Study Of A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Combustor With A Gas Turbine Engine

Abstract

Fuel cell technology has improved dramatically in recent years, and it is now a viable source of clean energy for a wide range of technical applications. Currently, stationary power production is the most common use for fuel cell technology. For mobility platforms, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, there is very little information available. With the rising usage of unmanned aerial vehicles for national security and surveillance, a more efficient, longer-lasting power supply is required to sustain the higher electrical loads aboard. Others have demonstrated that fuel cell gas turbine hybrid systems can achieve greater system efficiencies when operating at full power. In comparison to typical heat-based systems, the integration of a solid oxide fuel cell combustor with a gas turbine engine has the potential to greatly boost system efficiency in off design circumstances and have a greater energy density. As a result, bigger onboard electrical loads and longer mission durations are possible. The bulk of an unmanned air vehicle's mission time is spent loitering and operating at part load. Increasing component load efficiency extends mission duration while lowering operating expenses. When compared to traditional heat-based propulsion systems, these hybrid systems may have less power degradation at greater altitudes. The goal of this paper is to examine the performance of a solid oxide fuel cell combustor hybrid gas turbine power system at various altitudes under design and off-design operating circumstances. To examine the performance of such a system, a system-level MATLAB/Simulink model was constructed. The hybrid propulsion system was conceptualised as a commercially accessible gas turbine engine combined with an anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell for remote control aircraft. The system's design point operation was for maximum power at sea level. A steady-state component load performance investigation was carried out for loads ranging from 10% to 100% design load at altitudes ranging from 0 to 20,000 feet. This study looked at four distinct forms of fuel: humidified hydrogen, propane, methane, and JP-8 jet fuel. At each altitude and fuel type, maximum system efficiency was attained at loads of 40 L 60 percent design load, according to the research. At a portion load of 60% and an altitude of 20,000 feet, the system using methane fuel, internally steam reconstituted within the fuel cell, revealed to have the maximum system efficiency of 46.8% (LHV).