Co-production of Electricity andHydrogen Using NH3-Fueled SOFC
Systems
Presented at
Ammonia Fuel Conference 2006
Golden, CO
October 9-10, 2006
Pinakin PatelFuelCell Energy, Inc.
Danbury, CT
Randy PetriVersa Power Systems
Denver, CO
Versa Power Proprietary 2
Overview
! VPS Team Intro
! VPS SOFC Technology Status
! Ammonia fuel cell systems
! SOFCs & the Hydrogen Infrastructure
! Path forward
Versa Power Proprietary 3
Company Overview: Versa Power Systems
! A U.S. for-profit company withoperations in Colorado and Calgary– Founded in 2001: a joint venture between
the members of the Solid Oxide Fuel CellConsortium
! Strategic Alliances– Cummins: mobile and small scale
applications– FuelCell Energy: commercial and industrial
DG/combined heat and power (CHP)
! Our product: planar solid oxide fuelcell system– Demonstrated ability to achieve high
electrical power densities and long lifeusing low cost materials
– Validated manufacturing processes;scalable to high volume production rates
Versa Power Proprietary 4
U.S. DOE SECA: ~$1.5 billion Program! Program goal: accelerate commercialization of low-cost SOFCs through
attainment of technical and cost metrics
! VPS is part of two out of six industrial teams– VPS/FuelCell Energy– VPS/Cummins– General Electric– Siemens Westinghouse– Delphi/Battelle– Acumentrics
! $600MM of basic technology research is available to the industrial teams.Research conducted by—– MIT, University of Utah, UC Berkeley, Northwestern University, University of
Wisconsin,– Los Alamos National Laboratories, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and ChevronTechnology Ventures
Versa Power Proprietary 5
Introduction to Fuel Cell Technology! A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that generates
electricity directly from electrochemical reactions between a fuel and anoxidant
! A solid oxide fuel cell is a high temperature electrochemical device with asolid oxide electrolyte that produces electric power from a variety of fuels(such as hydrogen, natural gas, propane or diesel)
! Higher efficiency than competing technologies
! The core SOFC cell is ceramic and has three principallayers
– Anode, electrolyte and cathode
– Inexpensive materials
Fuel
Air
Versa Power Proprietary 6
SOFC Principle of Operation
2H2 + 2O= —! 2H2O + 4e-
2CO + 2O= —! 2CO2 + 4e-
Air
Fuel
ElectrolyteO= O=
Anode _
Cathode O2 + 4e- —! 2O= +
E = —— ln ———————RT PO2 (oxidant)
4F PO2 (fuel)
e-
e-
e-
e-
Anode
Cathode
Electrolyte
• Anode – nickel-zirconia cermet, ~ 1 mm thick
• Electrolyte – yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), ~ 5 µm thick
• Cathode – conducting ceramic, ~ 50 µm thick
Versa Power Proprietary 7
Benefits of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology
! Customer & environmentally friendly– Quiet operation
– Compact package for more flexible installations
– Negligible emissions of air pollutants
– Ideal for residential and commercial CHP
! Higher efficiency than competing technologies– SOFCs are expected to be around 50% efficient at converting fuel to electricity
– In applications that capture the system's waste heat (CHP), overall fuel useefficiencies could top 80%
– Higher efficiencies lead to lower emissions levels than competing technologies
! Adaptability to many practical fuels– Solid oxide fuel cells operate at high temperatures (around 650-1,000°C)
– Removes the need for precious-metal catalyst, thereby reducing cost
– Allows SOFCs to reform fuels internally, enabling the use of a variety of fuels andreduces the cost associated with adding a reformer to the system
8
VPS Planar SOFC Design
9
Single Cell Test
Long term benchmark testing achieves 26,000 hrs
Trend Data
Test #10545; (Long Term Test: TSC1, 10 x 10 cm2)
Test Stand #6, January 9, 2002 - January 10, 2005
0.000
0.200
0.400
0.600
0.800
1.000
0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000
Elapsed Time, h
Vo
ltag
e, V
Test Conditions:
750°C, 556 mA/cm2 389 mA/cm
2
54% fuel utilization:
630 439 mlpm H2, 630 439 mlpm N2, 3% H2O
27% air utilization:
3000 2092 mlpm air
Degradation rate:1.3% per 1000 h
(11 mV per 1000 h)
Versa Power Proprietary 10
VPS Cell ReliabilityTest 101406: Steady-State Cell Voltage Degradation Over 250 Thermal Cycles
0
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1
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Time at Current (h)
Ce
ll V
olt
ag
e (
V)
TC
5
TC
10
0
TC
75
TC
50
TC
17
TC
7
TC
6
TC
15
0
TC
12
5
Cell Dimensions 10 x 10 cm?
