| Project Detail |
In our carbon-neutral future, energy-dense fuels will continue to be economically critical energy storage media in many stationary and transportation applications. To preserve our climate, however, we must rapidly transition to fuels synthesized from carbon-neutral resources rather than extracted from fossil reserves. These fuels are likely to be more expensive than their fossil counterparts. It is also unclear which of many current carbon-neutral options (e.g., hydrogen, ammonia, synthetic aviation fuel) will be adopted at scale. Given this uncertainty and cost risk, fuel flexibility and ultra-high conversion efficiency will be especially critical energy conversion system performance metrics. Solid oxide fuel cell and engine integrated systems offer the potential for ultra-high efficiency (>70%) and fuel flexibility at an attractive cost (<$1/W). Additional development is required to address a number of outstanding challenges including achieving the low-loss integration of fuel cells with engine-based waste recovery cycles and operation of fuel cell stacks at elevated pressure with acceptable life.
Project Innovation + Advantages:
The Colorado School of Mines (Mines) will develop a hybrid power generation system that leverages a pressurized, intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack and an advanced low-energy-content fuel internal combustion engine. In Phase II, the team will develop and test three SOFC sub-module building blocks (CERES Power and Mines) and then integrate them into a 100 kW-capable pressure vessel package, and develop efficiency-enhanced 2nd generation Kohler engine and balance-of-plant hardware, including novel, positive displacement rotating machinery from Air Squared; build a full-scale, high-efficiency inverter (Kohler Power Systems). Further, the team will build out the hybrid system test facility at Colorado State University and develop the necessary control system (Mines), and integrate the components and perform up to 1 year of integrated testing, demonstrating start-up, load-change, and steady-state operation at 70% efficiency. Finally, they will perform extended techno-economic analysis and develop technology-to-market plans with Kohler Power Systems, the commercialization partner. |
