High Temperature Co-Electrolysis Model for Sector Coupling : Thermodynamic and Detailed Models of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells and Systems

Sammanfattning: The increased development of intermittent renewable energy supplies not only demands robust storage technology, but also alternative means to produce materials in ways to avoid fossil fuel consumption and make use of the increasing electricity supply. Power to gas (PtG) through solid oxide cell (SOC) co-electrolysis reactors provide an attractive manner to overcome both challenges. The performance of co-electrolysis reactors for sector coupling purposes was investigated through mathematical models at the stack and system level.The system level model involved the development of an ideal power to methane (PtM) system with no losses in the auxiliary units and ideal SOC operation. This model was used to determine the maximum achievable efficiencies independent of technology, for a co-electrolysis and steam electrolysis based PtM in two different schemes: atmospheric SOC with pressurised methanation reactor and equal pressure between the SOC and methanation reactor. The performance of the system was analysed through the exergy method for different operating temperatures and pressures. The system was designed to be completely coupled, where the heat generated by one process was usable for another. Functional exergy efficiency was one of the main performance criteria used for comparison. It was found that for an ideal system, co-electrolysis operation was marginally beneficial over steam electrolysis at the system level based on exergetic efficiency. This is further compounded when considering the product yield, where the co-electrolysis systems outperform the steam electrolysis systems significantly.The stack level model involved introducing a new modelling framework based on fundamental charge transfer interactions to modify a transient steam/