Conceptual Design of Coal and Biomass Gasification Integrated with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell for the Suralaya Steam Power Plant Using Thermodynamic Process Simulation
Keywords:
Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), Biomass Co-Gasification, Electrical Efficiency Thermodynamic Simulation, Suralaya Power PlantAbstract
This study presents a conceptual design of a hybrid energy system that integrates coal and biomass gasification with a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) for the Suralaya Steam Power Plant. Using Aspen Plus simulation, a Light-Integrated Gasification Fuel Cell (L-IGFC) configuration is proposed, which includes a dry gas desulfurization unit, a gas expander, a SOFC module, and a steam turbine system. The model simulates thermodynamic performance and evaluates key variables such as fuel composition, temperature, and flow rate. Simulation results show that increasing the share of biomass (up to 10%) enhances the system's electrical efficiency from 65.6% to 69.1%, due to the lower heating value characteristics of biomass. SOFC performance analysis highlights that ohmic polarization losses dominate at higher current densities, reducing cell voltage and efficiency. Fuel utilization and recycling strategies are also explored to optimize performance. The findings suggest that co-firing biomass with coal in an IGFC system is a promising solution for improving power plant efficiency while reducing emissions.
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