Development of a Novel: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell / Gas Turbine Hybrid System

TOPIC:  Development of a Novel: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell / Gas Turbine Hybrid System

SPEAKER:  Mike Sprengel, PhD; Modeling and Simulation Team Lead at Czero

DATE: Thursday, October 27th, 2022

TIME: 6:00 pm  - Introduction

              6:05 pm - Career Discussion

              6:15 pm - Technical Presentation

              7:15 pm - Q & A

COST: Free, Registration Required

LOCATION: On-line Zoom Meeting

ABSTRACT:  Czero is developing a novel Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/ Gas Turbine (SOFC/GT) hybrid system as part of a DOE ARPA-E INTEGRATE program. This project aims to demonstrate 70% natural gas (LHV) to electrical conversion efficiency at a 50 kWe scale. Such efficiency is markedly higher than typical power generating technologies at this scale without resorting to a combined heat and power bottoming cycle. To achieve this efficiency the system tightly integrates a high-temperature (850C) planar SOFC into the hot pressurized path of a Brayton cycle microturbine.

This presentation will cover the overall design and operating principals of the SOFC/GT system including modeling of the stack’s electrochemistry and the steam methane reforming/ water gas shift reactions within a packed bed reformer. The INTEGRATE project is a collaboration between Nexceris as the PI and SOFC technology developer, Brayton Energy who is developing the system’s custom turbomachinery, and Czero who is leading the overall system architecture development, design, construction, controls development, and testing at our facility in Ft Collins, CO.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY:  Mike Sprengel leads the Modeling and Simulation team at Czero and specializes in dynamic system modeling and supervisory control strategy development with a specific emphasis on accelerating the development and deployment of clean energy technologies.