Energy and exergy analyses of an integrated SOFC and coal gasification system

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy 2012-01, Vol.37 (2), p.1689-1697
• Main Authors: El-Emam, Rami S., Dincer, Ibrahim, Naterer, Greg F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Applied sciences; Coal gasification; Efficiency; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Exergy; Fuel cells; Fuel processing. Carbochemistry and petrochemistry; Fuels; Hydrogen; Miscellaneous; SOFC; Solid fuel processing (coal, coke, brown coal, peat, wood, etc.); Theoretical studies. Data and constants. Metering; Thermodynamics, mechanics etc. For energy applications
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.09.139

This paper examines an integrated gasification and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system with a gas turbine and steam cycle that uses heat recovery of the gas turbine exhaust. Energy and exergy analyses are performed with two different types of coal. For the two different cases, the energy efficiency of the overall system is 38.1% and 36.7%, while the exergy efficiency is 27% and 23.2%, respectively. The effects of changing the reference temperature on the exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of different components are also reported. A parametric study on the effects of changing the pressure ratio on the component performance is presented. ► Integrated gasification and solid oxide fuel cell system is studied. ► Exergy destruction decreases with pressure ratio increase. ► High exergy destruction occurs in fuel cell, gasifier and combustion chamber. ► Reference temperature affects the exergetic performance in a different manner. ► Higher fuel cell temperature lowers its exergy loss and increases it for combustor.