Systematic Optimization of a H2 PEMFC Power Generation System with Heat Integration

We examine a H2 PEMFC power generation system composed of three subsystems: fuel reforming, fuel cell stack, and post combustion. The system was simulated and optimized with a fuel cell model integrated within the process flow sheet. We present a case study of the H2 production optimized w.r.t. the CH4 and H2O inlet flow rate and the temperature of steam methane reform reactor. Our objectives are to maximize the system efficiency,minimize the operating cost or maximize the profit. In addition, optimization formulations with heat integration are used to realize our objectives. Our results showed that we can achieve a system efficiency as high as 57.2% at an optimal steam to carbon ratio of 4:1. Also, we obtained about 1 percent higher efficiency for the case with heat integration than without it. On the other hand, the effect of heat integration is much more significant in the minimum utility cost case, as the utility cost is almost tripled without heat integration.