Start-Up Characteristics of Segmented-In-Series Tubular SOFC Power Modules Improved by Catalytic Combustion at Cathodes

• Published in: Fuel cells (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 14; no. 6; pp. 1028 - 1035
• Main Authors: Kobayashi, Y., Kosaka, K., Tomida, K., Matake, N., Ito, K., Sasaki, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01.12.2014; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Catalysis; Dynamic Performance; Fuel cells; Gas Turbine Combined Cycle System; Micro Gas Turbine Hybrid System; Numerical Analysis; Solid Oxide Fuel Cells; Start-Up Procedure
• ISSN: 1615-6846; 1615-6854
• DOI: 10.1002/fuce.201400014

For large‐scale SOFC power generation systems, a shorter start‐up time of SOFC cell stacks with relatively large heat capacity is one of the most important technological issues to determine the flexibility in SOFC system operation. In this study, start‐up procedures have been examined to shorten the start‐up time period. The conventional heating procedure using pre‐heated hot air and self‐heating by SOFC operation at low temperatures had a difficulty to shorten the start‐up time period because of the limitation in power generation at lower temperatures. In this study, as an alternative start‐up procedure, catalytic combustion at the SOFC cathodes is, for the first time, demonstrated to be useful on the system level. The applicability of the catalytic combustion to shorten the start‐up time period has been verified numerically as well as experimentally by using a large‐scale cell stack cartridge. This unique start‐up procedure enables to operate SOFC‐based large‐scale power generation systems.