Design, modelling and experimental validation of integrated hydrogen-ammonia-methanol multi-carrier energy conversion for the emerging solid oxide fuel cell with waste heat recovery technology

Li Li, Binlin Dou, Hua Zhang, Liang Zhang, Na Chen, Haisheng Chen, Yujie Xu and Wei Li

Energy, 2025, vol. 335, issue C

Abstract: This study proposed an integrated hydrogen-ammonia-methanol multi-carrier energy conversion system for the emerging solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with waste heat recovery technology, including multi-carrier energy production, storage, conversion and utilization of green hydrogen, green ammonia and green methanol. The integrated system was constructed on thermodynamic and experimental methods and was divided into three parallel and independent conversion pathways: hydrogen-SOFC, hydrogen-ammonia-SOFC, and hydrogen-methanol-SOFC. For each pathway, the energy and exergy flow characteristics were determined by thermodynamic modeling, and environmental and economic evaluations were conducted. The waste heat generated by SOFC was recycled to preheat the fuels, achieving a step-by-step energy utilization mode and significantly improving the overall energy efficiency. The simulation results were compared with the experimental data to verify the accuracy of the modeling. The results showed that compared with SOFC without waste heat recovery, the power generation efficiencies of hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol as energy outputs were improved by 5.4 %, 12.8 %, and 21.4 %, respectively for hydrogen-SOFC, hydrogen-ammonia-SOFC, and hydrogen-methanol-SOFC, and the energy conversion efficiencies of each pathway were improved to 52.1 %, 47.3 %, and 43.9 %, and exergy utilization efficiencies were improved to 55.2 %, 48.9 %, and 45.1 %. Through the environmental and economic analysis, the integrated system could reduce 4.94 million tons of CO2 and save approximately $3 million annually. The payback periods for hydrogen-SOFC, hydrogen-ammonia-SOFC, and hydrogen-methanol-SOFC were 9, 11, and 15 years, respectively. The hydrogen-ammonia-SOFC route was found the best energy, exergy, environment and economy performance using artificial neural network analysis.

Keywords: Hydrogen-ammonia-methanol multi-carrier energy conversion system; Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with waste heat recovery; Energy, exergy, environment and economy analysis; Artificial neural network analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:335:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225035698

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.137927

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