Diesel operated combined heat and power SOFC system: SOFC characterization and proof of concept

The high volumetric energy density and easy storage capability of liquid hydrocarbons such as bio-diesel or diesel are needed for power generation in several applications such as ships and isolated or rural areas which only have limited access to other power grids. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can in theory utilize such fuels in a high efficient manner, which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy demand. However, SOFC systems able to directly utilize diesel are rather complex to design and monitor, leading to several possible causes of system lifetime reduction. To avoid an enhanced reduction of the system lifetime, the operating conditions of all components must be optimized and monitored in detail. However, detailed monitoring and identification of the cause of performance loss are challenging using conventional system monitoring methods. Therefore, here we (i) show the concept and characterization of a SOFC system operating under steam-and auto-thermal diesel reforming conditions, (ii) demonstrated the applicability of advanced methods to monitor complex SOFC systems, which are applied on the 30 cell SOFC stack during system operation and (iii) analyzed the efficiency potential of the SOFC within the developed system. The results present in this work are favorable to accelerate commercialization.