Lowering emissions while saving energy Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology is finding its way into homes thanks to an EU-funded project. Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind fuel trigenerator providing cooling, heat and power. Climate Change and Environment Energy © RGBAlpha, Thinkstock SOFCs are energy conversion devices combining hydrogen in an electrochemical reaction to generate electricity and heat with considerably greater efficiency than conventional combustion devices. Hydrogen can be supplied from hydrocarbon-rich fuels such as natural gas, which is available for domestic use. For three years, researchers worked on the TRISOFC (Durable solid oxide fuel cell tri-generation system for low carbon buildings) project to advance this technology. They developed a low-temperature SOFC prototype for on-site trigeneration that runs on natural gas. The new system integrates a low-temperature SOFC stack and a membrane desiccant unit. It also includes additional components such as a steam reforming unit to generate natural gas and equipment for the electrical, mechanical and control balance. All these components were tested in the laboratory for optimisation and miniaturisation. The TRISOFC prototype system was also tested in a unique living test site, the Creative Energy Homes at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Test results confirmed that the system boasts extraordinary features that set it apart from anything developed before. Specifically, the operating temperature is between 500 and 600 ºC, significantly lower than conventional SOFCs of 800 and 1000 ºC. In addition, this low-temperature SOFC is based on a single component nanocomposite material, invented by TRISOFC partners, and is unique in that it can act as an anode, cathode and electrolyte. This innovative material has the potential to reduce costs and complexity while increasing system reliability and durability. Lastly, the SOFC can be integrated with an open-cycle desiccant dehumidification and cooling system to provide heating, cooling and thermal storage. This combination had not been achieved before in fuel cells but has the advantage of maximising the utilisation of waste heat. Keywords Solid oxide fuel cell, trigenerator, energy conversion, TRISOFC, nanocomposite material
