Combination of thermochemical recuperative coal gasification cycle and fuel cell for power generation

An integrated power generation cycle combining thermochemical recuperation, brown coal gasification and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) was proposed based on the concept of thermochemical recuperative energy. Process simulation combining the coal gasifier, gas turbine cycle, and SOFC module was conducted using the ASPEN Plus process simulation tool. The simulation indicated that the cycle efficiency increases from 39.5% (HHV) without the SOFC to about 45% (HHV) with the SOFC.