Patent Application
20120251899
This invention relates generally to combined cycle fuel cell systems, and more particularly to a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) high-efficiency reform-and-recirculate system to achieve higher fuel cell conversion efficiencies than that achievable using conventional combined cycle fuel cell systems.
Fuel cells are electrochemical energy conversion devices that have demonstrated a potential for relatively high efficiency and low pollution in power generation. A fuel cell generally provides a direct current (dc) which may be converted to alternating current (ac) via for example, an inverter. The dc or ac voltage can be used to power motors, lights, and any number of electrical devices and systems. Fuel cells may operate in stationary, semi-stationary, or portable applications. Certain fuel cells, such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), may operate in large-scale power systems that provide electricity to satisfy industrial and municipal needs. Others may be useful for smaller portable applications such as for example, powering cars.
A fuel cell produces electricity by electrochemically combining a fuel and an oxidant across an ionic conducting layer. This ionic conducting layer, also labeled the electrolyte of the fuel cell, may be a liquid or solid. Common types of fuel cells include phosphoric acid (PAFC), molten carbonate (MCFC), proton exchange membrane (PEMFC), and solid oxide (SOFC), all generally named after their electrolytes. In practice, fuel cells are typically amassed in electrical series in an assembly of fuel cells to produce power at useful voltages or currents. Therefore, interconnect structures may be used to connect or couple adjacent fuel cells in series or parallel.
In general, components of a fuel cell include the electrolyte and two electrodes. The reactions that produce electricity generally take place at the electrodes where a catalyst is typically disposed to speed the reactions. The electrodes may be constructed as channels, porous layers, and the like, to increase the surface area for the chemical reactions to occur. The electrolyte carries electrically charged particles from one electrode to the other and is otherwise substantially impermeable to both fuel and oxidant.
Typically, the fuel cell converts hydrogen (fuel) and oxygen (oxidant) into water (byproduct) to produce electricity. The byproduct water may exit the fuel cell as steam in high-temperature operations. This discharged steam (and other hot exhaust components) may be utilized in turbines and other applications to generate additional electricity or power, providing increased efficiency of power generation. If air is employed as the oxidant, the nitrogen in the air is substantially inert and typically passes through the fuel cell. Hydrogen fuel may be provided via local reforming (e.g., on-site steam reforming) of carbon-based feedstocks, such as reforming of the more readily available natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels and feedstocks. Examples of hydrocarbon fuels include natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, methanol, syngas, and other hydrocarbons. The reforming of hydrocarbon fuel to produce hydrogen to feed the electrochemical reaction may be incorporated with the operation of the fuel cell. Moreover, such reforming may occur internal and/or external to the fuel cell. For reforming of hydrocarbons performed external to the fuel cell, the associated external reformer may be positioned remote from or adjacent to the fuel cell.
Fuel cell systems that can reform hydrocarbon internal and/or adjacent to the fuel cell may offer advantages, such as simplicity in design and operation. For example, the steam reforming reaction of hydrocarbons is typically endothermic, and therefore, internal reforming within the fuel cell or external reforming in an adjacent reformer may utilize the heat generated by the typically exothermic electrochemical reactions of the fuel cell. Furthermore, catalysts active in the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen within the fuel cell to produce electricity may also facilitate internal reforming of hydrocarbon fuels. In SOFCs, for example, if nickel catalyst is disposed at an electrode (e.g., anode) to sustain the electrochemical reaction, the active nickel catalyst may also reform hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO). Moreover, both hydrogen and CO may be produced when reforming hydrocarbon feedstock. Thus, fuel cells, such as SOFCs, that can utilize CO as fuel (in addition to hydrogen) are generally more attractive candidates for utilizing reformed hydrocarbon and for internal and/or adjacent reforming of hydrocarbon fuel.
The capability of a fuel cell to convert hydrocarbon fuel into electrical energy is limited by loss mechanisms within the cell that produce heat and by partial utilization of the fuel. Reforming of the hydrocarbon primary fuel occurs upstream of the fuel cell in a conventional combined cycle fuel cell system. Tail gas from the fuel cell including unburnt fuel and products of combustion are then sent to tailgas burners, the heat from which can be incorporated in a combined cycle system, sometimes into the fuel reformer. Present day examples of fuel cells routinely achieve about 50% conversion efficiency.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide a technique that further increases the plant efficiency of a combined cycle fuel cell system through increased fuel cell efficiency.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a combined cycle fuel cell comprising:
a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) comprising an anode configured to generate a tail gas, the anode comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a hydrocarbon fuel reforming system configured to mix a hydrocarbon fuel with the SOFC tail gas downstream of the SOFC and to partly or fully convert the hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), and further configured to split the reformed fuel into a first portion and a residual portion;
a fuel path configured to divert the first portion of the reformed fuel to the inlet of the fuel cell anode;
a cooler configured to remove heat from the residual portion of the reformed fuel; and
a bottoming cycle comprising an external or internal combustion engine driven in response to the cooled residual portion of the reformed fuel.