T = 750°C
I = 0.500 A/cm?
Ua = 25%
Uf = 50%
Fuel = 50:50 H2:N2 Mix / 3% Water
TC
20
0
TC
17
5
TC
22
5
TC
25
0
VPS single cell demonstrated durability-- steady-state voltages after250 thermal cycles and 4700 hours operation
Versa Power Proprietary 11
Cell
Seal
Interconnect
Contacts
Current Collection
ComponentDevelopment
TechnologyDevelopment
Flow Management
Thermal Management
Manufacturability
Repeatability
Tolerance
Stack Development Path
Stack EngineeringIntegration
Stack ManufacturingProcess Development
Versa Power Proprietary 12
Stack Performance- Characterization & Qualification -
Versa Power Proprietary 13
Development of Low Cost SOFCManufacturing at Versa Power Systems
The VPS “TSC” process for SOFC manufactureis proven:
! One firing step! Cost effective! High yields: a result of process control
Tape Casting “T”
Screen Printing“S”
Co-Sintering“C”
Versa Power Proprietary 14
Stack Repeatability28 Cell Stacks
60A, TC1 and 3 hour holdMin/Max/Average
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Vo
ltag
e
28 Cell Stacks @ 121 cm2 active area
23.5% Uf, 28% Ua, 0.496 A/cm2
42 slpm H2, 37.8 slpm N2, 84 slpm Air
725°C Furnace Temperature
Stack Number
Versa Power Proprietary 15
Manufacturing Process Development
Co
st
Co
st
Co
stPro
cess
Yie
ld
Pro
cess
Yie
ld
Th
rou
gh
pu
t Th
rou
gh
pu
t
Pro
cess
Yie
ld
Th
rou
gh
pu
t
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1999: 16 steps/5 firings 2001: 14 steps/3 firings 2002: 10 steps/1 firing
Versa Power Proprietary 16
SOFC Power System Build-Up-Up
Stack
Thermal
Management
Fuel
Reformer
Air
BlowerFuelSupply
ControlsPower
Electronics
Ceramic cell+interconnects &
seals
form unit cell
Multi unitcells are
combined intostack
The stack is integrated withthe balance of plant
components into a powersystem
Versa Power Proprietary 17
System Testing
Versa Power Proprietary 18
• Thermally integratedpower system
• Pipeline natural gas fuel
• Autonomous control
• Grid connected (parallel)
• Designed towardsapplicable codes andstandards compliance
• Builds on the experiencegained from >40,000 h ofaccumulated operation ofprevious prototypes
3 kW Prototype System (3-1)
Versa Power Proprietary 19
The VPS SOFC Technology
25040
Stack Cell
3
1,400950
Stack Cell
500
System
System
26,0008,800
Stack Cell
3,400
SystemDemonstratedTest Duration
(hrs.)
DemonstratedDeep Thermal Cycles (TCs)
DemonstratedPower Density
(mW/cm2)
Versa Power Proprietary 20
SECA Targets
40,000 hrs.
>1,000 hrs.
NG
<1% / 10 cycles
80%<2% / 500 hrs.
Mobile - 25%Stationary - 35%
$US 800 / kW@50,000 / yr.
3 – 10 kW
SECAPhase 1
40,000 hrs.
>1,000 hrs.
NG, Propane,Diesel
<0.5% / 10 cycles
85%<1% / 500 hrs.
Mobile - 30%Stationary - 40%
$US 600 / kW@50,000 / yr.
