Technical performance analysis of a combined cooling heating and power (CCHP) system based on solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology - A building application

A circular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is developed and designed to operate in a tri-generation system of combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP). The designed system is technically analyzed and the feasibility of the proposed system, i.e. integration of the SOFC with a two-stage absorption chiller and a heating system, was evaluated. The performance of the presented system was assessed in an educational building (900 m(2)) in Tehran, Iran. It was shown that the net electrical energy efficiency of the SOFC with a production capacity of 120 kW is about 45%. The hybrid system reached an electrical-cooling efficiency of 58%, eletrical-heating efficiency of 60%, and the CCHP system reached an overall efficiency of nearly 60%. Economic analysis demonstrated that in spite of high efficiency values in CCHP system and significant reduction of the major contaminants, the capital recovery period was estimated to be 8.3 years.