Model-Based System Design of Highly-Efficient Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell Power Plants

The present study focuses on the model-based conceptual design of utility-scale power generation systems with a power block comprising a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and steam/gas turbine bottoming cycles. The design includes production of coal gas via coal gasification, coal gas clean-up process steps, as well as carbon capture technology downstream of the power block. Various options for system design configurations and operating parameters exist for such power plants. The current work focuses on a subset of these configurations that makes use of catalytic coal gasification, state-of-the-art gas turbine technology, and oxy-combustion for straightforward carbon separation. A library of first-principles component models for gasifier, SOFC, gas and steam turbines, and oxygen combustor as well as phenomenological models for the air separation unit and coal gas clean-up process were developed. System analyses of two atmospheric and a pressurized system concept will be presented. The three system configurations will be compared using system performance metrics. All systems meet the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) minimum requirements, i.e., produce ≥100 MW power with ≥50% electrical efficiency based on coal HHV and capture more than 90% of the carbon in the coal feedstock.