Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Development at Topsoe Fuel Cell A/S
Briefly on Topsoe Fuel Cell Development, marketing and sales of SOFC technology Founded in 2004 Subsidiary of Haldor Topsøe A/S (wholly owned) SOFC research & development since 1989 Full time employees: 30 (January 2007) 50 (June 2007) Strategic R&D partner: Risø National Laboratory (50 empl. engaged in SOFC) TOFC s Position in the Value Chain System Integrator Fuel Materials & components Fuel cell stack Fuel cell device End use Service/ maintenance
SOFC Principles H 2 + O 2- H 2 O + 2e - Anode - O 2- Electrolyte O 2- Catode ½O 2 + 2e - O 2-
Power Generation
Generic SOFC unit Control DC/AC converter AC electricity Air Natural gas Filter/ blower Preheat Preheat Desulfurization Prereformer Fuel cell stack CO 2 Water
SOFC Development at Topsoe/Risø 1989 1997: Electrolyte-supported cells Operation temperature: 1000 C Ceramic interconnect 500 W HTAS/Risø stack (>500 h in 1996) 1997 2005: Anode-supported cells Operation temperature: 700-850 C Metallic interconnect 100 W HTAS stack (>12000 h in 2004) 1 kw+ HTAS stack (in 2003) 2003 and future: Metal-supported cells Operation temperature: 500-700 C
Anode supported planar Cells Thin Planar Cells 375 m Cell voltage [V] 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 Single Cell Performance 0.7 0.4 0.6 850 C 750 C 650 C > 1,5 W/cm 2 1.6 1.2 0.8 0.0 Power density [W/cm 2 ] 0.50 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 Current density [A/cm 2] Wide temperature operation window
Manufacture of Anode-supported Cells High Tech - Industrially Relevant - Low cost
Anode supported Cells 22x50 cm2 24x24 cm2 21 cm 12x12 cm2 Our largest cell to day: 22 x 50 cm2
The Topsoe Stack Concept Compact Multilayer Design 75-Cell Stack (750-800 oc) 1 mm per repeatable unit 2.4 kw/liter at 0,38 A/cm2 0,25 kw/ kg 60 V at 20A Five cell stack 75 mm 13000 hours + 9 full thermal cykles 5 4,5 4 3,5 Volt 3 2,5 2 120 mm 1,5 1 120 mm 0,5 0 0 12x12 cm2 2000 4000 6000 8000 Hours 10000 12000 14000
Larger Cells: 18 x 18 cm2 75 cells 12x12 cm2 Stack Voltage [V] Degradation at high power density Stack 8 0.55 W/cm2 durability 0,7 A/cm2 800 7 700 6 600 5 500 4 400 Stack Voltage Voltage at 75% F.U. 3 Stack Power 300 Power at 75% F.U. 2 200 1 100 0 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 Current [A] 60 cells 18x18 cm2 Co-flow 160 Stack Power [W] Cost / performance optimization
Flow geometry Modelling and Experimental 850 850 850 800 800 800 750 700 750 750 650 700 700 600 650 650 600 600 Cross flow Co flow Counter flow Flow design Counterflow Crossflow Coflow Temp. gradient ( C/m) Temp. average ( C) Power density (W/cm 2 ) 2610 750 0.264 4110 692 0.146 2360 728 0.218 U (V) 65 64 63 62 61 60 Counter-flow 59 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 I (Amp) 75-Cell Stack Natural Gas FU: 65% 1.8 kw
Stack Modelling Cross-flow, 18x18 cm 2 foot print Finite elemente Modelling Large temperature gradient
Cell development - Generations Reduced cost Improved reliability ceramic support metallic support 1000 o C 850 o C 700 o C 600 o C
SOFC System Development
Product Requirements Comparison (2) CHP APU S.U. time, min. 480 <20 Lifetime, hours 40000 10000 Efficiency (el),% >45 >35 Maintenance, h 7000 1200 Cycles 50 5000 Cost $/kw <1000 <300
SOFC System Modelling - 250 kw Base Case Natural Gas Flue Gas E 5 Natural gas E1 Desulphurisation Prereformer Water for start up Flue Gas E7 E 6 Catalytic Burner Anode recycle E 2 SOFC Anode Cathode E 3 Air Blower Air Case Base Case NG Prereform Stationary Methanol APU application DME APU application Diesel CPO (O2/C = 0.35) El Eff. % Cogen Eff % 55.5 83.6 53.3 84.6 53.0 82.5 40.7 85.4 Energy Flows (kj/s)
Transient Part Load Cycle HIL Test System 1 kw stack P_demand P_gross P_net 600 System efficiency 0.8 500 0.6 Electric power [W] 400 0.4 300 0.2 200 0.0 100 Efficiency [-] 0 0 60 120 Time [s] 180 240 Max. el. eff.: 55% Total load cycle el. eff.: 37 %
Flow sheet of AVL Test Stand
Integrated Hot Box
TOFC Lightweight Hot Box 1.8 kw el Project for US Air Force 2 x 40 cells (12x12 cm 2 ) Projected Weight stack + manifold 5,7 kg Volume stack + manifold 2 liters Operate on de-sulphurized JP-8/synthetic diesel 1.5 kw nominal power over 500 hours 10 start up/shut down cycles Fuel utilization > 80% (nominal power) System efficiency > 30%
SOFC Projects supported by Danish Utilities I) Stack hot box for micro CHP II) 10 kw test and demo facility H. C. Ørsted Power Plant / Copenhagen Flue Gas E 5 Natural gas E1 Desulphurisation Prereformer Water for start up E 6 E 2 SOFC Flue Gas E7 Catalytic Anode recycle Anode Cathode Burner E 3 Air Blower Air
Carbon Formation - Graphite Data 900 800 Deg. c 700 600 500 Carbon Formation Region No Carbon 400 300 200 1.00 1.25 1.50 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3.00 O/C ratio
Methanation of MeOH for SOFC Electrical net efficiency = 53 % Co-gen efficiency = 82 %
Carbon Formation - 250 nm Ni Crystals Haldor Topsøe catalyst Carbon whisker 900 800 Ni crystal 700 Deg. C 600 500 Carbon Formation Region No Carbon Formation 400 300 200 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 1.75 2 O/C ratio
TOFC / Wärtsilä Collaboration Wärtsilä 5 kw test system with 4 TOFC stacks Wärtsilä 25 kw -prototype with 24 TOFC Stacks 90 300 Voltage [V] and Current [A] 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 50,0 550,0 1050,0 1550,0 2050,0 2550,0 3050,0 Running Hours Average Stack Voltage Average Stack Current Average Current Density 250 200 150 100 50 0 Current Density [ma/cm 2 ] 2006 20 kwe-prototype 2007-2008 20 50 kwe, NG, methanol, bio gas
24 Stacks for the 20 kw Prototype
Secure Channels to Market Diversification & Consolidation!"## $%
Conclusion New, up-scaled cell and stack manufacturing plant Start-up 2008 Capacity: 150,000 250,000 cells 3,800 standard stacks > 4 MW Supported by EU with 4.8 m EUR Standard production of 12x12 cm 2 stacks 18x18 cm 2 co-flow stacks tested Next generation cells and stacks on track