Future energy, fuel cells, and solid-oxide fuel-cell technology
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Energy Sector Analysis
Fuel-cell-based power systems can be designed for high efficiency that can be further improved by hybridization. Efficiency improvements in solid-oxide fuel-cell/gas turbine hybrid systems are estimated to be exceptionally high. These hybrids can be incorporated into coal-based power plants to form a power system referred to as an integrated gasification fuel-cell system.
Future energy, fuel cells, and solid-oxide fuel-cell technology By Nguyen Q. Minh Feature Editor: Y. Shirley Meng
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Meeting this energy growth while limiting carbon dioxide emissions requires both efficiency improvements and emission reduction in the use of energy sources and generation/ transmission/delivery of electricity to the end-use sectors. “The challenge to satisfy future energy growth and at the same time curb carbon dioxide emissions necessitates different pathways and approaches in energy usage for both current and future energy systems,” said Hae-Weon Lee, who has been working on different aspects of energy issues at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. Without major changes or modifications in the way energy sources are used, most of the world’s carbon budget up until 2040 would be spent by today’s power stations, vehicles, and industrial facilities. Potential approaches may include development of cleaner and more efficient energy systems, expansion of sustainable energy technologies, increased use of certain methods such as carbon capture storage and utilization and clean fuels such as hydrogen, and efficiency improvement of current energy systems. Fuel cells (FCs) could play a significant role in the efficiency improvement/emission reduction strategy. FCs (as energyconversion devices that produce electricity by electrochemical combination of a fuel with air) are clean (no combustion), efficient (direct conversion of chemical to electrical energy), and modular (independent scaling between power and capacity). FCs can be used for clean and efficient generation of electricity at different power sizes in industrial (e.g., MW FC power plants), transportation (e.g., 50–130 kW power for FC vehicles), and building (e.g., 1–5 kW micro combined heat and power or CHP) sectors. “Fuel-cell technology has three attractive features regarding its operation: operation on a variety of fuels, operation in reverse mode, and operation in tandem with other energy technologies,” said Kazunari Sasaki, director of the Next-Generation Fuel Cell Research Center and director of the International Research Center for Table I. Energy forms used in end-use sectors. Hydrogen Energy at Kyushu University, Japan. Energy form used, ~% in 2015 (Projected ~% in 2040) Although the primary fuel for FCs is hydroLiquids Natural Gas Coal Renewables Electricity gen, FCs can operate on fossil and renewable fuels via reformation or, in some cases, direct 28 (29) 26 (27) 25 (20) 4 (8) 17 (16) utilization. FCs (with modifications in some cases) can also be operated in reverse mode 95 (84) 3 (12) – – 2 (4) (electrolysis) using electricity, f
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