• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.27-34
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• 2023

Using ammonia as fuel for solid oxide fuel (SOFC) cells has become an attractive topic nowadays due to its high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and ease of storage and transportation. Several configurations of ammonia-fed SOFC systems have been proposed and investigated, demonstrating high electrical efficiency. However, to further enhance efficiency, it is crucial to understand the inefficient components of the system. The exergy concept is well-suited for this purpose, making exergetic analysis essential for ammonia-fed SOFC systems. This study conducts an exergetic analysis for three selected systems: a simple fuel cell system (FC), an anode off-gas recirculation system (RC-FC), and a recirculation system with water removal (RC-WR-FC). The results reveal that the exergetic efficiencies of the FC, RC-FC, and RC-WR-FC are 48.7%, 51.6%, and 58.4%, respectively. In all three systems, the SOFC stack is the main source of exergy destruction. However, other components with relatively low exergetic efficiency, such as the burner, air heat exchanger, and cooler/condenser, offer greater opportunities for improvement.