Thermal Management and Performance Analysis of Hydrogen- and Ammonia-Fueled Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems
Ruei-Yanh Tsai a, Ke-Han Chen b, Shing-Cheng Chang c and Yen-Hsin Chan d
aResearch Assistant, Department of Mechanical and Computer-Aided Engineering, Feng Chia University Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C..
bEngineer, Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Tainan 711, Taiwan
cResearcher, Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Tainan 711, Taiwan
dAssociate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Computer-Aided Engineering, Feng Chia University Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C..
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Abstract:
This study developed and validated thermodynamic models for 10 kW hydrogen- and ammonia-fueled solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems to investigate the effects of fuel type on system performance, thermal management, efficiency, and exergy characteristics. The developed SOFC stack model was validated against a commercial stack with an average error of less than 10%. The hydrogen-fueled SOFC system achieved a maximum efficiency of 60.0% at 6 kW and 55.39% at 10 kW, whereas the ammonia-fueled SOFC system reached 63.32% at 7 kW and 58.38% at 10 kW. The endothermic ammonia cracking reaction improved the system thermal balance and reduced the burner thermal load, resulting in higher efficiency under medium and high operating power. Exergy analysis indicated that the cathode heat exchanger and burner were the major sources of exergy destruction in both systems. Although the ammonia-fueled SOFC system achieved higher electrical efficiency, the additional irreversibility introduced by ammonia cracking resulted in lower exergy efficiency. The proposed model provides a useful reference for the thermal management and design optimization of SOFC systems and indicates the potential of ammonia as a carbon-free hydrogen carrier for future green hydrogen applications.
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