Experimental investigation into performance of integrated hotbox in 1-kW solid oxide fuel cell system

ABSTRACT

An experimental investigation is performed to evaluate the performance of an integrated hotbox in a 1-kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system fed by natural gas. The integrated hotbox comprises all the main balance of plant components of an SOFC system, i.e. afterburner, reformer, and heat exchanger, and it not only reduces the physical size of the system but also yields improved system efficiency. The experimental results show that under optimal operating conditions, the combined H₂ and CO content of the reformate gas is approximately 70%, while both anode and cathode in-gas temperatures are around approximately 750°C.

KEYWORDS:

• Afterburner
• heat exchanger
• reformer
• solid oxide fuel cell