Performance of a PEMFC system integrated with a biogas chemical looping reforming processor: A theoretical analysis and comparison with other fuel processors (steam reforming, partial oxidation and auto-thermal reforming)

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In this work, the performance of a PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) system integrated with a biogas chemical looping reforming processor is analyzed. The global efficiency is investigated by means of a thermodynamic study and the application of a generalized steady-state electrochemical model. The theoretical analysis is carried out for the commercial fuel cell BCS 500W stack. From literature, chemical looping reforming (CLR) is described as an attractive process only if the system operates at high pressure. However, the present research shows that advantages of the CLR process can be obtained at atmospheric pressure if this technology is integrated with a PEMFC system. The performance of a complete fuel cell system employing a fuel processor based on CLR technology is compared with those achieved when conventional fuel processors (steam reforming (SR), partial oxidation (PO) and auto-thermal reforming (ATR)) are used. In the first part of this paper, the Gibbs energy minimization method is applied to the unit comprising the fuel- and air-reactors in CLR or to the reformer (SR, PO, ATR). The goal is to investigate the characteristics of these different types of reforming process to generate hydrogen from clean model biogas and identify the optimized operating conditions for each process. Then, in the second part of this research, material and energy balances are solved for the complete fuel cell system processing biogas, taking into account the optimized conditions found in the first part. The overall efficiency of the PEMFC stack integrated with the fuel processor is found to be dependent on the required power demand. At low loads, efficiency is around 45%, whereas, at higher power demands, efficiencies around 25% are calculated for all the fuel processors. Simulation results show that, to generate the same molar flow-rate of H2 to operate the PEMFC stack at a given current, the global process involving SR reactor is by far much more energy demanding than the other technologies. In this case, biogas is burnt in a catalytic combustor to supply the energy required, and there is a concern with respect to CO2 emissions. The use of fuel processors based on CLR, PO or ATR results in an auto-thermal global process. If CLR based fuel processor is employed, CO2 can be easily recovered, since air is not mixed with the reformate. In addition, the highest values of voltage and power are achieved when the PEMFC stack is fed on the stream coming from SR and CLR fuel processors. When a H2 mixture is produced by reforming biogas through PO and ATR technologies, the relative anode overpotential of a single cell is about 55 mV, whereas, with the use of CLR and SR processes, this value is reduced to ∼37 and 24 mV, respectively. In this way, CLR can be seen as an advantageous reforming technology, since it allows that the global process can be operated under auto-thermal conditions and, at the same time, it allows the PEMFC stack to achieve values of voltage and power closer to those obtained when SR fuel processors are used. Thus, efforts on the development of fuel processors based on CLR technology operating at atmospheric pressure can be considered by future researchers. In the case of biogas, the CO2 captured can produce additional economical benefits in a ‘carbon market’.