Industrialapplication of SOFC

systems in waste water treatment plants -Technical details

Industrial application of SOFC systems:

the DEMOSOFC project - Turin, 14/11/2017

Andrea Lanzini and Marta GandiglioPolitecnico di Torino

22

Outline

Facts on wastewater treatment plants (WWTP)

Biogas production in Europe

Biogas-fuel cell potential in Europe

Integrated WWTP-SOFC plants for increasing self-sufficiency

The case study of the DEMOSOFC plant (energy planning, design, construction and operation)

33

Facts on wastewater treatment plants

4% of the nation’s electricity use goes towards moving and treating water and wastewater by public and private entities1.

The level of access to improved sanitation across the European and North American region is relatively high (95%)

Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) are among the most expensive public industries in terms of energy requirements accounting for more than 1% of the consumption of electricity in Europe3.

[1] Electric Power Research Institute, Water & Sustainability (Volume 4): U.S. Electricity Consumption for Water Supply & Treatment—the Next Half Century, 1006787, Topical Report, March 2002

[2] The United Nations World Water Development Report 2017, Wastewater. The untapped resource

[3] http://www.enerwater.eu/enerwater-project-waste-water-treatment-plants/

44

Water and sustainability

SDG 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Source: The United Nations World Water Development Report

2017, Wastewater. The untapped resource

Wastewater in the

water cycle

66

EU biogas production by source

Source: own elaboration of Eur’ObservER data

77

Primary energy production in Europe from biogas

Source: own elaboration of Eurostat data

88

Market potential of fuel cells fed with sewage biogas

About 24,000 WWTPs in Europe

We estimated within the DEMOSOFC project a potential of up to 1 GW electric of fuel cell capacity to be installed in WWTPs.

99

Top 10 of the largest WWTPs in Europe

The top 10 largest plants treat about 5% of

the overall demand in Europe

1010

WWTPs in Italy

#50

1111

WWTP-SOFC integrated plant

1212

The DEMOSOFC plant

1515

Energy Planning Tool (EPT)

Development of an Energy Planning Tool (EPT), or Energy Simulation Tool, with a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI)

ETP is a time-resolved hourly simulation tool that provides valuable information on the system energy performance according to user-defined input variables and system constraints

A PID regulator is also able to automatically control the SOFC power output based on the amount of biogas available in the gas holder

The ETP serves as the simulation platform for a thorough techno-economic optimization of the integrated biogas SOFC plant

1818

Number of modules in the DEMOSOFC plant

Number of modules 1 2 3 4

Biogas share for electricity production 26.7% 53.4% 76.5% 97.8%

Equivalent capacity factor at full load 100.0% 99.8% 95.7% 87.3%

Number of forced shut-down due to

biogas shortage (during reference

period)

0 0 1 4

Average electrical efficiency 53.16% 53.15% 53.05% 52.66%

Average thermal efficiency 80.00% 79.96% 79.09% 77.35%

Biogas data: 2014

First results from the DEMOSOFC plant

Anaerobic digester Gas holder

Biogas feeding line:Chiller and blower

2121

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Gas

ho

lder

lev

el (

m)

Hours (h)

Biogas availability

The digester is currently producing a high biogas flow rate. Biogas is also used for sludge heating in boilers

1500 m3

Biogas processing unit

Compressedair

NHmix

N2

2323

Biogas quality

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

CH

4, C

O2

(%)

Time (h)

CH4 CO2

2424

Biogas cleaning system

0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2

100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300

Sil

ox

anes

(m

gS

i/m

3),

H2S

(p

pm

)

Time (h)

Siloxanes

H2S

0

0,02

0,04

0,06

0,08

0,1

Sulfur compounds

H2S

(m

g/m

3)

0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1

D5 D6 L5

Si

(mg

/m3

)

SOFC1

SOFC2

SOFC3

Sludge

Pump

Pump

Pump

Hydraulicseparator

SecondaryHEX

Pump

Pump

2626

Power production

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Po

wer

fro

m S

OF

C (

kW

)

Hours (h)

Until this morning, the SOFC module has produced more

than 9’800 kWh

53-56% electrical efficiency

constantly measured at the site from October 31st

2727

Electrical load coverage

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Ele

ctri

c p

ow

er [

kW

]

Electric load [kW] DEMOSOFC production [kW]

DEMOSOFC system (175 kWe) will be able to cover 25-30% of the WWTP electrical load

2828

DEMOSOFC plant construction video

2929

Acknowledgments

Risorse Idriche (SMAT internalengineering company)

Ugo Fausone, director of the works

Paolo Melotto, Assistant of the works

SMAT people

Luciano Fea, Bruno Biddau, Francesco Sforza, Amleto Raffo

Eugenio Lorenzi, Paolo Cannone, Nicoletta Mesiano

All the SMAT managing team, thanksfor your essential support!

Companies involved in the plant construction

ICEF costruzioni (Massimo Contiero)

Baratella F.lli (Massimo Baratella, Luca Taormina and all the staff)

Coop. Viridia (Giorgio Lombardo, Alessandro Bettin and allthe staff)

Biokomp (Paolo Guerra, Dominique del Genovese and allthe staff)

Components and services suppliers

BD Automation (Davide Belvedere, Fabio Troncale, Francesco Moraca)

Aston (hydro-thermal industrial components, Dr. Bussone)

Endress-Hauser (measurement instruments)

Siemens (PLC)

ABB

External experts

Ing. Gianpiero Mensa

Prof. Marina Clerico

Thank you!

www.demosofc.eu Steps POLITO

Steps POLITO

DEMOSOFC Pagedemosofc@polito.it

https://demosofc.wordpress.com

Andrea Lanzini, POLITOMarta Gandiglio, POLITO