Technical Research Center of Finland says it has developed a unique system that uses fuel cell technology to produce grid electricity from natural and bio gas.
What makes the system unique is that the electric power produced comes from a single 10 kW planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack.
A researcher from the research center said it was the first time a 10 kW power class planar SOFC fuel stack had been operated as part of a complete fuel cell system under real system operating conditions.
According to the research center, construction of large SOFC power plants in the future will require large capacity fuel cell stacks. On the current market, the capacity of single planar fuel cell stacks are typically in a range from 0.5 kW to several kilowatts. Construction of a 100 kW power plant needs a lot of fuel cell stacks. With the addition of integration and maintenance, the cost is very high. Increasing the power capacity of a single planar fuel cell stack system can efficiently reduce the cost of construction and maintenance of a power plant.
Since the beginning of November 2010, the fuel cell system developed by Technical Research Center of Finland has completed more than 1,500 hours of reliable and continuous operation. The electricity produced equates to the average annual consumption of five apartments in an apartment block. The system is currently undergoing endurance testing to determine component reliability, durability and development needs.
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device filled with fuel and oxidizer, which generates electricity directly through a chemical reaction. With two electrodes (an anode and cathode), it looks like a battery; however, it is a much more powerful electricity generator.
SOFC fuel cell technology is an extremely low-emission energy source, which can be used to utilize a wide range of different fuels, including biogas. It has great application prospects in future electricity production.