200 KW HYDROGEN FUELED FUEL CELL POWER PLANT

Valerie Maston
International Fuel Cells
South Windsor, CT 06074

Abstract

IFC has designed a hydrogen fueled version of its standard PC25t C fuel cell power plant. The
standard PC25t C is a 200 kW, natural gas fueled phosphoric acid fuel cell power plant that is com-
mercially available. The program to accomplish the fuel change involved deleting the natural gas
processing elements, designing a new fuel pretreatment subsystem, modifying the water and thermal
management subsystem, developing a hydrogen burner to combust any unconsumed hydrogen, and
modifying the control system. Additionally, the required modifications to the manufacturing and
assembly procedures necessary to allow the hydrogen fueled power plant to be manufactured in con-
junction with the on--going production of the standard PC25t C power plants was identified. This
work establishes for the DOE the design and manufacturing plan for the first commercially available
200 kW hydrogen fueled fuel cell power plant.

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 Introduction

IFC has designed an optimized 200 kW PAFC hydrogen fueled power plant for commercial produc-
tion. The basis for this program is IFC’s commercially available natural gas fueled PC25t C power
plant and an existing demonstration hydrogen power plant for a European customer. To meet the
program goals, IFC developed a hydrogen fuel specification, designed an optimized power plant to
operate on the specified fuel, identified an improved manufacturing process for the new power plant,
and as cost share activity developed cell stack improvements.

Hydrogen Fuel Specification

A survey of available hydrogen fuels was conducted to provide a basis for the fuel specification. The
available sources were found to be commercial pressurized hydrogen gas, commercial liquefied hy-
drogen, hydrogen gas from electrolysis, and hydrogen rich gas by--product from the Chlor--Alkali
and Petroleum Industries. Table 1 is the summary of the hydrogen fuel sources and their composi-
tions.

Table 1. Summary of Hydrogen Fuel Sources

Renewables Oglethorpe Ashland

Air Products Praxair Solar/Wind OxyTech Power Petroleum
Chlor--Alkali Customer
Std--Purity Ind--Grade Electrolysis (diaph. cell) Chlorate Petroleum
Liquid Gas Gas Product By--Product By--Product By--Product
Hydrogen, % >99.999 >99.95 >99.99 >99.95 99.7--99.8 92.68 86.5
ppm
Oxygen <2 <5 <10 1500--2500 18500
Argon <10
Nitrogen <5 <400 <100 <10 40--200 5000
Methane <4 <10 <10 39000
Ethane 40000
Propane 28000
Isobutane 8000
n--Butane 6000
Pentanes & heavier 9000
Carbon Dioxide <10 0--800
Carbon Monoxide <3 trace
CO + CO2 <1 <10
NaOH 500--700
NaCl 5--10
Chlorine 0.3
Chlorine Dioxide 0.3
Ammonia 6

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Except for the hydrogen rich gas from the Petroleum Industry, all the other sources of hydrogen fuel
were at least 98% hydrogen on a dry basis. The hydrogen rich gas by--product from the Chlor--Alkali
Industry, which includes hydrogen from both chlorine and chlorate production, has unacceptably
high levels of oxygen and depending on the type of cell used has high levels of chlorine, ammonia,
salts, or mercury. The wide range of possible contaminants from the Chlor--Alkali gas made it im-
possible to establish one gas clean up system for all the Chlor--Alkali off--gases.

The Petroleum Industry hydrogen rich fuel is being addressed separately. This hydrogen rich gas
by--product contains substantial amounts of heavy hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons represent
50% of the heating value of the gas even though they only represent a mole fraction of 15%. Two
methods of using such a hydrogen rich gas sources are being examined. The first is using activated
carbon beds to remove the heavy hydrocarbons prior to the hydrogen power plant. The other method
being evaluated is using this gas in a natural gas PC25t C with a modified reformer matched to the
petroleum by--product gas. The methods will be compared based on the estimated design and devel-
opment costs of each system. A final recommendation on the approach to be used for the Petroleum
Industry gas will be made once the evaluation of the two methods is completed.

Hydrogen Power Plant Specification

The hydrogen power plant design was based on the hydrogen fuels identified in Task 1. The results
of this effort yielded an improvement of 2% in the electrical efficiency above the existing hydrogen
power plant design. For this program, cell testing and stack modeling were done to establish flow
conditions that would allow for the power plant to be over 44% electrically efficient. The stack cool-
ing flows were changed which optimized steam production and reduced the number of components.
A hydrogen burner was placed in the anode exhaust stream, which allowed for the removal of the
acid scrubber and cupola from the demonstration design. The manufacturing procedures were re-
viewed and modifications were made to the design that optimize the build sequence and time to pro-
duce the power plant.

The following options currently available on the natural gas power plant were incorporated into this
design. This power plant, unlike the existing hydrogen power plant, can be operated either grid con-
nected or grid independent. There are two possible high grade heat options available for this power
plant. The first one uses the hot water in the cooling loop to provide the customer with up to 300,000
BTU/hr of 250° F thermal energy. The second option, exclusive to the hydrogen power plant, in-
cludes the first option plus takes advantage of excess steam that can be produced by the stack. This
second option allows for over 400,000 BTU/hr of high grade heat at 250° F to be removed from the
power plant. This unit is a 60 Hz unit.

Cell Stack Improvements

IFC’s cost share on this program was in the area of cell stack improvements. Two specific repeat
parts, the separator plates and the coolers, were improved in this program. Several production trial
lots were run to optimize production and improve the separator performance. The separator plate
design that was selected had improved (reduced) permeability and a higher yield. This separator
plate design has now been incorporated into the production bill of material. The development work
on the coolers examined going to a molded cooler. Molding the cooler plates, will improve the
manufacturing process. Also, methods of increasing the cooler heat transfer were examined. At the

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completion of the cost share activity, the molded coolers had passed the initial testing and were being
prepared to be tested in a full area substack. If the subsequent testing is successful, molded coolers
will be incorporated into the production bill of material in 1998.

Conclusion

The hydrogen power plant design increased the electrical efficiency of the power plant to over 44%
for this design as compared to 40% for natural gas and 42% for the existing hydrogen power plant.
Delivery of high grade heat was determined to be feasible and two options were identified. The num-
ber of components was reduced and the manufacturing process was optimized. At the conclusion of
this program there will be a hydrogen power plant design that can be produced at a commercial scale
and this power plant will be compatible with renewable hydrogen fuel sources.

Acknowledgements

IFC would like to acknowledge the DOE for their funding of this program and the following individ-
uals and companies for their contribution to our fuel survey:

T. F. Florkiewicz of OxyTech Systems, Inc.

Tom Halverson of Praxair, Inc.

Jim McElroy of Hamilton Standard

Venki Raman of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Robert H. Wombles of Ashland Petroleum Company

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