Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

The aim of our work is to develop an innovative technology which optimizes municipal anaerobic digestion (AD) to effectively utilize a range of waste biomass substrates as co-digestates to generate biogas for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) in an integrated AD-SOFC system. This project will present a significant opportunity to showcase a highly efficient heat and power cogeneration system that utilizes a greenhouse gas neutral, renewable biofuel. Low-cost on-site cogeneration of electrical power and heat could significantly reduce the cost of wastewater treatment operations, particularly in smaller communities. Although the technical concept has been proven to be feasible with other types of fuel cells, the cost and complexity of these systems has been shown to be prohibitive. The use of the high temperature heat of the fuel cell to drive the chemical reactions that convert the biogas to hydrogen, makes SOFC systems much simpler and less expensive. To apply integrated AD-SOFC systems on a larger scale, a number of technical and operational challenges need to be addressed. One of the key objectives of our work will address the effects of an AD-derived biogas, which has some degree of variability in its composition, on fuel cell performance and investigate AD process optimization via waste biomass pre-treatment and/or co-digestion to minimize this variability. This work will be coupled with the development of fuel conditioning strategies and flexible fuel cell control methodologies which will be adapted for this biogas fuel. At least 11 graduate (5) and undergraduate (6) HQP will be mentored during this project. This research will provide a range of benefits to Canada: including promoting the development of the renewable energy sector; reducing existing grid demands for electricity through on-site waste biomass-to-energy production; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; improving air quality through distributed clean energy production and improving water quality by improving sludge handling economics for smaller municipalities. The development of innovative solutions to these challenges has significant economic potential for Canadian developers of fuel cell power systems and suppliers of biogas-fuelled fuel cell components.