A Hybrid System Based on a Personal Turbine (5 kW) and a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack: A Flexible and High Efficiency Energy Concept for the Distributed Power Market

Abstract

In this paper a high efficiency and flexible hybrid system representing a new total energy concept for the distributed power market is presented. The hybrid system is composed of a very small size (5 kW) micro gas turbine (named personal turbine—PT) presented in a companion paper by the authors coupled to a small size solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack. The power of the whole system is 36 kW depending on the design parameters assumed for the stack. The design and off-design performance of the hybrid system have been obtained through the use of an appropriate modular code named “HS-SOFC” developed at the University of Genoa and described in detail in this paper. The results of the simulation are presented and discussed with particular regards to: choice of the hybrid system (HS) design point data, HS design point performance, off-design performance of PT and SOFC stack, and off-design performance of the whole HS. Some preliminary economic results are also included based on different fuel and capital cost scenarios and using the cost of electricity as the parameter for comparison between PT and HS.