Robert Bosch GmbH has put a SOFC-based fuel cell pilot system into operation at the Bosch training center in Wernau. The system consists of three fuel cell devices for stationary applications, which complement the existing power supply of the plant in Wernau in a CO2-saving manner and promote the further development of these decentralized energy systems, according to the company.
SOFC stands for “Solid Oxide Fuel Cell”. This can be flexibly operated with hydrogen, green/biogas or natural gas. Compared to the electricity mix in Germany, a SOFC fuel cell system saves up to 40 percent in CO2 emissions even when running on natural gas. If the fuel cell is operated with hydrogen or green gas, there are no longer any direct CO2 emissions. A SOFC unit with an output of ten kilowatts covers the annual electricity needs of more than 20 four-person households. At the Wernau plant, the energy requirements of a building within the plant “can be almost completely covered by the three fuel cell devices,” says Wilfried Kölscheid, head of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell project at Bosch.
From a technical perspective, according to Bosch, in a purely electrochemical process in the SOFC fuel cell, oxygen ions pass through a thin ceramic electrolyte from an anode to the cathode and react there with hydrogen to form water. Electricity is generated with an efficiency of over 60 percent. The additional heat generated can supply heating and hot water systems via a heat exchanger. With this dual use, “an overall efficiency of more than 85 percent is achieved.”
“From 2020, the Bosch Group locations will no longer leave a carbon footprint worldwide,” explained Uwe Glock, CEO of Bosch Thermotechnology. “The further development of the solid oxide fuel cell as an efficient and sustainable energy system also plays an important role here.” Other SOFC pilot systems for testing and validation are located at the Bosch locations in Bamberg, Homburg, Renningen and Schwieberdingen. The construction of demonstrator systems is also planned in Stuttgart-Feuerbach and Salzgitter.
Photos:
SOFC pilot project at the Bosch site in Wernau / © Bosch
