Conventional and advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analysis of a biomass gasification based SOFC/GT cogeneration system

Abstract

In this paper, a small scale biomass gasification based solid oxide fuel cell/gas turbine (SOFC/GT) combined heat and power (CHP) plant is investigated by means of both conventional and advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analysis. A one-dimensional model of an internal reforming planner SOFC is employed to account for the temperature gradient within the fuel cell solid structure, which is maintained at the maximum allowable temperature gradient (150 K) under different operating conditions. Two main parameters of the gasification process, namely, air-to-steam ratio and modified equivalence ratio, are investigated, and the key parameters of the cycle exergy and exergoeconomic study are analyzed. Moreover, a multi-objective optimization procedure is applied to determine the unavoidable gasifier conditions required for the advanced exergy analysis of the system. The results of the conventional exergy and exergoeconomic analysis reveal that the highest rate of exergy destruction occurs in the gasifier, followed by the afterburner (AB) with 41.87% and 21.98%, respectively. Also, the lowest exergoeconomic factor is related to AB by 5.34%, followed by heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), gasifier, air compressor, and SOFC, which implies that the priority is to improve these components to reduce the exergy destruction cost rate. The results obtained from the advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analysis indicate that the most of the total exergy destruction rate is unavoidably in the CHP plant. The AB shows the least improvement potential in terms of reduction of the exergy destruction by almost 2% avoidable part, followed by Heat Exchanger 3 (H.X.3), gasifier, and SOFC duo to their lowest avoidable exergy destruction parts of almost 5%, 10% and 13%f respectively. Furthermore, the unavoidable part of the investment cost rate for all the components of the cogeneration plant is larger than the avoidable part, which means that it is difficult to reduce the investment cost rate of the system components. Meanwhile, the endogenous/exogenous analysis shows that the exergy destruction is completely endogenous for all components of the integrated plant, except for HRSG, GT, and HX1. Compressors and turbines have the highest potential to reduce endogenous exergy destruction. This is due to their higher avoidable endogenous exergy destruction. Reducing the investment cost rate seems difficult, as the main investment cost rate was found to be an unavoidable endogenous part for all system components. Finally, some results obtained from the advanced analysis approach are the opposite to those of the conventional method. This fact emphasizes that the results of conventional exergy analysis alone are insufficient and unreliable. For example, based on the advanced analysis perspective, the gas turbine and H.X.2 by 8.9% and 8.46% modified exergoeconomic factor, respectively, should be considered for reducing investment cost rate, while the conventional method gives opposite results.