Modeling and simulation of integrated coal gasification and solid oxide fuel cell system

Abstract

The capability of exploiting various fuels is one of the advantages of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) on stationary power application, and a promising solution for using coal through the integrated gasification fuel cell (IGFC) application when combined with a proper coal gasifier and gas reformer. Recently, the anode supported planar SOFC becomes a promising candidate for SOFC commercialization due to its higher power density and lower operation temperature. In the work, SOFC and commercially available coal gasifiers and reformer are modeled in MATLAB. The fuel cell and reformer models are built using electrochemical and reaction kinetics equations with empirical data determined parameters using literature data. The integrated semi-empirical IGFC model and simulation guide the selection of appropriate coal gasifier and reformer for a given SOFC in IGFC application. Tests have been done using two different and representative gasifiers with different syngas to fuel the SOFC, to demonstrate the performance difference and the method for identify the best SOFC, gasifier-reformer match. Simulation results showed good consistency with literature data. The work contributes new integrated coal gasification and SOFC system development for improved energy efficiency and emission reduction.