The feasibility study for the application of solid oxide fuel cell for the power generation in Iran

Abstract

The application of the new technologies for electricity generation such as fuel cell makes it an excellent option which does not make any pollution. The solid oxide fuel cell has the ability for the application in CHP system due to its' high temperature operation. In this paper, the components of system such as mixer, preheater, reformer, fuel cell stack and after-burner are modeled. This model is used to obtain valuable information about system efficiency and its' economical situation. The economic evaluation is based on the calculation of cost of electricity (COE) using this technology and comparison of it with the other conventional technologies cost. Also, the effects of various parameters on the cost of electricity are investigated. The results have shown that the fuel cell technology is not economical at present and it can not compete with the conventional technologies. However, this option will be an economical and suitable alternative in comparison with the other conventional technologies for power generation with respect to the near future fuel cells mass production, capital cost reduction, lifetime increase, emission importance and fossil fuel price increase. This technology can be an attractive option especially for the regions far away from power network.