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Optimal design and control strategies for novel combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell systems: PART i of II - Datum design conditions and approach

ASME 2010 8th International Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, FUELCELL 2010

Colella, Whitney C.

Energy network optimization (ENO) models identify new strategies for designing, installing, and controlling stationary combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell systems (FCSs) with the goals of 1) minimizing electricity and heating costs for building owners and 2) reducing emissions of the primary greenhouse gas (GHG) - carbon dioxide (CO2). A goal of this work is to employ relatively inexpensive simulation studies to discover more financially and environmentally effective approaches for installing CHP FCSs. ENO models quantify the impact of different choices made by power generation operators, FCS manufacturers, building owners, and governments with respect to two primary goals - energy cost savings for building owners and CO2 emission reductions. These types of models are crucial for identifying cost and CO 2 optima for particular installations. Optimal strategies change with varying economic and environmental conditions, FCS performance, the characteristics of building demand for electricity and heat, and many other factors. ENO models evaluate both "business-as-usual" and novel FCS operating strategies. For the scenarios examined here, relative to a base case of no FCSs installed, model results indicate that novel strategies could reduce building energy costs by 25% and CO2 emissions by 80%. Part I of II articles discusses model assumptions and methodology. Part II of II articles illustrates model results for a university campus town and generalizes these results for diverse communities. Copyright © 2010 by ASME.

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Network design optimization of fuel cell systems and distributed energy devices

Colella, Whitney C.

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.

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Optimal design and control strategies for novel combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell systems. Part II of II, case study results

Colella, Whitney C.

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.

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Optimizal design and control strategies for novel Combined Heat and Power (CHP) fuel cell systems. Part II of II, case study results

Colella, Whitney C.

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.

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Thermodynamic, economic, and environmental modeling of hydrogen (H2) co-production integrated with stationary Fuel Cell Systems (FCS)

Colella, Whitney C.; Sun, Amy C.

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.

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33 Results
33 Results