Analysis of a Hybrid PEMFC-SOFC Gas Turbine Power Plant

In this study, a complete economic analysis of integrating different types of fuel cells in Gas Turbine power plants is conducted. The paper investigates the performance of a hybrid system that comprises of a SOFC (Solid-Oxide-Fuel-Cell), a PEMFC (polymer electrolyte membrane fuel Cell), and SOFC-PEMFC which is/are integrated into a Gas Turbine power plant. Detailed modeling, thermodynamic, kinetic, geometric models are developed, implemented and validated for the synthesis/design and operational analysis of the combined hybrid system. The economic analysis is considered to be the basic concepts for thermo-economic optimization of the power plant under investigation, with the aim of finding the optimum set of design/operating parameters. Moreover, one of the aims of this paper is to present a detailed economic analysis of a highly coupled PEMFC-SOFC–GT hybrid plant, paying special attention to the sources of inefficiency and analyzing their variations with respect to changes in their operational parameters.