Dunbar, Lior and Gaggioli (1991) proposed a configuration of a fuel-cell-topped electrical Rankine power generating station and analyzed its performance. That study revealed that the fuel-cell topping improved plant efficiency to values up to 62 percent, versus the conventional plant efficiency of 41.5 percent. This work lays the foundation for a thermoeconomic analysis of such systems by relating exergy consumption to fuel-cell unit size, as follows: 1) the relationship between system efficiency (and hence fuel consumption) and fuel-cell unit size is presented for a number of fuel-cell operating conditions; 2) the relationship between fuel flow rate and fuel-cell unit size is shown; and 3) the exergetic effects of the major plant components are discussed as a function of fuel-cell unit size. The results reveal that specific fuel consumption may be reduced by as much as 32 percent when incorporating fuel-cell units into electrical power plants.
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June 1993
Research Papers
The Effect of the Fuel-Cell Unit Size on the Efficiency of a Fuel- Cell-Topped Rankine Power Cycle
W. R. Dunbar,
W. R. Dunbar
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6315
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N. Lior,
N. Lior
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6315
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R. A. Gaggioli
R. A. Gaggioli
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233-2286
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W. R. Dunbar
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6315
N. Lior
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6315
R. A. Gaggioli
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233-2286
J. Energy Resour. Technol. Jun 1993, 115(2): 105-107 (3 pages)
Published Online: June 1, 1993
Article history
Received:
December 2, 1991
Revised:
September 9, 1992
Online:
April 16, 2008
Citation
Dunbar, W. R., Lior, N., and Gaggioli, R. A. (June 1, 1993). "The Effect of the Fuel-Cell Unit Size on the Efficiency of a Fuel- Cell-Topped Rankine Power Cycle." ASME. J. Energy Resour. Technol. June 1993; 115(2): 105–107. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2905976
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