Power Generation Using SOFC and VOC treatment

Abstract

VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) are organic compounds that can easily evaporate at room temperatures. Many VOCs are hazardous to human health and environment. The primary operation of an oil shuttle tanker is the loading and unloading of oil cargo at ports. During this process, a large quantity of lighter components evaporates from the oil. These oil vapours are technically called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), which are explosive in nature. VOC is also generated when the oil inside the tanks splashes while the ship is at sea. Here we propose the idea where rather than using these VOCs directly, we concentrate the VOC and steam reforms them which produce carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. These products are then fed into Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) which uses these products to produce electrical energy for the ships. These SOFCs produce electrical energy with zero emissions and produce water and heat as by product which cause zero harm to the environment and reduce the pollution in the environment that the VOC would have caused. The power generated by Solid Oxide Fuel Cells is used for the electrical requirements on the ship which otherwise would have led to emissions which would have harmed the environment. The energy from the SOFC is produced with zero harmful emissions and caters to the requirements of the vessel.