Thermodynamic modeling of cogeneration mini CHP using air conversion of diesel fuel and electrochemical generator

At present, the production of electrical and heat power uses diesel-generator technology with a limited service life of engines and extremely low efficiency of the expensive fuel used. In this paper, an innovative technology has been considered for the combined electrical and heat power production using the preliminary conversion of diesel fuel into synthesis gas with its subsequent supply to a high temperature electrochemical generator (ECG). Synthesis gas for the operation of the electrochemical generator was produced by air conversion of motor diesel fuels in a catalytic burner reactor. On the basis of heat balances of the burner, ECG and waste-heat boiler-utilizer, electrical efficiency of the solid oxide fuel cells’ (SOFC) battery, chemical efficiency of the burner, the temperature at the SOFC anode, the EMF of the planar cell, a portion of hydrogen oxidized at the SOFC anode, specific consumption of diesel fuel for the production of electrical and heat power were calculated. Specific consumption of diesel fuel for the production of electrical and heat power was found to be equal to 114 g/kWh (162 g r.f./kW·h) and 31.7 kg/GJ (45.1 kg r.f./GJ, 189 kg r.f./ Gcal), respectively. Specific fuel consumption is similar to an up-to-date CHP and is significantly lower than the consumption of modern diesel-electric stations of equal power.