System Simulation and Analysis of an LNG-Fueled SOFC System Using Additively Manufactured High Temperature Heat Exchangers

A laboratory-scale solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel is designed to be used as an energy converter on seagoing vessels (MultiSchIBZ project). The presented system design phase is supported by thermodynamic system simulation. As heat integration plays a crucial role with regard to fuel recirculation and endothermic pre-reforming, the heat exchanger and pre-reforming component models need to exhibit a high degree of accuracy throughout the entire operating range. Compact additively manufactured tube-bundle and plate-fin heat exchangers are designed to achieve high heat exchange efficiencies at low pressure losses. Their heat transfer correlations are derived from experimental component tests under operating conditions. A simulation study utilizing these heat exchanger characteristics is carried out for four configuration variants of pre-reforming and heat integration. Their system behaviour is analyzed with regard to the degree of pre-reforming and the outlet temperature of the fuel processing module. The combination of allothermal pre-reforming with additively manufactured plate-fin heat exchangers exhibits the best heat integration performance at nominal full load and yields a partial load capability to up to 60% electrical load at net electrical efficiencies of 58 to 60% (LHV).