Sustainable Design, Manufacture and End-of-life Management of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Start - Finish:

2006-2008

Research Conducted by:

Eileen Wright

Keywords:

Fuel cells, sustainable design, environmental legislation, end-of-life management, life cycle assessment

Industrial collaborators:

Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems limited

Aims & Objectives:

Solid oxide fuel cell technology offers environmental benefits in electricity generation and as such has much to offer in future sustainable energy scenarios. To date, development efforts have focused primarily on achieving performance, reliability and cost targets appropriate for commercialisation. The research aims to develop and implement a decision support system and strategy which will contribute to optimising sustainability aspects, not only during operation but also at the design, manufacturing and end-of-life stages of the technology life cycle.

The following objectives have been defined to support this aim:

• Identification of environmental legislation that may impinge upon the manufacture, use and disposal of fuel cell systems for stationary power generation applications in Europe, North America and Asia

• Evaluation of the first generation fuel cell system power generator design with a view to identifying any possible conflicts with existing and expected legislation

• Development of strategies and procedures for dealing with these conflicts, including proposals for modifications of the first generation design before its finalisation

• Completion of a major eco-design study to optimise the sustainable manufacture, use and end-of-life processes of the second generation design

• Development and implementation of a “decision support system and strategy” to enable designers and manufacturing engineers to select systems and strategies which minimise adverse environmental impact and promote the sustainability of the product.

Brief Description

Fuel cell technology is widely accepted as providing a clean, efficient means of generating electricity. Different types of fuel cell are being developed for a broad range of power generation applications, ranging from space travel to cars and buses, and powering everything from pocket-sized MP3 players to entire business parks.

The technology is based on electrochemical combination of a hydrogen-rich fuel gas with oxygen from the air. When hydrogen is used as the fuel gas, the only by-product from the electricity generation process is water.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are a type of fuel cell best suited to stationary power generation applications and benefit from being flexible with regard to fuel requirements. They typically operate at temperatures between 600 – 950 °C, and the exhaust heat released from the fuel cell can be used in combined heat and power (CHP) applications, or to drive a gas turbine in a hybrid system. Thus overall energy efficiency can be maximised.
 

With the environmental impacts of ever-increasing energy consumption being high on the global agenda, SOFC systems for stationary power generation would appear to have a clear place in future energy strategies. Research and development efforts have thus been directed towards the achievement of durability, reliability and economic performances which will allow widespread adoption of the technology. However, with the increasing relevance of sustainable design, the requirement to incorporate sustainability principles into ongoing product development is essential for two reasons:

1. To ensure compliance with current and future legislation addressing sustainability issues: Legislation is increasingly addressing life cycle issues, such as materials selection and end-of-life management. Fuel cell technology needs to develop in line with existing and anticipated future requirements to ensure that risks of non-compliance in a global marketplace are minimised.

2. To ensure that the expectations of customers, investors and other stakeholders are fulfilled: Fuel cells are recognised as a “green” technology, based on their operational performance. As such it should be anticipated that stakeholders will be sensitive to unsustainable aspects of the wider product life cycle. The project addresses both aspects, based on the principle that compliance with legislation provides the minimum acceptable level of environmental performance, from which sustainable design practices can be developed (Figure 1). These practices are applied to each stage of the technology life cycle, including material selection, manufacturing and end-of-life management.

Publications

Wright E., Clegg A.J., Rahimifard S. and Jones L., “Environmental legislation and its implications across the life-cycle of stationary solid oxide fuel cell systems in Europe”, presented at the 5th International Conference on Design and Manufacture for Sustainable Development, Loughborough, July 10th – 11th 2007

Wright E., Clegg A.J., Rahimifard S. and Jones L., “An investigation into end-of-life management of solid oxide fuel cells”, presented at the 3rd International Conference on Life Cycle Management, Zurich, August 27th – 29th 2007