Modeling of a novel triple turbine solid oxide fuel cell gas turbine hybrid engine with a 5:1 turndown ratio

Electrical production using solid oxide fuel cell gas turbine (SOFC-GT) hybrid systems has received much attention due to high-predicted efficiencies, low pollution and the availability of natural gas. Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems and hybrid variants designed to date have had narrow operating ranges due largely to the lack of control variables available to control the thermal requirements within the SOFC.;Due to the higher value of peak power, a system able to meet fluctuating power demands while retaining high efficiencies is strongly preferable to only base load operation. This thesis presents results of a novel SOFC-GT hybrid configuration designed to operate over a 5:1 turndown ratio. The proposed system utilizes two control variables that allow the hybrid to maintain the SOFC stack exit temperature at a constant 1000°C throughout the turndown. The first control variable is the setting of a variable-geometry inlet nozzle turbine, which most directly influences the system airflow. The second control variable is an auxiliary combustor, which allows control of the thermal and power needs of the turbomachinery independently from that of the SOFC.;At low turndown the proposed hybrid operates similarly to previous hybrids, in that roughly 80% of the power is delivered from the SOFC. However, the newly proposed hybrid uses the unique turbomachinery to drastically increase the delivered power at higher power demands. A unique aspect of the proposed hybrid is the contribution of half the rated power being supplied by the inexpensive turbomachinery with the expensive SOFC contributing the other half. This will significantly lower system capital costs compared to previous hybrid designs. The proposed hybrid has high efficiencies throughout turndown with peak efficiencies occurring at low turndown levels.