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RESEARCH PAPERS

Experimental Analysis of the Voltage and Temperature Behavior of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Generator

[+] Author and Article Information
M. G. Santarelli

Dipartimento di Energetica Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italymassimo.santarelli@polito.it

P. Leone

Dipartimento di Energetica Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italypierluigi.leone@polito.it

M. Cali

Dipartimento di Energetica Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italymichele.cali@polito.it

G. Orsello

Gas Turbine Technologies S.p.A., Corso Romania 661, 10156 Torino, Italygianmichele.orsello@siemens.com

J. Fuel Cell Sci. Technol 4(2), 143-153 (Oct 02, 2006) (11 pages) doi:10.1115/1.2713772 History: Received June 21, 2006; Revised October 02, 2006

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) laboratory has been installed in Torino, Italy, in order to analyze the operation, in a cogenerative configuration, of the CHP-100 SOFC Field Unit built by Siemens Power Corporation (SPG) Stationary Fuel Cells (SFC), within the framework of the EOS Project. An experimental session was performed, varying the setpoint temperature $TGEN$ and the fuel consumption (FC), with the aim of characterizing the behaviour of the local voltages and temperatures. A design of experiments procedure was applied to obtain first (simple $22$) and second-order (spherical central composite design (CCD)) regression models, which were then used in subsequent constrained optimization procedures. A sensitivity analysis was also performed: FC revealed as the prevailing control factor of the operation, and it was shown that the analysis of the local voltage and temperature sensitivity to FC can be used as a diagnostic tool for the fuel distribution within a SOFC generator (the homogeneity of the sensitivity of the various cells was $∼10%$, depending strongly on the cell bundle arrangement in the stack). Finally, the effect of any changes in the control factors on the tube temperature profile was evaluated and discussed; a link between a high terminal voltage and a more uniform temperature along the cell tube has been pointed out.

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Figures

Figure 1

Picture of the generator skid before installation (courtesy of GTT)

Figure 2

Schematic view of the generator structure

Figure 3

Normal probability plot of the VGen data

Figure 4

Contour plot obtained using the first-order regression model of the VGen data

Figure 5

Effect of the fuel utilization (FU) on the open circuit voltage (at air stoichiometry 5)

Figure 6

Normal probability plot of the TCZ,max data

Figure 7

Contour plot obtained using the first-order regression model of the TCZ,max data

Figure 8

Axial temperature profile of a singular tube at different FC (x=0 top of the tube, or open end)

Figure 9

Axial temperature profile of a singular tube at different TGen (x=0 top of the tube, or open end)

Figure 10

Sensitivity of the local voltage to FC modification in relation to the local temperatures

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