Thermodynamic Analysis of Gas Turbine – Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (GT-SOFC) Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)

In this paper, Gas Turbine -Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (GT-SOFC) Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) configuration is thermodynamically investigated.The system has a single stage centrifuge compressor, a heat exchanger, a jet fuel reformer, a SOFC, a combustion chamber and a turbine.The onboard kerosene fuel is converted to H 2 and CO in the jet fuel reformer and used in the SOFC.Excess gases from the SOFC and additional kerosene from the fuel tank are burned in the combustion chamber.The system efficiency is increased significantly decreasing the overall fuel consumption.Although the system total weight increases with the additional elements such as SOFC, heat exchanger and jet fuel reformer, H 2 O produced in the SOFC can be used as potable water in the aircraft decreasing the water supply need and balancing the take-off weight of the aircraft.