Fuel cell technology is a promising means of energy conversion. As the technology matures, process design and analysis are gaining importance. The conventional measures of fuel cell performance (i.e., gross real and voltage efficiencies) are limited indices-of- merit. Contemporary second law concepts (availability/exergy, irreversibility, exergetic efficiency) have been used to enhance fuel cell evaluation. A previously modeled solid oxide fuel cell has been analyzed using both conventional measures and the contemporary thermodynamic measures. Various cell irreversibilities were quantified, and their impact on cell inefficiency was better understood. Exergetic efficiency is more comprehensive than the conventional indices-of- performance. This parameter includes thermal irreversibilities, considers the value of effluent exergy, and has a consistent formulation. Usage of exergetic efficiency led to process design discoveries different from the trends observed in conjunction with the conventional efficiency measures. The decision variables analyzed were operating pressure, air stoichiometric number (inverse equivalence ratio), operating voltage and fuel utilization.
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June 2002
Technical Papers
Enhancing the Performance Evaluation and Process Design of a Commercial-Grade Solid Oxide Fuel Cell via Exergy Concepts
Comas Haynes, Assoc. Mem. Asme,
comas.haynes@gtri.gatech.edu
Comas Haynes, Assoc. Mem. Asme
Georgia Tech Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA 30332-0853
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William J. Wepfer, Fellow ASME
bill.wepfer@me.gatech.edu
William J. Wepfer, Fellow ASME
The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0405
Search for other works by this author on:
Comas Haynes, Assoc. Mem. Asme
Georgia Tech Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA 30332-0853
comas.haynes@gtri.gatech.edu
William J. Wepfer, Fellow ASME
The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0405
bill.wepfer@me.gatech.edu
Contributed by the Advanced Energy Systems Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESOURCES TECHNOLOGY. Manuscript received by the AES Division, September 8, 2000; revised manuscript received October 26, 2001. Associate Editor: A. M. Jacobi.
J. Energy Resour. Technol. Jun 2002, 124(2): 95-104 (10 pages)
Published Online: May 28, 2002
Article history
Received:
September 8, 2000
Revised:
October 26, 2001
Online:
May 28, 2002
Citation
Haynes, C., and Wepfer, W. J. (May 28, 2002). "Enhancing the Performance Evaluation and Process Design of a Commercial-Grade Solid Oxide Fuel Cell via Exergy Concepts ." ASME. J. Energy Resour. Technol. June 2002; 124(2): 95–104. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1467647
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