Performance of a hybrid system consisting of a high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell and an absorption refrigerator

Won-Yong Lee, Minjin Kim, Young-Jun Sohn and Seung-Gon Kim

Energy, 2017, vol. 141, issue C, 2397-2407

Abstract: In this work, a combined cooling heat and power (CCHP) system consisting of a high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (HT-PEFC) and an absorption refrigerator (AR) as a waste heat recovery system is proposed and theoretically analyzed. Unlike a low-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (LT-PEFC), the operating temperature of a HT-PEFC stack based on phosphoric-acid-(PA)-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes exceeds the temperature of 120 °C; therefore, the waste heat of the stack can be used more effectively as the heat source of an AR. An AR is typically used for the generation of cooling water from heat that has been recovered at a relatively low temperature. Using the models of an HT-PEFC and an AR, the equivalent power and efficiency of the hybrid system were specified at the full and partial loading of the fuel cell. To calculate the equivalent power, the AR was considered as a virtual combined cycle, which consisted of a heat engine (generator–absorber assembly) and a refrigerator (condenser–evaporator assembly). The equivalent power was defined as the same value that is required for the operation of a compressed refrigerator, with the same condenser and evaporator. From the analysis, it was found that the cooling heat corresponding to 100–120% of the heat discharge by the fuel cell could be generated, and that the equivalent electric efficiency of the combined system was improved by more than 8% compared to that of the single HT-PEFC system.

Keywords: High-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (HT-PEFC); Absorption refrigerator (AR); Combined cooling heat and power system (CCHP); Equivalent power; Theoretical analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:141:y:2017:i:c:p:2397-2407

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2017.11.129

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