According to another embodiment, a combined cycle fuel cell comprises:
a fuel cell comprising an anode configured to generate a tail gas, the anode comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a hydrocarbon fuel reforming system configured to mix a hydrocarbon fuel with the tail gas downstream of the fuel cell and to partly or fully convert a hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), and further configured to split the reformed fuel into a first portion and a residual portion;
a fuel path configured to divert the first portion of the reformed fuel to the inlet of the fuel cell anode;
an Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) configured to remove heat from the residual portion of the reformed fuel and generate electrical power therefrom; and
a bottoming cycle comprising an external or internal combustion engine driven in response to the cooled residual portion of the reformed fuel exiting the ORC.
According to yet another embodiment, a combined cycle fuel cell comprises:
a fuel cell comprising an anode configured to generate a tail gas, the anode comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a hydrocarbon fuel reforming system configured to mix a hydrocarbon fuel with the fuel cell tail gas downstream of the fuel cell and to partly or fully convert the hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), and further configured to split the reformed fuel into a first portion and a residual portion;
a first Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) configured to remove heat from the first portion of the reformed fuel;
a fuel purification apparatus, wherein the first ORC and fuel purification apparatus are together configured to generate purified fuel via removal of water and carbon dioxide from the first portion of reformed fuel;
a recuperator configured to extract heat from the purified fuel and to transfer the extracted heat to the fuel and tail gas entering the reforming system;
a fuel path configured to divert the heated and purified fuel to the inlet of the fuel cell anode;
a second ORC configured to remove heat from the residual portion of the reformed fuel and generate electrical power therefrom; and
a bottoming cycle comprising an external or internal combustion engine driven in response to the cooled residual portion of the reformed fuel exiting the second ORC.
According to still another embodiment, a combined cycle fuel cell comprises:
a fuel cell comprising an anode configured to generate a tail gas, the anode comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a hydrocarbon fuel reforming system configured to mix a hydrocarbon fuel with the fuel cell tail gas downstream of the fuel cell and to partly or fully convert the hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) to generate a reformed fuel;
a cooling system configured to remove heat from the reformed fuel;
a fuel path configured to divert a first portion of the cooled reformed fuel to the inlet of the anode; and
a bottoming cycle comprising an external or internal combustion engine driven in response to a residual portion of the cooled reformed fuel.
The foregoing and other features, aspects and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
While the above-identified drawing figures set forth alternative embodiments, other embodiments of the present invention are also contemplated, as noted in the discussion. In all cases, this disclosure presents illustrated embodiments of the present invention by way of representation and not limitation. Numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art which fall within the scope and spirit of the principles of this invention.
The embodiments described herein with reference to the Figures advantageously provide increased plant efficiencies greater than 65% in particular embodiments that employ recirculation features. Advantages provided by the recirculation features described herein include without limitation, an automatic supply of water to a reformer, negating the requirement for a separate water supply.
Other embodiments of the present invention are also contemplated, as noted in the discussion. The principles described herein can just as easily be applied for example, to comparable fuel-cell technologies that are not strictly solid-oxide fuel cells. A vast variety of waste heat recovery cycles and methods for integrating those cycles are also possible using the principles described herein.
According to one embodiment, the ORC 22 advantageously may be employed to generate additional electrical power. According to another embodiment, heat from the combustion engine 16 exhaust may be transferred to the working fluid of the ORC 22 via a return path 24 to further boost the production of electrical power provided by the ORC 22.
Prior to diverting/recirculating the fraction of the reformed fuel stream to the inlet of the fuel cell anode 13, the recirculated fraction is first cooled via an ORC 32 followed by fuel purification apparatus 36 that may comprise, without limitation, compression, heat rejection and expansion processes. The resulting cooling will cause the products of combustion, including H2O and CO2, to condense out of the resultant stream of fuel. The solid or liquid CO2 may then be stored or pumped to high pressures in liquid form for eventual sequestration. This process is substantially driven by power derived in the ORC 34 from the heat of the recirculated 17 stream of fuel.
