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Integration of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell with an Organic Rankine Cycle and Absorption Chiller for Dynamic Generation of Power and Cooling for a Residential Application
Author(s) -
Asghari M.,
Brouwer J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
fuel cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.485
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1615-6854
pISSN - 1615-6846
DOI - 10.1002/fuce.201800192
Subject(s) - organic rankine cycle , chiller , absorption refrigerator , solid oxide fuel cell , dynamic simulation , process engineering , waste heat , environmental science , degree rankine , coefficient of performance , thermal energy storage , cooling load , electrical efficiency , cooling capacity , automotive engineering , power (physics) , computer science , mechanical engineering , simulation , engineering , heat pump , heat exchanger , refrigeration , thermodynamics , chemistry , air conditioning , anode , physics , electrode
The high temperature exhaust heat from a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) can be captured and used as the primary thermal energy source for bottoming cycles. In this study, the waste heat from a fuel cell is captured and processed either through an organic Rankin cycle (ORC) to provide extra power or an absorption chiller (AC) to provide cooling for meeting the dynamic cooling demands of a residence/community. A spatially resolved dynamic model was developed in Simulink to study dynamic characteristics of an SOFC system. Also, a dynamic model was developed for the ORC and AC to study the dynamic characteristics and performance of the integrated system. This model was then used to evaluate the efficiency, capacity, and dispatchability of the system, based upon meeting measured load profiles of residential buildings. Dynamic data from a residential complex were used as an input to evaluate the dynamic system model. The SOFC was capable of following the highly dynamic load with an average electrical efficiency of 46%. An average of 7% more power was produced through the ORC cycle with an average efficiency of 10%. The AC generated an average 125 kW of cooling with an average coefficient of performance (COP) of 1.08.