Preliminary Results of a Cold Flow Test in a Fuel Cell Gas Turbine Hybrid Simulation Facility Available to Purchase

The dynamic interdependencies created during the integration of fuel cell and a gas turbine in a hybrid power generation system are not well understood. Because these systems are new, there are risks that unexpected complications might arise during both steady state operation and transient events. A 250kW experimental fuel cell gas turbine simulation facility has been constructed at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), U.S. Department of Energy to examine the effects of transient events on the dynamics of these systems. A natural gas burner controlled by a real-time fuel cell model is used in the facility to simulate the thermal output of a solid oxide fuel cell during transient events. Pressure vessels are used for simulating the cathode and post combustion volumes, and are integrated into the system with a modified turbine and the fuel cell simulator. Preliminary results of system characterization are presented and discussed in context of the test scenarios proposed for experimental evaluation of thermal and mechanical transient impact on fuel cell and the gas turbine systems.