The residual fraction of the reformed fuel stream may optionally be cooled through heat removal as it passes through an Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) 34. This cooled fuel stream is then employed to drive an external or internal combustion engine 16 that may comprise for example, without limitation, a reciprocating 4-stroke, reciprocating 2-stroke, opposed piston 2-stroke or gas turbine.
According to one embodiment, the ORC 34 advantageously may be employed to generate additional electrical power. According to another embodiment, heat from the combustion engine 16 exhaust may be transferred to the working fluid of the ORC 34 via a return path 24 to further boost the production of electrical power provided by the ORC 34. According to another embodiment, a single ORC is employed to provide both recirculated and residual fuel streams.
Combined cycle power plant 30 further employs a recuperator 38. Reforming of the hydrocarbon primary fuel occurs upstream of the fuel cell in conventional combined cycle fuel cell systems as stated herein. In conventional combined cycle fuel cell systems, tail gas from the fuel cell including unburnt fuel and products of combustion are then sent to tailgas burners, the heat from which can be incorporated in the combined cycle system, sometimes into a fuel reformer. In contrast, the primary fuel 11 used in combined cycle power plant 30 is combined with the anode tailgas and sent to the reformer 14 downstream of the fuel cell 12. The endothermic reforming reaction is supplied heat from the anode tail gas directly and/or through a heat exchanger 38 and/or through a direct exchange of heat between the anode 13 and the reformer 14.
Combined cycle power plant 30 advantageously increases the fuel quality beyond that achievable using a convention combined cycle fuel cell system since the quality of the fuel stream exiting the reformer 14 is substantially greater than the tail gas leaving the fuel cell 13, in part because it is fully reformed. The fuel sent to a combustor for a bottoming cycle engine such as combustion engine 24 is thus fully reformed such that waste heat from the fuel cell 13 can be used as efficiently as possible. Further, the combined cycle power plant bottoming cycle advantageously requires less air flow for fuel cell cooling purposes due to full reforming of the fuel.
It can be appreciated that the use of low temperature fan 19 is advantageously less expensive than employing a high temperature fan that is more costly to employ. Low temperature fan 19 functions to ensure that recirculated flow of the reformed fuel stream occurs in a counter-clockwise motion as depicted in
The embodiments described herein advantageously have achieved overall fuel utilization higher than 65% by recirculating flow from the anode exhaust back to the anode inlet. Further, by including the reforming step in a recirculation loop, the reformer water requirements can be met using only the water contained in the anode exhaust flow, without having to introduce additional water to the system 30.
The embodiments described herein advantageously implement reforming downstream of the fuel cell anode 13. Because the reforming step occurs at a point between the fuel cell 12 exhaust and the bottoming cycle fuel inlet, some of the reformed fuel may be fed directly to the bottoming cycle. The reformer 14 draws more heat from the fuel cell 12 because it is reforming the fuel supplied to the bottoming cycle, as well as that of the fuel cell 12. According to one aspect, the reformer 14 may be able to use more of the excess heat of the fuel cell 12 to enrich the fuel than would be possible in present state-of-the-art combined cycle fuel cell systems, thus increasing overall system efficiency.
The embodiments described herein advantageously employ a reciprocating gas engine as a bottoming cycle. Since reciprocating gas engines are traditionally more fuel-flexible than gas turbines, for example, they allow for more flexibility in the design of the reformer 14 than would be possible if a gas turbine were to be used as the bottoming cycle.
In summary explanation, combined cycle fuel cell embodiments and their attendant advantages have been described herein. These embodiments each comprise a solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) comprising an anode that generates a tail gas. A hydrocarbon fuel reforming system mixes a hydrocarbon fuel with the SOFC tail gas downstream of the SOFC partly or fully converts the hydrocarbon fuel into hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO). The reformed fuel is split into a first portion and a residual portion. A fuel path diverts the first portion of the reformed fuel to the inlet of the SOFC anode. A cooling system such as a cooler or cooler/low-temperature fan combination is optionally configured to remove heat from the residual portion of the reformed fuel and to deliver the cooled residual portion of the reformed fuel to a bottoming cycle comprising a reciprocating gas engine that is driven in response to the cooled residual portion of the reformed fuel.
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
