Parametric assessment of a solid oxide fuel cell-organic Rankine cycle hybrid system for clean power generation

This paper investigates the energy performance of a hybrid system utilizing waste heat from a solid oxide fuel cell to drive an ORC. The study evaluates the ORC performance with various fluids, considering their global warming and ozone depletion potentials. To enhance system efficiency, the ORC is integrated with the solid oxide fuel cell to utilize its waste heat. A comprehensive mathematical model is developed to simulate the coupled system, encompassing all components. This study focuses on the parametric analysis of the ORC, considering crucial working parameters such as operating fluids, evaporator temperature, and pressure ratio. Cogeneration of the solid oxide fuel cell fuel by feeding the ORC increases system performance by 20%. Notably, the R290 fluid emerges as the most efficient among the proposed working fluids. These findings offer valuable insights into hybrid system energy performance, emphasizing the potential for efficiency improvement through waste heat utilization.