3 – 10 kW
SECAPhase 2
3 – 10 kWPower
SECAPhase 3
Minimum Requirements
Design Lifetime
Maintenance Interval
Fuel Type
Transient Operation
Steady State Operation- Availability- Delta Power
Efficiency
Cost
40,000 hrs.
>1,000 hrs.
NG, Propane,Diesel
<0.1% / 10 cycles
95%<0.1% / 500 hrs.
Mobile - 30%Stationary - 40%
$US 400 / kW@50,000 / yr.
Versa Power Proprietary 21
System Efficiency & Power vs. Time
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
0 168 336 504 672 840 1008 1176 1344 1512 1680 1848 2016 2184
Time Since Start [Hours]
Eff
icie
ncy [
%]
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
.
Po
we
r [k
W]
Net AC Efficiency (PM) [%]
Calc. Net DC Efficiency [%]
Net AC (PwrMtr) [kW]
Calc. Net DC (C) [kW]
Efficiency and Power Output3-1 System
Net AC Efficiency (%)
Net DC Efficiency (%)
Net AC Power (kW)
Net DC Power (kW)
Temperature: 730°C
42 A (0.347 A/cm2)
58% U f, 43% U a,
Nominal Operating Condition
Versa Power Proprietary 22
98.6%! 80%Availability
Pipeline NGNatural GasFuel Type
36.4%! 35%EOT Net DC Electrical Efficiency
$773/kW" 800/kWCost
0.87%" 1%Transient degradation over 10 cycles
1.28% / 500 h" 2% / 500 hSteady state degradation
! 35%
3-10 kW
DOE Target
5.26 kWPeak Net DC Electrical Power
39.6%
Result
Peak Net DC Electrical Efficiency
Prototype 3-1 kW System Test Summary
Notes: Hourly averaged data Efficiencies based on LHV Calgary pipeline natural gas
Versa Power Proprietary 23
VPS SOFC System Status & Markets
Completed: $70MM
>100kW
Industrial
CHP
3-10kWMobile
APU
Early Adopter& Small/Med DG
1-50kWin Technology
Development
Versa Power Proprietary 24
The Co-production Concept Using Ammonia
Ammonia Fuel CellElectricity
Hydrogen
heat2NH3 N2 + 3 H2
(34 lbs) (28 lbs) (6 lbs)
Versa Power Proprietary 25
Ammonia and Different Types of FuelCells
Thermal integrationSimplest; highestsystem efficiency
700-900Solid Oxide (SOFC)
Source of CO2High efficiency;moderate simplesystem
600-700Carbonate (MCFC)
! Filter for traceammonia
! Ammonia cracker
! Reduced fuelprocessing steps
! Moderate efficiency
60-120
180-200
Polymer ElectrolyteMembrane (PEM)
Phosphoric Acid(PAFC)
ConsiderationsPotential BenefitsOperatingTemp., °C
Type of Fuel Cell
SOFC is the Most Suitable Technology
Versa Power Proprietary 26
C
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AGO -1
HEAT
RECOVERY
UNIT
ANODE
GAS OXID.
HEAT
RECOVERY
UNIT
PRECONVERTER
PRECONVERTER
AFTER FILTER
DESULFURIZER
HUMIDIFYING
EXCHANGER
GAS
ELECTRIC
HEATER
NG/PROPANE
DEOXIDIZER
C
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AGO -1
HEAT
RECOVERY
UNIT
GAS OXID.
HEAT
RECOVERY
UNIT
PRECONVERTER
PRECONVERTER
AFTER FILTER
DESULFURIZER
HUMIDIFYING
EXCHANGER
GAS
ELECTRIC
HEATER
NG/PROPANE
DEOXIDIZER
VENT
RO/DI
WATER
AIR
Conventional Hydrocarbon-Based SOFC System:
Highlighted fuel pre-treatment equipment increases system complexity and cost.
Ammonia Vs. Conventional Fuel Systems
Versa Power Proprietary 27
Ammonia Vs. Conventional Fuel Systems
AMMONIA
C
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AGO-1
HEAT
RECOVERY
UNIT
ANODE
GAS OXID.
