A performance analysis of integrated solid oxide fuel cell and heat recovery steam generator for IGFC system

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a promising technology for electricity generation. Sulfur-free syngas from a gas-cleaning unit serves as fuel for SOFC in integrated gasification fuel cell (IGFC) power plants. It converts the chemical energy of fuel gas directly into electric energy, thus high efficiencies can be achieved. The outputs from SOFC can be utilized by heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), which drives the steam turbine for electricity production. The SOFC stack model was developed using the process flow sheet simulator Aspen Plus, which is of the equilibrium type. Various ranges of syngas properties gathered from different literature were used for the simulation. The results indicate a trade-off efficiency and power with respect to a variety of SOFC inputs. The HRSG located after SOFC was included in the current simulation study with various operating parameters. This paper describes IGFC power plants, particularly the optimization of HRSG to improve the efficiency of the heat recovery from the SOFC exhaust gas and to maximize the power production in the steam cycle in the IGFC system. HRSG output from different pressure levels varies depending on the SOFC output. The steam turbine efficiency was calculated for measuring the total power plant output. The aim of this paper is to provide a simulation model for the optimal selection of the operative parameters of HRSG and SOFC for the IGFC system by comparing it with other models. The simulation model should be flexible enough for use in future development and capable of predicting system performance under various operating conditions. © 2010 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.