Thermodynamic Analysis of a Combined System of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine Fed by Methanol and Using a Solar System

Methanol is unique as an alternative fuel due to its low pollution and transportation costs, which can be decomposed into synthetic gas by operating catalysts at 250-300 °C. The use of this fuel after synthesis in solid oxide fuel cell, which has been considered by researchers in recent years, can have unique properties. In the present work, in the form of a triple system of power generation, cooling, and heating using solar energy, methanol is first synthesized and converted into gases used in solid oxide fuel cell. The fuel cell system, which is actually combined with a gas turbine system to increase power generation, in addition to generating power, provides the heat needed to generate cooling in an absorption chiller. The results of energy and exergy analysis of the proposed system showed that by controlling the methanol flow rate and temperature, the conversion efficiency reaches over 60%. According to the results of exergy analysis, the irreversible losses of light to heat and heat losses in the solar decomposition reaction of methanol make up about 13% of the total input exergy.