The Results of a 220 kW Air-Cooled Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell Demonstration

Abstract

A 220 kW air-cooled phosphoric acid fuel cell demonstration plant has been developed with a view to apply to a cogeneration system for in-city use, and installed at Shin-Tokyo power station in Tokyo, Japan. A preliminary test has been carried out to define the system performance and to assess the operationability of individual components.
The system can be characterized by its newly-designed air-cooled fuel cell, which operates at an atmospheric pressure, and a compact rectangular reformer with a high thermal efficiency. The test results revealed that the system was capable of generating power at a rate of 207 kW, though the designed value at full load; 220 kW; could not be achieved because of minor technical problems, that could be easily improved after this test phase. The fuel cells gave satisfactory results in the voltage-current characteristic curve and the uniformity of the cell voltage. The reformer could be heated up at a rate of 350°C/h, so that the rapid cold-start operation was possible. The initial operation test was, thus, successfully carried out, and the necessity of further experimental work was supported.