The Investigation of Fuel Type Influence on the Energy Indicators of the Electrochemical Generator in the Cogeneration Unit

Abstract

The paper presents a generic technique to calculate the consumption of synthetic gas and fuel for the specified electrical power, temperature in the anode fuel utilization factor, specific expenses of fuel equivalent to develop electric and thermal energy, power efficiency for various natural fuels (methane, coal, petroleum products, etc.) and synthesized ones (methanol, ethanol, etc.) in synthesis gas with subsequent use of it in the SOFC. The paper researches into the influence of fuel types: hydrogen, methane, motor diesel fuel, ethanol, gasoline and methanol – on fuel utilization factor, specific expenses for the production of electrical and thermal energy, efficiencies of the catalytic burner, fuel cell solid-oxide battery and electrochemical generator. The overall level of fuel utilization for the cogeneration power plant based on SOFC with hydrogen fuel and methane surpasses the level of modern combined-cycle cogeneration plant, and with diesel, ethanol, gasoline, and methanol surpasses the level of cogeneration combined heat and power plant CHPP on the basis of the internal combustion engine. The investigation has shown that the best fuel is hydrogen and the worst is methanol on the level of energy performance. For hydrogen, fuel utilization factor and specific expenses of fuel for production of electric and thermal energy releasing in heat networks equal to 1; 0.122 kg equivalent fuel/kWh and 34 kg of equivalent fuel/GJ, respectively, while for methanol, these indicators equal to 0.359; 0.475 kg equivalent fuel/kWh and 83,7 kg of equivalent fuel/GJ. For other fuel types, these energy indicators lie between the specified values.