Thermodynamic analysis of an internal reforming solid-oxide fuel cell combined with a gas turbine power plant

Abstract

Paper presented at the 7th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Turkey, 19-21 July, 2010.

Nowadays utilization of highly efficient and low pollutant power production systems is one of the primacies and attractive topics for researchers. Solid oxide fuel cells are such systems; and their capabilities to integrate with power cycles such as gas turbine cycles propose a hybrid system for future power plant. This study examines the performance a natural-gas-fed tabular solid-oxide fuel cell combined with a conventional recuperative gas turbine power plant. The overall system performance is analyzed by analyzing all components separately. Also a parametric study was performed to investigate the effect of various parameters such as compressor Pressure ratio and fuel mass flow rate on the cycle energy performance, entropy generation rate, SOFC power, electrical power and C02 emission. The results revealed that it is possible for this system to reach a first law efficiency of about 60% and optimum entropy generation rate at that of gas turbine.