TY - GEN
T1 - Micro-tubular flame-assisted fuel cell power generation running propane and butane
AU - Milcarek, Ryan J.
AU - Ahn, Jeongmin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 ASME.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Direct use of propane and butane in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells(SOFCs) is desirable due to the availability of the fuel source,but is challenging due to carbon coking, particularly on thecommercially available Ni+YSZ anode. A novel dual chamberFlame-assisted Fuel Cell (FFC) configuration with microtubular SOFCs (mT-SOFCs) is proposed for direct use of higherhydrocarbon fuels. Combustion exhaust for propane and butanefuels is analyzed experimentally and compared with chemicalequilibrium. mT-SOFC polarization and power density testingin the FFC configuration with propane and butane fuels isdiscussed. Peak power and electrical efficiency conditions areassessed by varying the fuel-rich combustion equivalence ratioand flow rate. Carbon deposition and soot formation on theNi+YSZ anode is investigated with a scanning electronmicroscope. The results indicate that reasonable power density(~289 mW.cm-2) can be achieved while limiting soot formationin the flame and carbon deposition on the anode. Electricalefficiency based on the higher heating value of the fuels isanalyzed and future research is recommended. Possibleapplications of the technology include small scale powergeneration, cogeneration and combined cycle power plants.
AB - Direct use of propane and butane in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells(SOFCs) is desirable due to the availability of the fuel source,but is challenging due to carbon coking, particularly on thecommercially available Ni+YSZ anode. A novel dual chamberFlame-assisted Fuel Cell (FFC) configuration with microtubular SOFCs (mT-SOFCs) is proposed for direct use of higherhydrocarbon fuels. Combustion exhaust for propane and butanefuels is analyzed experimentally and compared with chemicalequilibrium. mT-SOFC polarization and power density testingin the FFC configuration with propane and butane fuels isdiscussed. Peak power and electrical efficiency conditions areassessed by varying the fuel-rich combustion equivalence ratioand flow rate. Carbon deposition and soot formation on theNi+YSZ anode is investigated with a scanning electronmicroscope. The results indicate that reasonable power density(~289 mW.cm-2) can be achieved while limiting soot formationin the flame and carbon deposition on the anode. Electricalefficiency based on the higher heating value of the fuels isanalyzed and future research is recommended. Possibleapplications of the technology include small scale powergeneration, cogeneration and combined cycle power plants.
KW - Cogeneration
KW - Flame-assisted fuel cell
KW - Lean-burn combustion
KW - Quick-mix
KW - Rich-burn
KW - Solid oxide fuel cell
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055425608&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85055425608&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1115/POWER2018-7175
DO - 10.1115/POWER2018-7175
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85055425608
T3 - American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Power Division (Publication) POWER
BT - Heat Exchanger Technologies; Plant Performance; Thermal Hydraulics and Computational Fluid Dynamics; Water Management for Power Systems; Student Competition
PB - American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
T2 - ASME 2018 Power Conference, POWER 2018, collocated with the ASME 2018 12th International Conference on Energy Sustainability and the ASME 2018 Nuclear Forum
Y2 - 24 June 2018 through 28 June 2018
ER -