NIP stationary energy supply

NIP has the goal to further develop and provide additional decisive impulses to the high standard already achieved in Germany, in order to initiate the next phase of development – market preparation. After low temperature and boiler technology, combined heat and power (cogeneration) with fuel cells will represent the next technological leap in the area of household energy supply.

In broadly-based demonstration projects (lighthouse projects), the technology will be tested for its suitability for everyday deployment. For this purpose, in pilot customer projects, fuel cell-powered heating appliances are to be installed in residential buildings and business enterprises, as a collaboration between the manufacturers and the energy supply companies. The considerably larger number of facilities enables the manufacturers to develop and test the next phase of the production process and thus lay the foundation for later serial production. The project results should be communicated to a wider interested public.

The process will be carried out in two chronological phases and on two levels (R&D and demostration) (see image). Phase 1 serves the development of materials, components and systems, which will be tested in the accompanying demonstration. Findings from phase 1 will be incorporated in the R&D work in phase 2. In this phase, more than 2,000 facilities for supplying energy to buildings will be in operation.

In the context of methane reformation, new components will be developed that remain stable long-term. The integration of the processed gas into the overall system should lead to compact and inexpensive solutions. In the longer-term, reformers are planned for additional fuels such as liquid gas and sulphur-free heating oil. During this period, the level of efficiency and operating life of the systems should be examined as key points in development. In the case of the fuel cell stack, the increase in the durability (10,000 h in the first phase and 25,000 h in the second phase) and the reliability, as well as the further development of the production process, rate very highly.

The most important technical goals in the lower-temperature PEMFC development are the increase of the stack performance density, the reduction of the precious metal content and the amount of water used, the greatest possible autonomy of operations from the water system, as well as the increase in CO2 and the sulphur tolerance. Alongside this, the CO2-resistant high-temperature membrane (120-200°C) enables a promising technology, also with view to a simplified gas processing and heat-exchanging device. The goal for the SOFC cells is to reduce the dependence of the power density on the operating temperature and at the same time to improve the mechanical rigidity, robustness and stability of the load cycle.

The heat management of the fuel cell stack should be improved using new constructive solutions in combination with the implementation of new materials. The redox stability (admittance of small amounts of oxygen to the anode side of the cells in the hot operating mode) of the stack and stability in the context of alternating thermal loads are an important precondition for the development of ready-for-series low output SOFC systems. Timesaving endurance tests and simulation processes should be developed for the individual components and systems. The further development of the production processes and the optimisation of the integration of fuel cell heating appliances is an important cost-reduction objective.

The projects prepare the market partners for the broad-based market launch of the fuel cell systems (fitters, planners, architects, institutes of higher education and end customers) through practical application as well as training and further education. The supply chain should be started by the introduction of larger quantities of items and an initial market for suppliers should be created. In this way, costs can be reduced in retrospect and the investment in retail customer prices will become more attractive. The impact of remote power plants on the electricity supply networks should be ascertained and virtual power stations tested. In addition, the results achieved should lead to targeted R&D work for the next generation of fuel cell systems and the optimisation of products to achieve full market viability. Other goals are the increase in the customer acceptance as well as the further development of the basic legal parameters and the practical verification of the CO2 savings potential.

The main focus of the development of the stationary industrial application is on demonstration and lighthouse projects in different areas of application, ranging from information technology to decentralised energy supply. Within the extensive scope of performance of the stationary application, these projects should demonstrate the technological developments using different fuels, and additional customer experience should be gathered and evaluated through installation, service and maintenance.

The basic functionality of the fuel cells in industrial applications could already be put to the test in pilot plants. However, further development and experience is not required for achieving the goal of creating international, competitive facilities for the global energy supply market. Here, the emphasis is on the development objectives such as improving the reliability, reducing the complexity of the systems and minimising the costs. Furthermore, the R&D and demonstration activities must be closely coordinated. They should be supplemented by a market launch programme.

The considerably higher number of facilities in comparison to the stand-alone test facilities should enable the manufacturers to develop and test the next stage of the production process in order to lay the foundation for later series production.

The process will take place at different times, in two phases and on two levels (R&D and demonstration).

Phase 1 serves the development of materials, components and systems, which will be tested in the corresponding demonstration of numerous facilities with an installed performance capacity of more than 50 MW. Findings from phase 1 will be incorporated in phase 2, within which the production process and cost reduction programmes will primarily be implemented, leading to the installation of more than 620 MW.

For the MCFC technology, the planned R&D activities include cell optimisation with high-temperature and corrosion-resistant coatings, the optimisation of the stacking mechanism, the increase in the power density, and the further development of the manufacturing process and production technology.

The adaption of the system and cell technology to biogenic fuels enlarges the scope of application and makes it possible to implement renewable energy efficiently. In addition, system extensions with ORC and pyrolysis gas facilities, peripheral electricity applications, as well as innovative energy recovery peripheral equipment improve the scope for implementation and increase the market potential. In the process, the range of performance is to be extended from 250 kWel (2007) to more than 1500 kWel per system (2012).

In the case of tubular SOFC technology, the main focus of R&D is on system development, the development of new cell types, the increase in power density, the drop in the working temperature to approx. 650°C and the coupling with a gas turbine in the pressure operation. The operation with coal gas and CO₂ separation should be developed ready for demonstration by 2015. Performance levels of between 125 and 2000 kWel are planned.

In the field of planar SOFC technology, a 100 kW system should be developed by 2010, as well as the development of modules with a compact construction and a higher power density, with the result that cost-effective economic parameters can be further developed.

The supply chain should be set in motion with larger piece numbers and an initial market should be created for the supplier.

In addition, the findings gained from the practical implementation should lead to targeted R&D operations for the next generation of fuel cell systems and the optimisation of products to full commercial viability.

Operators and manufacturers should gain experience with small piece numbers and for this purpose should develop and test the appropriate production facilities and respective process. Going beyond the parameters of competition, the facilities and consumer behaviour should be analysed stochastically, the planning, installation and maintenance should be tested by manufacturers and specialised service providers, and market restrictions for commercial application should be identified and eliminated.

For this purpose, projects are planned with new stack and system developments, with different fuels, or, for example, with greater performance capacity. Combinations with innovative gas purification and gasification technologies should be tested, while NIP funding will be limited to the fuel-cell-specific sections of the project.

The facility service life of 120,000 h (2015), an increase in the stack operating life, an improvement of the overall degree of efficiency to up to 90% (2015), as well as the long-term coupling of high-temperature fuel cells with ORC facilities, gas or steam turbines are among the milestones of the demonstration project in MCFC and SOFC technology.

Further goals are the increase in customer acceptance as well as the further development of the legal parameters and the practical verification of the CO₂ saving potential.