SOFC fuelled with reformed urea

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) can be operated with a wide variety of fuels and in a large range of operating conditions. Taking advantage of high temperature and nickel based catalysts several compounds such as methane, ethanol and ammonia can be internally reformed or thermally decomposed producing hydrogen rich gas streams. In this study urea was investigated as a potential fuel for SOFC, since it is a widely available product in the fertilizers’ market, safe to be handled and used, and can be recovered from biomass or water treatment plants as a byproduct. An additional pathway for green urea can be based on green hydrogen via electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources and CO2 recovered from carbon capture plants. Urea decomposition was studied and reproduced in the experimental activity to evaluate its effect on the performance of SOFCs. A gas stream, obtained by simulating decomposed urea with technical gases mixtures, was fed into an SOFC stack, varying the operational temperature and the steam to carbon ratio. Experimental results produced efficiencies higher than 40%. Based on experimental data a 0-D model was developed and operational conditions were expanded, reaching an overall efficiency of 60%.

[1]  I. Dincer,et al.  Utilization of hydrogen produced from urea on board to improve performance of vehicles , 2011 .

[2]  Yixiang Shi,et al.  Experimental characterization and mechanistic modeling of carbon monoxide fueled solid oxide fuel cell , 2011 .

[3]  R. Mark Ormerod,et al.  Biogas as a fuel for solid oxide fuel cells and synthesis gas production: effects of ceria-doping and hydrogen sulfide on the performance of nickel-based anode materials. , 2011, Dalton transactions.

[4]  T. Leu,et al.  An evaluation of hydrogen production from the perspective of using blast furnace gas and coke oven g , 2011 .

[5]  J. Charland,et al.  An ammonia fuel cell using a mixed ionic and electronic conducting electrolyte , 2006 .

[6]  L. Andreassi,et al.  Modeling Carbon Monoxide Direct Oxidation in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells , 2009 .

[7]  Ljubica Matijašević,et al.  Treatment of wastewater generated by urea production , 2010 .

[8]  Jenny M. Jones,et al.  Urea as a hydrogen carrier: a perspective on its potential for safe, sustainable and long-term energy supply , 2011 .

[9]  Jan Van herle,et al.  Ammonia as a fuel in solid oxide fuel cells , 2003 .

[10]  Umberto Desideri,et al.  Thermodynamic Analysis and Possible Applications of the Integrated Pyrolysis Fuel Cell Plant (IPFCP) , 2007 .

[11]  R. J. Spiegel,et al.  Technical assessment of fuel cell operation on landfill gas at the Groton, CT, landfill , 2003 .

[12]  Nigel P. Brandon,et al.  Modelling system efficiencies and costs of two biomass-fuelled SOFC systems , 2004 .

[13]  Andrea Lanzini,et al.  Experimental study of dry reforming of biogas in a tubular anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell , 2013 .

[14]  Ricardo Chacartegui,et al.  Potential of molten carbonate fuel cells to enhance the performance of CHP plants in sewage treatment facilities , 2013 .

[15]  Thermodynamics of hydrogen production from urea by steam reforming with and without in-situ carbon-dioxide sorption. , 2013 .

[16]  Umberto Desideri,et al.  Characterization of a 100 W SOFC stack fed by carbon monoxide rich fuels , 2013 .

[17]  Umberto Desideri,et al.  Life-Cycle-Assessment of Fuel Cells Based Landfill-Gas Energy Conversion Technologies , 2004 .

[18]  Lars J. Pettersson,et al.  Identification of urea decomposition from an SCR perspective; A combination of experimental work and molecular modeling , 2013 .

[19]  Q. Ma,et al.  An ammonia fuelled SOFC with a BaCe0.9Nd0.1O3−δ thin electrolyte prepared with a suspension spray , 2007 .

[20]  G. Botte,et al.  Understanding the electro-catalytic oxidation mechanism of urea on nickel electrodes in alkaline medium , 2012 .

[21]  Nigel P. Brandon,et al.  The impact of wood-derived gasification gases on Ni-CGO anodes in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells , 2004 .

[22]  Umberto Desideri,et al.  A Comparison Between Life Cycle Assessment of an MCFC System, An LFG-MCFC System, and Traditional Energy Conversion Systems , 2004 .

[23]  John T. S. Irvine,et al.  A direct urea fuel cell – power from fertiliser and waste , 2010 .

[24]  G. Rietveld,et al.  Highly Efficient Conversion of Ammonia in Electricity by Solid Oxide Fuel Cells , 2006 .

[25]  Umberto Desideri,et al.  Analysis of Biomass Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell Plants in Industrial CHP Applications , 2006 .

[26]  Alexander Wokaun,et al.  Hydrolysis and thermolysis of urea and its decomposition byproducts biuret, cyanuric acid and melamine over anatase TiO2 , 2012 .

[27]  Umberto Desideri,et al.  Experimental Analysis of SOFC Fuelled by Ammonia , 2014 .