Monitoring and estimating system for multifuel-type PAFC power plants - effective maintenance for fuel-cell power plants

We have been developing an easy monitoring and estimating system for multifuel-type phosphoric-acid fuel cell (PAFC) power plants, which were developed as cogeneration systems for ordinary and emergency use, to apply them to telecommunications use. This paper describes the system configuration, which can be adapted to the existing maintenance system in the highly reliable telecommunications energy system, and which is effective and economical. In this system, the degradation of the reformer can be estimated automatically by measuring the time characteristics of the temperature increase in the steam-reformed gas at the reformer outlet. The system also enables fuel-switching tests to be performed automatically.