Topic Area 1C - Thermoelectric-SOFC Hybrid Energy Conversion

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Topic Area 1C - Thermoelectric-SOFC Hybrid Energy Conversion: Area of Interest 1C Thermoelectric SOFC HybridEnergy ConversionHigher energy conversion efficiency of fossil fuels in excess of 65 percentcanbe achieved through integration of thermoelectric conversion devices withwasteheat exhaust streams from high temperature fossil fuel power systems.Possibleapplication of thermoelectric materials in fossil fuel feed powergenerationsystems is recovery of waste heat from high temperature fuel cell powersystems. In addition, such integration enables leveraging balance of plantsubsystems and components to improve the integrated cost per kilowatt ofelectricity generation capacity. For example, significant cost savings canberealized by combining power management into the power conditioningsubsystemalready available with an SOFC power plant.SOFCs being developed under the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance(SECA)are expected to operate at 700 to 900 degrees C, with molten carbonate fuelcells operating at 600 to 800 degrees C. The quality thermal energydischargedfrom these fuel cells is at relatively high temperature (200 to 300 degreesCfor SOFCs) and is amenable to cogeneration of electricity withthermoelectricpower generating devices. The resulting temperature differential withambientair is approximately 100 to 200 degrees C in hot climates and approximately200to 300 degrees C in cold climates. Therefore, more electrical energy wouldbeavailable to satisfy heating needs during winter months, thereby reducingconsumption of fossil fuels, such as natural gas and liquefied natural gasduring the heating season.Applying thermoelectric devices to SOFC plant exhaust can enable generationofadditional electricity when thermal energy is not demanded. Conversely,thethermoelectric generation of electricity can be scaled back to enableextraction of thermal energy when required. On the other hand, maximizingelectricity generation via hybridization of thermoelectric and SOFCtechnologies enables utilization of electric to thermal energy conversiontechnologies at the thermal energy point of use. The latter can providegreater flexibility in the relative placement between the SOFC plant andthethermal load due to the ease of routing electrical cabling to the thermalenergy point of use. For these reasons it can be more attractive to usesolidstate thermoelectric devices than the thermo mechanical methods to recoverthewaste heat in small and medium sized high temperature fuel cells such assystems used for distributed power generation.Applications are sought to investigate concepts that integratethermoelectricdevices into SOFC power systems and to analyze the technical and cost tradeoffs associated with integrating the thermoelectric devices. The analysisshould explore a range of SOFC power plant sizes and define the technicalperformance and cost targets required of thermoelectric devices that mustbemet to produce integrated thermoelectric SOFC products that achieve theSECAcost goal of 400 dollars per kW or less at approximately 50,000 units peryearproduction volume.