Solid State Fuel Cell Energy Production

Project goal: To design a distributed generation fuel cell system to replace the fraction of energy that the University of Arizona currently purchases from Tucson Electric Power. The design reacts methane and hydrogen in a reformer to produce hydrogen for the fuel cells’ feedstock and carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The hydrogen and carbon dioxide are fed to a pressure-swing adsorption column, which removes carbon dioxide, and the pure hydrogen is fed to the fuel cells. The process uses a solid-oxide fuel cell that reacts oxygen and hydrogen across a cadmium cathode to produce water and electricity, which is then fed to the University of Arizona’s power grid. Heat from the carbon dioxide is recovered by heating up the air feed to the fuel cell using a heat exchanger. The addition of fuel cells around campus allows the University to be powered by green energy while reducing its electricity bill. The water produced as waste is reused in the heating and cooling system for the fuel cells.