highly efficient

flexible

clean

Electrical efficiency of the SOFC/MGT Hybrid Power Plant concept compared to other

power plant concepts This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 641073

What is Bio-HyPP?The Bio-HyPP power plant is a combined heat and power (CHP) system using biogas. The Bio-HyPP concept is based on a hybrid power plant - a combination of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and a micro gas turbine (MGT). The project aims at developing a full-scale technology demonstrator with an electric power output of 30 kW.

Why is Bio-HyPP unique?The technology has the potential to achieve the highest electric efficiency while achieving high load and fuel flexibility at lowest emissions.

Realizing this concept would validate the great potential of the hybrid power plant as a highly efficient, flexible and energy-sustainable source of heat and electrical power.

Project InformationDuration

Start date: 1st June 2015 End date: 31st May 2019

Project Coordinator Melanie HerbstDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- undRaumfahrt e.V. (DLR)Pfaffenwaldring 38-4070569 Stuttgart, Germanywww.dlr.de

e-mail info@bio-hypp.eu

Project Website

www.bio-hypp.eu

Project Partners

Biogas-fired CombinedHybrid Heat and Power Plant

for sustainable energy

Block diagram of the Hybrid Power Plant concept

Air Bio-Gas

Heat

Micro gasturbine

Solid OxidFuel Cells

Hybrid Power Plant

HeatPower

How does it work? Context and future Challenges

The air is compressed by the compressor (1) of the MGT, and pre-heated in the recuperator (2).Before entering the SOFC (3) the biogas has to be reformed. The unused fuel and the products of the SOFC are recirculated to increase the system efficiency.The remaining SOFC fuel downstream of the SOFC is oxidized in a combustion chamber (4). The hot exhaust gases are expanded in the turbine (5). The remaining heat can be used for heating or process heat & steam purposes (6).

Today’s situation

• High primary energy consumption

• Waste of thermal energy on biogas production sites

• High amount of volatile renewable energy sources

• Wide range of biogas compositions & quality

• Progressing climate change

• Air pollution caused by power production

• Increase of electric efficiency

• Increase of ratio between electrical power and heat

• Increase of operational flexibility (load & fuel)

• Energy production driven by demand of electricity

• Reduction of the CO2 footprint

• Reduction of harmful emissions

CHP challenges Bio-HyPP objectives

• Electrical efficiency > 60%• Total efficiency > 90%• Power to heat ratio > 2• Primary energy savings > 50%

• Operational flexibility (25% to 100% el. power)

• Fuel flexibility: all types of biogas & natural gas

• CO2 neutral• Low emissions:

NOx < 10 ppm CO < 20 ppm UHC < 1 ppm

System integration anddemonstration

effi

cien

tfl

exib

lecl

ean

Scientific Tasks

The pressurized and pre-heated air increases

the power density and efficiency of the

SOFC, significantly reducing the SOFC stacks

needed for the given power output. The

generator of the MGT produces additional

electrical power without using extra fuel.

Fuel flexible combustion system

Efficient turbochargers for wide operation range

Cost effective high temperature recuperator

Emergency and instability avoidance

Power conversion optimisation

Thermodynamic performance modelling

Combined control strategy

Market analysis and techno-economic feasibility

Pressurized SOFC-system characterisation

Fuel cell degradation

Life Cycle Assessmentand Life Cycle Cost