HEAT
RECOVERY
UNIT
AMMONIA
VAPORIZER
FRESH
AIR
AMMONIA
VENT/EXHUST
AMMONIA
C
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AGO-1
HEAT
RECOVERY
UNIT
ANODE
GAS OXID.
HEAT
RECOVERY
UNIT
AMMONIA
VAPORIZER
FRESH
AIR
AMMONIA
Candidate Ammonia SOFC System:
Simple system with practically no fuel pre-treatment equipment.
Versa Power Proprietary 28
Ammonia and Propane System Costs and Cost ofElectricity
$/kW PSOFC ASOFC
Fuel Processing 788 67
Fuel Cell Stack 1,079 636
Inverter 841 745
Auxiliary Equipment 231 127
Total Cost 2,739 1,575
Estimated Levelized Cost of Electricity, cents/kWh
$5/MMBTU $10/MMBTU $15/MMBTU
PSOFC 17.8 22.2 26.6
ASOFC 11.6 16.0 20.5
Ammonia can cost more than $6/MMBTU higher than propane and deliver thesame COE.
Versa Power Proprietary 29
Old Generation Performance on Ammonia and Hydrogen(100 cm2, 2-cell Stack)
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Current, A
Vo
lta
ge,
V
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Po
wer,
W
Voltage, V(H2)
Voltage, V(NH3)
Power, W(H2)
Power, W(NH3)
Preliminary Data Indicates Performance Comparable toOperation on Hydrogen
Versa Power Proprietary 30
Ammonia Required for Co-production
Co-production
250
1000
300
1200
250
1000
2.5
10.0
Sub-MW
Megawatt
Fuel CellCars ServedHydrogen
lbs/dayElectricity
kW
AmmoniaRequiredtons/day
Size of FuelCell
Versa Power Proprietary 31
Ammonia & the Hydrogen Infrastructure
! Ammonia as a carrier of hydrogen has ~18 wt% capacity(DOE target: >6 wt%)
! Safety and handling systems are established
! Distribution system is reasonably developed in the US(pipeline, train, large, trucks)
! On-site extraction of hydrogen via catalytic cracking iscommercially available & relatively simple
! Can be made from coal, the abundant feed stock
! Can contribute to the much needed “bridge” to HydrogenEconomy
Versa Power Proprietary 32
Ammonia Pipeline Infrastructure
MAPCO and GULFPipelines
Versa Power Proprietary 33
Rural Electric Coop Operating Territories
Versa Power Proprietary 34
Co-op Electric Demand; AmmoniaProduction and Consumption
Coop Electric Consumptionmillion kWh, 2000
30,000
Ammonia Productionthousand mT, 2001
5,500
Ammonia Consumptionthousand T, 2001
20 to 5050 to 110
110 to 230230 to 480480 to 560
Versa Power Proprietary 35
Ammonia SOFC in Co-Op Applications-Perspective
! Rough Ammonia SOFC Consumption:– ~ 9 slpm/kW
– ~0.9 lb/kWh
! Basis: Per 1% of Co-Op Annual Electric Consumption Converted toASOFC: ~2BBkW-h
! At ~11,500 kW-h per household per year:– ~175,000 households
– ~ 0.8 MM mtons ammonia consumed
! REF: Total US Ammonia Consumption 2005, ~14.7MM mtons
Per 1% of Co-Op Electric Consumption Converted to ASOFC– Thisrepresents ~175,000 households, and ~ 6% of the annual
ammonia consumption.
