Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analyses of a Combined Power Producing System including a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell and an Organic Rankine Cycle

S. M. Seyed Mahmoudi, Niloufar Sarabchi, Mortaza Yari and Marc A. Rosen
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S. M. Seyed Mahmoudi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 51666-14766, Iran
Niloufar Sarabchi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 51666-14766, Iran
Mortaza Yari: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 51666-14766, Iran
Marc A. Rosen: Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON L1H 7K4, Canada

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-25

Abstract: Comprehensive exergy and exergoeconomic assessments are reported for a proposed power producing system, in which an organic Rankine cycle is employed to utilize the waste heat from the fuel cell stack. A complete mathematical model is presented for simulating the system performance while considering water management in the fuel cell. The simulation is performed for individual components of the fuel cell system, e.g., the compressor and humidifiers. A parametric study is conducted to evaluate the effects on the system’s thermodynamic and economic performance of parameters, such as the fuel cell operating pressure, current density, and turbine back pressure. The results show that an increase in the fuel cell operating pressure leads to a higher exergy efficiency and exergoeconomic factor for the overall system. In addition, it is observed that the overall exergy efficiency is 4.16% higher than the corresponding value that is obtained for the standalone fuel cell for the same value of fuel cell operating pressure. Furthermore, the results indicate that the compressor and condenser exhibit the worst exergoeconomic performance and that the exergoeconomic factor, the capital cost rate and the exergy destruction cost rate for the overall system are 40.8%, 27.21 $/h, and 39.49 $/h, respectively.

Keywords: proton exchange membrane fuel cell; organic Rankine cycle; hybrid power system; water management; exergy; exergoeconomic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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