gas, propane, or other fuels into both electricity and heat, which increasesefficiency by simultaneously generating power and heat from one unit, on-site within a home.It has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions related to energy consumption in thedomestic sector, can reduce primary energy consumption to improve national energy security,and could be a cost-effective means of meeting residential energy needs if capital cost targetscan be met.The cogeneration system mainly consists of a fuel processing unit, a power generationunit and an auxiliary unit. The fuel-processing unit under investigation includes anautothermal reformer (ATR), high temperature shift reactor (HTS) and low temperature shiftreactor (LTS) and a CO preferential oxidation reactor (Prox). Energy and exergy analysis ofthe system is useful to investigate the effects of key operating parameters on the systemperformance. A micro-CHP system that produces approximately1kW of electricity issimulated with Aspen Plus. A typical case is analyzed and system energy and exergy lossbreak-down is studied. It is found that for the typical case, energy carried by unuseful streamsaccounts for the majority of the energy and exergy losses. Among all the components, protonexchange membrane fuel cell posses the least energy efficiency and exergy efficiency. Effectsof steam to carbon ratio, air to carbon ratio, hydrogen utilization efficiency, power generationefficiency, and process methane feed variation on system performances are parametricallystudied.A compact natural gas processor integrated with steam generation (methane oxidativesteam reforming, OSR), HTS and LTS have been designed and developed. Reactors’performances under typical operation condition are tested. Effects of steam to carbon ratio, airto carbon ratio, space velocity and temperature on every reactor performances areexperimently investigated.Results of this study showed that the micro-CHP achieved about45.56%(dry basis) H2concentration and0.057%(dry basis) CO concentration in the syngas downstream of LTS.The system efficiency was60-63%under a typical operation condition. The steam to carbonratio (Sc), air to carbon ratio (Ac), space velocity were found to be the key operatingparameters in determing the OSR, HTS and LTS performances (bed temperature, methanecoversion, and CO conversion). H2concentrations in OSR, HTS and LTS increased withincreasing Sc, but CO concentration decreased with increasing Sc when Ac was maintained the same level. H2concentrations in OSR, HTS and LTS decreased with increasing Ac whenSc was maintained the same. CO conversion in HTS increasd with increasing Ac. COconversion in LTS maintained at99%. Lower space velocity is beneficial to methaneconversion, CO conversion and H2concentration.

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CLC: > Industrial Technology > Electrotechnical > Independent power supply technology (direct power) > Chemical power sources,batteries, fuel cells > Fuel cell
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