A hybrid fuel cell system (~10 kWe) for an average family house including heating is proposed. The investigated system comprises a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) on top of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC). Hydrogen produced from the off-gases of the SOFC can be fed directly to the PEFC. Simulations for the proposed system were conducted using different fuels. Here, results for natural gas (NG), dimethyl ether (DME) and ethanol as a fuel are presented and analysed. Behaviour of the proposed system is further investigated by comparing the effects of key factors such as utilisation factor, operating conditions, oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratios and fuel preheating effects on these fuels. The combined system improves the overall electrical conversion efficiency compared with standalone PEFC or SOFC systems. For the combined SOFC and PEFC system, the overall power production was increased by 8%-16% and the system efficiency with one of the fuels is found to be 12% higher than that of the standalone SOFC system.
Addressing large load fluctuation in automotive applications, dynamic analysis of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system is conducted here. Operations of a comprehensive system-level control-oriented fuel cell model with all necessary auxiliary components are demonstrated and simulation results for start-up scenario are presented. It is shown that system stability is influenced by slow thermal management controls. High loads at start-up affect voltage and system efficiency adversely. Cathode inlet water levels are found to be adequate for humidification of recirculated fuel stream. Liquid water at cathode outlet is considerably higher at high current density start-ups, pertaining to water removal issues.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.