Thermodynamic analysis of application of organic Rankine cycle for heat recovery from an integrated DIR-MCFC with pre-reformer

Energy Conversion and Management, Volume 67, March 2013, Pages 197–207
Thermodynamic analysis of application of organic Rankine cycle for heat recovery from an integrated DIR-MCFC with pre-reformer
Ali Vatani a, Ali Khazaeli a, Ramin Roshandel b, Mohammad Hassan Panjeshahi a
a School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran
b Department of Energy Engineering, Sharif Energy Research Institutes, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Describes waste heat recovery from a proposed direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell (DIR-MCFC), including an integrated pre-reformer. There are some advantages over exhaust gas recycling. Due to low temperature in the pre-reformer, for example, carbon deposition and coke formation resulting from higher hydrocarbons can be eliminated.
Authors describe results of an investigation in which the cathode outlet provides the heat requirement for the pre-reforming process. After partial heat recovery from the cathode outlet, the stream still has a considerable energy and exergy. The study investigates waste heat recovery from the proposed DIR-MCFC, using an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with two different configurations. Results at optimum conditions indicate that the energy and exergy efficiencies of the compound system are increased and its exergy loss is decreased with cathode splitting for all substances. Authors conclude that cathode splitting has a significant impact on the substances which have better performance in the first case.
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