This research explores the thermodynamics, economics, and environmental impacts of innovative, stationary, polygenerative fuel cell systems (FCSs). Each main report section is split into four subsections. The first subsection, 'Potential Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Impact of Stationary FCSs,' quantifies the degree to which GHG emissions can be reduced at a U.S. regional level with the implementation of different FCS designs. The second subsection, 'Optimizing the Design of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) FCSs,' discusses energy network optimization models that evaluate novel strategies for operating CHP FCSs so as to minimize (1) electricity and heating costs for building owners and (2) emissions of the primary GHG - carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). The third subsection, 'Optimizing the Design of Combined Cooling, Heating, and Electric Power (CCHP) FCSs,' is similar to the second subsection but is expanded to include capturing FCS heat with absorptive cooling cycles to produce cooling energy. The fourth subsection, - Thermodynamic and Chemical Engineering Models of CCHP FCSs,' discusses the physics and thermodynamic limits of CCHP FCSs.
Innovative energy system optimization models are deployed to evaluate novel fuel cell system (FCS) operating strategies, not typically pursued by commercial industry. Most FCS today are installed according to a 'business-as-usual' approach: (1) stand-alone (unconnected to district heating networks and low-voltage electricity distribution lines), (2) not load following (not producing output equivalent to the instantaneous electrical or thermal demand of surrounding buildings), (3) employing a fairly fixed heat-to-power ratio (producing heat and electricity in a relatively constant ratio to each other), and (4) producing only electricity and no recoverable heat. By contrast, models discussed here consider novel approaches as well. Novel approaches include (1) networking (connecting FCSs to electrical and/or thermal networks), (2) load following (having FCSs produce only the instantaneous electricity or heat demanded by surrounding buildings), (3) employing a variable heat-to-power ratio (such that FCS can vary the ratio of heat and electricity they produce), (4) co-generation (combining the production of electricity and recoverable heat), (5) permutations of these together, and (6) permutations of these combined with more 'business-as-usual' approaches. The detailed assumptions and methods behind these models are described in Part I of this article pair.
Innovative energy system optimization models are deployed to evaluate novel fuel cell system (FCS) operating strategies, not typically pursued by commercial industry. Most FCS today are installed according to a 'business-as-usual' approach: (1) stand-alone (unconnected to district heating networks and low-voltage electricity distribution lines), (2) not load following (not producing output equivalent to the instantaneous electrical or thermal demand of surrounding buildings), (3) employing a fairly fixed heat-to-power ratio (producing heat and electricity in a relatively constant ratio to each other), and (4) producing only electricity and no recoverable heat. By contrast, models discussed here consider novel approaches as well. Novel approaches include (1) networking (connecting FCSs to electrical and/or thermal networks), (2) load following (having FCSs produce only the instantaneous electricity or heat demanded by surrounding buildings), (3) employing a variable heat-to-power ratio (such that FCS can vary the ratio of heat and electricity they produce), (4) co-generation (combining the production of electricity and recoverable heat), (5) permutations of these together, and (6) permutations of these combined with more 'business-as-usual' approaches.
The objective of this project is to analyze the potential for hydrogen co-production within high-temperature stationary fuel cell systems (H2-FCS) and identify novel designs with minimum CO2 and cost. Specific objectives are to (1) develop novel H2-FCS designs that release low greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) develop novel H2-FCS designs with low hydrogen production cost.