Optimization of Integrated Solid Refuse Fuel and Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell System for Hydrogen Production

In this study, a performance predictive model for hydrogen production was developed for the commercialization of the integrated solid refuse fuel (SRF) and solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) system. A SRF system was developed, and reliability was verified in the steam conditions for the SOEC application. Systems optimization according to parametric analysis was conducted in the predictive model based on the experiments. When the steam temperature varies between 973 and 1,373 K, hydrogen production increases by 14% to 64 tons per year at 1,373 K; meanwhile, when the steam pressure varies between 0.1 and 0.7 MPa, the performance deteriorates significantly. Under optimal conditions (temperature: 1,373 K; pressure: 0.3 MPa; mass flow rate 200 kg/h), the amount of steam that can be produced by the integrated SRF-SOEC system is 1,752 tons per year, which can yield 87.6 tons of hydrogen per year. When SRF was used as a heat source, compared with the use of LNG, a total annual cost saving of approximately 2.6% was realized. The break-even point can be reduced by approximately 5 months, which reflects economic efficiency.