Midterm Review Paper by Laboratory for Heat and Power

www.flumaback.eu Financed by EU

FluMaBack Stationary Power Generation & CHP The FluMaBack (Fluid Management component improvement for Back up fuel cell systems) project aims at improving the performance, life time and cost of balance of plant (BOP) components of back up fuel cell systems specifically developed for emerging countries where long black-outs occur (8-9 hours per day). Due to this long time operation requirement the improvement of system components addressed in this project will benefit both back-up and CHP applications.

General information  Project reference: FCH JU 301782 Call for proposals: 2010 Application Area: SP1-JTI-FCH.3: Stationary Power Generation & CHP Project type: Research and Technological Development Topic: SP1-JTI-FCH.2011.3.3: Component Improvement for Stationary Power Applications Contract type: Collaborative project Start date: 01 July 2012 End date: 30 June 2015 Duration: 36 months Project budget: € 4.44 million Project funding: € 2.77 million

Main goals

Structure of the project

  Improving BoP components performance, in terms of reliability;  Improving the lifetime of BoP components;  Reducing cost in a mass production perspective;  Simplifying the manufacturing/assembly process of the entire fuel cell system;

Main focus     

 BoP components Air blower Hydrogen pump Heat exchanger Humidifier

Project is divided in seven (7) work packages (WP) including partners from four (4) European countries. Coordinator is Electro power systems from Turin, Italy. Main BoP and system research/development phase is included in WP 3 and WP 4, WP 5 is mainly for testing of components and the system. In WP 6 RCS (regulation, codes and standards) and market preparation is included, and a big part plays LCA analysis of system manufacturing, operation and end-of-life. Collaborative Project: Fluid Management component improvement for Back up fuel cell systems Proposal Number: 301782 Application Area: SP1-JTI-FCH.3: Stationary Power Generation & CHP Topic: SP1-JTI-FCH.2011.3.3: Component improvement for stationary power applications

Coordinator: Electro Power Systems S.p.A., Ilaria Rosso Strada Carignano 48/2, 10024 Moncalieri Tel. +39 011 9899817 Web: www.flumaback.eu

www.flumaback.eu Financed by EU

Achievements of the first 18 month of the project First release of BoP prototypes All balance of plant components were developed and 1 st release of prototypes for 3 kW systems were already tested by Nedstack and EPS. Three stage air blower from Domel

Hydrogen recirculation pump from Domel

Air is supplied to the system by a three stage blower that covers all pressure losses within fuel cell stack and the rest of the system while providing appropriate air flow rate into the stack. Tests have been done for specifications defined in WP2 and the following parameters:

Excess hydrogen is returned back to the fuel cell stack by a one stage pump designed specifically for low flow rates and particular operating conditions imposed by hydrogen. Tests have been done for specifications defined in WP2 and the following parameters:

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Reference blower vs. new blower Flow (Nlpm) vs pressure Electrical consumption

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Reference vs. new pump Flow vs pressure difference (≥50 mbarg) Electrical consumption

Stack performance

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Stack performance

Air humidifier from Tubiflex

Corrugated plate heat exchanger from Onda

Humidification of air entering fuel cell stack is done by recuperation of humidity from air exiting the fuel stack. A shell-and-tube like humidifier is proposed for the task.

Hydrogen entering the system is heated by recuperation of excess heat from air exiting the fuel cell stack. A conventional corrugated plate heat exchanger is proposed for the task.

Collaborative Project: Fluid Management component improvement for Back up fuel cell systems Proposal Number: 301782 Application Area: SP1-JTI-FCH.3: Stationary Power Generation & CHP Topic: SP1-JTI-FCH.2011.3.3: Component improvement for stationary power applications

Coordinator: Electro Power Systems S.p.A., Ilaria Rosso Strada Carignano 48/2, 10024 Moncalieri Tel. +39 011 9899817 Web: www.flumaback.eu

www.flumaback.eu Financed by EU

Testing the first release of the system with 1st release BoPs Two test rigs were set up in by Nedstack and Environment Park and initial tests of entire fuel cell system with reference and new BoP components were performed. A first prototype of the power system has been established by EPS to be the “platform” to place the BoP component developed by the partners. A first release of piping and liquid water removal has been mounted together with power electronics and controllers and auxiliary components, as shown in the picture left.

