Energy, exergy and economic analyses of solid oxide fuel cell based polygeneration system with integrated carbon capture, desalination and liquefied natural gas cold energy utilization

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy 2024-11
• Main Authors: Uzair Azhar, Muhammad, Anwar, Mustafa, Bahadar, Ali, Zwawi, Mohammed, Khoja, Asif Hussain
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon capture; CCHP; Fresh water; LNG; ORC; SOFC
• ISSN: 0360-3199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.10.326

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) generate electricity accompanied with high temperature exhaust gases. This waste heat is recovered through a series of integrated processes to improve the system efficiency, producing electrical power, fresh water, heating and cooling. Natural gas, regasified from liquid state (LNG), is used as fuel for SOFC and its cold energy is utilized for carbon capture. Energy, exergy and economic analysis of the designed system was carried out which revealed that the net electrical, exergy and overall system efficiencies are 61.71% and 59.06% and 83.36%, respectively. The results revealed that the major exergy destruction sources were the CO2 condenser and after burner. The polygeneration system produces 809 kW of electricity, 329.06 kW of heating, 264.51 kW of cooling, 408.8 kg/h of fresh water while regasifying 38.74 mols of LNG per second. The system cost rate is 27.8 $/hr. while carbon dioxide is captured at the rate of 1.6 mol/s. [Display omitted] •A hybrid CCHP system with freshwater generation and carbon capture is designed.•SOFC-GT, ORC, trans-CO2, HDH are integrated with utilization of LNG cold energy.•The system has net energy efficiency of 83.36% and exergy efficiency of 79.06%.•Sensitivity analysis and detailed exergy destruction investigations are reported.•The natural gas output and CO2 capture rates are 38.74 mol/s and 1.6 mol/s.