Versa Power Proprietary 36
Improved energy security, reduced imports
New use: creates additional demand and jobs
Utilization of indigenous, domestic feedstock
Potential BenefitsFeatures of ASOFC
Ammonia-SOFC Opportunities & National Economic Benefits
Versa Power Proprietary 37
Attractive for remote generation in agriculturalcommunities
Simple system, virtually maintenance-free, doesnot require water
Improved energy security, reduced imports
New use: creates additional demand and jobs
Utilization of indigenous, domestic feedstock
Potential BenefitsFeatures of ASOFC
Ammonia-SOFC Opportunities & National Economic Benefits
Versa Power Proprietary 38
Easier introduction to market, no newinvestment in infrastructure, enhanced naturalsecurity
Utilization of fuel with an establishedinfrastructure for distributed generation
(from rail and pipeline, to end user delivery system,servicing small-volume, widely dispersed agriculturalcustomers)
Attractive for remote generation in agriculturalcommunities
Simple system, virtually maintenance-free, does notrequire water
Improved energy security, reduced imports
New use: creates additional demand and jobs
Utilization of indigenous, domestic feedstock
Potential BenefitsFeatures of ASOFC
Ammonia-SOFC Opportunities & National Economic Benefits
Versa Power Proprietary 39
Rural users of the ASOFC require no additionaltraining or added familiarity
User acceptance already established
Easier introduction to market, no new investment ininfrastructure, enhanced natural security
Utilization of fuel with an established infrastructurefor distributed generation
(from rail and pipeline, to end user delivery system, servicingsmall-volume, widely dispersed agricultural customers)
Attractive for remote generation in agriculturalcommunities
Simple system, virtually maintenance-free, does notrequire water
Improved energy security, reduced imports
New use: creates additional demand and jobs
Utilization of indigenous, domestic feedstock
Potential BenefitsFeatures of ASOFC
Ammonia-SOFC Opportunities & National Economic Benefits
Versa Power Proprietary 40
Rural users of the ASOFC require no additionaltraining or added familiarity
User acceptance already established
Improved economics, facilitates new businessopportunities
High eff & quality power at competitive prices:
!Significant reduction in costs of SOFC power plantsystems
!Direct use of NH3 eliminates costly fuel processingequipment
Easier introduction to market, no new investment ininfrastructure, enhanced natural security
Utilization of fuel with an established infrastructurefor distributed generation
(from rail and pipeline, to end user delivery system, servicingsmall-volume, widely dispersed agricultural customers)
Attractive for remote generation in agriculturalcommunities
Simple system, virtually maintenance-free, does notrequire water
Improved energy security, reduced imports
New use: creates additional demand and jobs
Utilization of indigenous, domestic feedstock
Potential BenefitsFeatures of ASOFC
Ammonia-SOFC Opportunities & National Economic Benefits
Versa Power Proprietary 41
Rural users of the ASOFC require no additionaltraining or added familiarity
User acceptance already established
Creates new jobs, supports U.S. economicgrowth
Domestic manufacturability
Improved economics, facilitates new businessopportunities
High eff & quality power at competitive prices:
!Significant reduction in costs of SOFC power plant systems
!Direct use of NH3 eliminates costly fuel processingequipment
Easier introduction to market, no new investment ininfrastructure, enhanced natural security
Utilization of fuel with an established infrastructurefor distributed generation
(from rail and pipeline, to end user delivery system, servicingsmall-volume, widely dispersed agricultural customers)
Attractive for remote generation in agriculturalcommunities
Simple system, virtually maintenance-free, does notrequire water
Improved energy security, reduced imports
New use: creates additional demand and jobs
Utilization of indigenous, domestic feedstock
Potential BenefitsFeatures of ASOFC
Ammonia-SOFC Opportunities & National Economic Benefits
Versa Power Proprietary 42
Rural users of the ASOFC require no additionaltraining or added familiarity
User acceptance already established
Can Accelerate SOFC commercialization andexport markets in general
Significant reduction in system cost
Creates new jobs, supports U.S. economic growthDomestic manufacturability
Improved economics, facilitates new businessopportunities
High eff & quality power at competitive prices:
!Significant reduction in costs of SOFC power plant systems
!Direct use of NH3 eliminates costly fuel processingequipment
Easier introduction to market, no new investment ininfrastructure, enhanced natural security
Utilization of fuel with an established infrastructurefor distributed generation
(from rail and pipeline, to end user delivery system, servicingsmall-volume, widely dispersed agricultural customers)
Attractive for remote generation in agriculturalcommunities
Simple system, virtually maintenance-free, does notrequire water
Improved energy security, reduced imports
New use: creates additional demand and jobs
Utilization of indigenous, domestic feedstock
Potential BenefitsFeatures of ASOFC
Ammonia-SOFC Opportunities & National Economic Benefits