DOE FE Distributed Generation Program

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy’s (FE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), in partnership with private industries, is leading the development and demonstration of high efficiency solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and fuel cell turbine hybrid power generation systems for near term distributed generation (DG) market with emphasis on premium power and high reliability. NETL is partnering with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in developing new directions in research under the Solid-State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) initiative for the development and commercialization of modular, low cost, and fuel flexible SOFC systems. The SECA initiative, through advanced materials, processing and system integration research and development will bring the fuel cell cost to $400/kilowatt (kW) for stationary and auxiliary power unit (APU) markets. The use of fuel cells is expected to bring about the hydrogen economy. FutureGen is a major new Presidential initiative to produce hydrogen from coal. Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance The SECA Program is the main thrust of the DOE FE DG Fuel Cell Program. SECA is also recognized as part of the Hydrogen Program. Achieving the SECA goals should result in the wide deployment of the SOFC technology in large high volume markets. This means benefits to the nation are large and cost is low, which is the SECA goal. Less expensive materials, simple stack and system design, and high volume markets are the three criteria that must be met by a fuel cell system to compete in today’s energy market. Near zero emissions, fuel flexibility, modularity, high efficiency, simple CO2 capture will provide a national payoff that gets bigger as these markets get larger. The SECA program is dedicated to developing innovative, effective, low-cost ways to commercialize SOFCs. The program is designed to move fuel cells out of limited niche markets into widespread market applications by making them available at a cost of $400 per kilowatt or less through the mass customization of common modules. SECA fuel cells will operate on today’s conventional fuels such as natural gas, diesel, as well as coal, gas, and hydrogen, the fuel of tomorrow. The program will provide a bridge to the hydrogen economy beginning with the introduction of SECA fuel cells for stationary (both central generation and distributed energy) and auxiliary power applications. The SECA program is currently structured to include competing industry teams supported by a crosscutting core technology program. SECA has six industry teams working on designs that can be massproduced at costs that are ten-fold less than current costs. The SECA core technology program is made up of researchers from industry suppliers and manufacturers as well as from universities and national laboratories all working towards addressing key science and technology gaps to provide breakthrough solutions to critical issues facing SECA. Delphi, in partnership with Battelle, is developing a 5 kW, planar, 700 °C – 800 °C, anode supported SOFC compact unit for the DG and APU markets. Delphi is expert at system integration and high volume manufacturing and cost reduction. They are focused on making a very compact and light weight system suitable for auxiliary power in transportation applications. General Electric is