A Unique Solution to Low Cost SOFC Hybrid Power Plant

Abstract

The inherently clean and efficient nature of fuel cell systems makes them highly attractive for electrical power generation applications, subject to overcoming their disadvantage of high initial cost. Rolls Royce has been working for 10 years to create a fuel cell stack design of much lower cost, having a structure both tolerant to sharp changes in operating temperature and fully durable when used in load-following applications requiring moderate cycling of stack conditions. The effort was launched as a company supported research initiative but has also attracted substantial European Commission funding, with emphasis on developing low manufacture cost stack technologies. This paper describes how chemical and physical features of the stack, and the technologies selected for the integrated plant system, have achieved major strides in cost reduction. The design and development of the system using this technology has been transitioned to an European/USA industry development team whose goal is commercialization of the product within five years. Manufacture will use both European and USA facilities. Market opportunities for fuel cell hybrids are briefly discussed.