Nedstack established BoP testing system to test all components and the whole system performance and BoP components influence on stack performance.

Regulations, codes and standards Goals:  Analysis of the full range of regulations, codes and standards (RCS) that apply fuel.  Cells and hydrogen.  Define an stationary fuel cell system.  Determination the most important RCS.  Analysis of the most important. European directives and regulations that apply stationary fuel cell power generation systems have been analysed. Despite the extensive legislation at European level applicable to any process or equipment involved in the manufacture and development of electric fuel cell power generation, there is still no explicit legislation regarding such systems. Regarding the analysis taken, it could be concluded that the prototype will be developed with the aim to be compliant with all the regulations and standards related to this application.

Life cycle assessment analysis Main goals of the study are:  To do detailed analysis of environmental impacts in the production and utilization phase of HT-UPS.  To do detailed inventory analysis and LCA numerical model of HT-UPS.  If possible to compare HT-UPS with alternative UPS (gasoline, battery) of the same electrical power.

Coordinator: Electro Power Systems S.p.A., Ilaria Rosso Strada Carignano 48/2, 10024 Moncalieri Tel. +39 011 9899817 Web: www.flumaback.eu

www.flumaback.eu Financed by EU

A top-to-bottom principle was used to optimally model the system, sequentially dividing the system into smaller segments as far as there was available data. In the LCA study FluMaBack UPS system was modelled in manufacturing and operational phase. The study was cradle to end of utilization phase. All BoP components, casing, auxiliary components and transport are included in the study. Since the system is designed to operate in emerging countries where daily blackouts from 6 to 8 hours on daily basis also transport to emerging country is included. Results demonstrate the importance of hydrogen production technology that is by far most influential in whole LCA model.

Dissemination 10 papers/conferences in total have to be realized during FluMaBack project. A lot of effort is put into dissemination activities and so far one scientific paper, [1], one expert paper, [2], master thesis [3] and six presences at conferences with presentations or/and posters [4]-[10] were realized. In 2014 publication from LCA study is planned, the presence at World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Korea in June is confirmed and since FluMaBack project entered second part of timeline quite some dissemination activity is foreseen. [1]

A. Debenjak, P. Boškoski, B. Musizza, J. Petrovčič and Đ. Juričić: Fast measurement of PEM fuel cell impedance based on PRBS perturbation signals and Continuous Wavelet Transform, Journal of Power Sources, 254 (2014) 112 - 118

[2]

Sinenergija: Slovenian academia and industry in development of hydrogen technology equipment, 2014

[3]

Čemažar, Domen. Design and development of hydrogen recirculation blower for fuel cell application: master thesis. Ljubljana: [D. Čemažar], 2013. XIV f., 90 pg., illustrated.

[4]

Presentation of Domel’s BoP component (air blower) by The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, Hannover Messe, 7. April – 11. April 2014, Germany

[5]

Lange Nacht der Forschung, Alpen-Adria, Universität Klagenfurt Lakeside Science & Technology Park, http://www.langenachtderforschung.at/, Poster: Flumaback activities and LCA results, Klagenfurt, 4th of April, Austria

[6]

European Fuel Cell Technology & Applications Piero Lunghi Conference, Poster, Side Event Dissemination of European Projects, Poster Session | Project Cocktail 12th December, 11.-13. December 2013

[7]

Development and economic challenges of hydrogen technologies breakthrough into practice, Chemical Institute, Ljubljana, 15. November 2013

[8]

Programme Review Days by FCH JU, 11. November 2013, Brussels

[9]

FP7 Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, MIUR, Piazza Kennedy 20, Roma: Link to web, 21. January 2013

[10]

Energia e idrogeno, L’esperienza italiana nel programma europeo Idrogeno e celle a combustibile [Energy and hydrogen, the Italian experience in the European Hydrogen and Fuel Cells], Organizzato da H2IT, Milano, 13. December 2012, Italy

Coordinator: Electro Power Systems S.p.A., Ilaria Rosso Strada Carignano 48/2, 10024 Moncalieri Tel. +39 011 9899817 Web: www.flumaback.eu