Summary:
An Italian startup has developed innovative technologies for cogeneration plants based on solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The innovation consists of a new process that allows a SOFC system to be fed directly by biogas, without degradation of the cell components and with high energy efficiency. The company team has developed a set of numeric models and simulations tools to process distributed power generation system based on SOFC. They offer the technologies under technical cooperation agreement.
Description:
This innovative startup is a spin-off of an Italian university. The company's mission is to offer innovative solutions for both energy production and environmental protection, through the development and marketing of innovative products and/or services of high technological value in the field of systems for the valorization of alternative energy sources. The focus is on "green and clean energy", with a particular interest in the "waste to energy chain". Fuel cell systems are at the base of the company vision for energy cogeneration and hydrogen production. In particular, the technology adopted is the high-temperature SOFC, which has higher energy efficiency and environmental sustainability compared to conventional technologies.
The company's expertise is mainly in the design, simulation (numerical and experimental), and management of fuel cell-based systems.
The reference market is agri-food, which presents many opportunities for positioning in the transformation of waste whose disposal involves a high economic burden for entrepreneurs. The competitors of the field are the actors involved in the "waste to energy" chain with conventional technologies.
The Italian company offers services for the designing of the following: -hybrid systems with conventional and non conventional technologies; systems for hydrogen propulsion and electricity generation with efficient, clean, and safe innovative technologies; co-trigeneration systems for the production of electric, thermal and cooling energy; polygeneration systems with fuel cells and hydrogen technologies; integrated systems with renewable energy sources for the production, accumulation, and distribution of hydrogen. The company also offers research services to third parties regarding investigation via experimental activities, modeling, and ad-hoc built simulation tool of the following energy systems: hydrogen production; distribution and supply of hydrogen; stationary power generation and sustainable mobility applications.
The company offers innovative technologies for cogeneration plants based on SOFC. The innovation consists of a new process that allows a SOFC system to be fed directly by biogas, without degradation of the cell components and with high energy efficiency.
Moreover, the company team has developed a set of numeric models and simulations tools to process the following:
- distributed power generation system based on solid oxide fuel cell;
- high-temperature water electrolysis system;
- non-high pressure hydrogen storage and transportation system;
- high-efficiency large-scale polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer technology.
Distributed power generation systems based on SOFC and high-temperature water electrolysis systems are investigated via modeling and ad-hoc built simulation tool. The team makes also use of a suitably designed SOFC-SOE (solid oxide electrolyse) experimental station for the electrical characterization of solid oxide fuel cells.
Modeling on metal hydrides for hydrogen storage and their applications in light-duty vehicles, and as energy storage within a smart grid. The latter is also going to be investigated via experimental activities in the university lab, with the arrival of an experimental set-up for metal hydrides.
Modeling of thermo-electrochemical phenomena occurring in electrolyzer systems developed ad hoc at various levels of detail: stationary and dynamic modeling and optimization models.
The company is looking for universities and private companies that want to collaborate for the development of research projects in the sectors described above.
Furthermore, the company wants to start collaborations in the context of technical cooperation agreements with industrial partners who manage or want to implement cogeneration plants. In this case, the collaborations will take place within the framework of technical cooperation agreements.
Type (e.g. company, R&D institution…), field of industry and Role of Partner Sought:
Type of partner sought:
- energy service companies that manage cogeneration plants and that are going to upgrade the technology by adopting SOFC technology.
- universities and private companies for research projects on biogas and hydrogen production.
- big farms and consortia that are going to implement a cogeneration plant.
The company can provide consultancy, research, and design activities on the aforementioned items. The cooperation will be carried out under research and technical cooperation agreements.
Stage of Development:
Under development/lab tested
Comments Regarding Stage of Development:
A prototype of SOFC technology, with associated equipment, is present in the "fuel cell" laboratory of the team. Currently, this prototype works with mixtures rich in hydrogen and methane: to allow biogas to function as SOFC feed gas, it is necessary to implement a cleanup system and gas chromatography measurements. This implementation will allow, together with other gases currently present in the fuel system, to actually generate and simulate the biogas produced by anaerobic reactor plants. Having available the real composition of the biogas, the experimental simulations that will be carried out in the prototype plant will allow having the energy response of the SOFC systems such as to extend the operation of the real integrated energy system, from the experimental environment to pre-industrial environment.
The important aspects, on which the team is focusing, are the definition of the optimal mix of organic biomass for the production of biogas with higher energy content and the optimal use of biogas for the production of electricity and thermal energy through a SOFC system. In this regard, to carry out the activities at the pre-industrial level, the SOFC experimental station must be equipped with an adequate cleanup section of the raw biogas (collected at the digester level), and supported by an adequate gas composition measurement system (gas chromatography) at the entrance and exit of the cleanup section, to feed a SOFC stack with biogas. This upgrade, together with the use of highly specialized personnel, refers to the present application, aimed at the functionalization of the system and the achievement of a higher TRL. The implementation of a biogas cleanup section that provides for the abatement of sulfur-containing compounds, will allow the functionalization test of the SOFC unit and thus the characterization of the energy unit, with the construction of its energy mapping. This action allows the increase of TRL by one unit, extending it to TRL 5.
IPR Status:
Other
External code:
TOIT20210413002
