Post-SOFC Residual Fuel Oxidizer for CO2 Capture

The U.S. needs reliable and clean energy sources for sustainable economic growth and a secure future. Currently 40% of U.S. power is produced from pulverizied coal-fired boilers. Power generation systems based on solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology are an attractive alternative for coal-fueled electricity production. SOFC systems have the advantage of higher system efficiencies (40 to 60%) and lower emissions than conventional pulverized coal power plants. Further, these systems have the benefit of being particularly amenable to CO2 capture because the air and fuel are kept in separate streams in the fuel cell. To achieve this efficient power production from domestic coal with CO2 capture, technologies are needed to oxidize the residual fuel from the anode exhaust of the SOFCs so that the CO2 can be isolated. An efficient and low technology fuel oxidizer technology is needed which can be integrated with gasifier fuel cell system. To economically oxidize residual fuel in the SOFC anode exhaust TDA proposes a chemical looping combustion technology, which uses an oxygen sorbent to burn the residual fuel. Thus, the fuel is oxidized without being diluted with nitrogen and without requiring an air separation unit. In Phase I, we will develop a low cost oxygen sorbent that can convert all residual hydrogen and CO into water and CO2 in the anode exhaust with less than 1 ppm O2. This process will enable 100% CO2 capture. In the Phase I and Phase II project we will demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of the process. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The process developed in this Phase I project advances chemical looping combustion technology for capture of CO2 in the anode exhaust gas of coal synthesis gas based SOFC. This new technology can be applied to other fossil fuel based power generation plants including natural gas, biomass, and coal. Additionally, it can also be applied to other fossil fuel plant (coal, natural gas, oil, etc) that makes synthesis gas, hydrogen, or Fischer Tropschs as the final product. Because it is not specific to the process or the fossil fuel type, this CO2 capture technology can have a wide impact on protecting air quality while meeting U.S. fuel and power needs.