Simulation of an integrated hydrogen fuel cell with LIBR-water absorption system for combined production of electricity, cooling and hot water

Abstract

Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Malta, 16-18 July, 2012.

In this paper, a computer simulation was performed to analyze the integration of a hydrogen solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with a LiBr-water absorption system, for the simultaneous production of electricity, cooling and hot water. The exhaust gases from the SOFC are used to power the generator of the absorption system, where cooling is obtained, and also to produce hot water in a heat exchanger. For the purpose of enhancing the energy utilization efficiency of the system, heat exchangers are also used to preheat the reactant streams of the SOFC with the exhaust gases. A steady state mathematical model was developed to simulate the performance of the whole system under different operating conditions. The performances of the integrated energy system and of the different subsystems are evaluated under different operating conditions. Especially, the effect of the absorption system generation temperature was scrutinized in order to determine optimum operating conditions.