Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has developed a recuperated gas turbine (GT) cycle, augmented with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) capable of operating at ultralow fuel utilization (10%-30%). This is achieved through specific thermal and chemical management strategies, including a hot air bypass around the SOFC to the combustor for rapid load transitions and temperature control, and a cold air bypass around the recuperator directly to the turbine inlet for surge margin and temperature control. Chemically, anode exhaust is recycled to a reformer, which is thermally coupled to the exhaust stream, improving fuel use and mitigating carbon deposition. The SOFC itself incorporates larger flow passages to accommodate high air flow rates, contributing to high overall efficiency, especially at part-load, and extended SOFC operational life. This invention is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from NETL.