Combined micro-cogeneration and electric vehicle system for household application: An energy and economic analysis in a Northern European climate

Abstract

In recent years, Denmark boosted investments in renewable energy and electrification of transportation. The Danish Agenda proposed that all primary energy consumption will be covered by renewable sources such as wind, biomass and solar by 2050. These changes require significant investment and re-thinking of entire energy infrastructures and types of consumption. The Agenda also suggested, among other things, improving the efficiency of energy systems. \ud \ud In this paper, the interactions between charging an electric car and an innovative cogeneration system for household application (micro-solid oxide fuel cell with an integrated healing system) are investigated. The charge of the electric car by the cogenerator produces waste heat that can be used to partially cover the heat demand of the house. In this way it may be possible to increase overall efficiency and decrease total energy costs. Different innovative strategies are proposed and analyzed to manage charging an electric car and efficiently using the waste heat available. The aims of this study are to make the system grid-independent, to decrease the thermal stress of SOFCs and to determine the nominal power of an integrated heating system. The results show energy efficiency and economic profitability of the system, even if subsidies are not included

Feasibility assessment, process design and dynamic simulation for cogeneration of heat and power by steam reforming of diluted bioethanol

“…Moreover, reported data on the average DHW heat consumption are of the same order of magnitude of the electric need of the house [54], indicating that a refinement of the accumulation system is a realistic alternative to higher fuel inputs.…”

Studying a Hybrid System Based on Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Combined With an Air Source Heat Pump and With a Novel Heat Recovery

“…For example, the energy-saving effect of a combined use of a residential SOFC cogeneration system that adopted a continuous operation, and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle was discussed by optimal operational planning based on mixed-integer linear programming [19]. Also the authors of the present paper previously investigated the interactions between charging an electric car and a micro-SOFC with an integrated heating system cogeneration system for a household application [20]. In another study [21], the authors analyzed a SOFC, heat pump and Stirling engine system to face heating, domestic hot water and electricity demands for a residential user.…”

A Comprehensive Review and Technical Guideline for Optimal Design and Operations of Fuel Cell-Based Cogeneration Systems

“…Electric power is commonly provided from the national grid while heating or hot water is generated from a fuel driven boiler. Several studies found that the fuel cell-based cogeneration system is more promising to reduce primary energy consumption, energy cost and carbon emission generated by the system compared to the CSS [55,57,58].…”