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DOE - Fossil Energy Techline - Issued on: February 20, 1997 World's First Cogeneration Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Dedicated at Miramar Naval Air StationSan Diego, CA - Standing in a space no larger than two tennis courts at the Miramar Naval Air Station in California, the world's first cogeneration molten carbonate fuel cell power plant was dedicated today. The ceremony marked the start of a year-long test run that could help pioneer one of the cleanest and most efficient energy sources for the 21st century. The U.S. Department of Energy and the technology developer, M-C Power Corporation, joined with the Defense Department, San Diego Gas and Electric, and other backers from the private sector to mark the beginning of the innovative technology demonstration. One day these fuel cell systems, which generate power by an electrochemical reaction rather than with combustion, may be installed as dedicated on-site power plants able to supply the entire power needs of hotels, schools, or other small commercial or industrial operations. At the Miramar Naval Air Station outside of San Diego, the fuel cell power plant will provide both electric power and steam to the military base. "The fuel cell demonstration at Miramar is a good example of what industry and government can achieve by working together to meet both public and market needs," Patricia Fry Godley, the Energy Department's Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy said. "I congratulate M-C Power, San Diego Gas and Electric, and all of our private sector partners who provided the technical, financial and other important assistance. Together, we can be proud of a clean, efficient technology that will help power a dynamic 21st century." The generation of fuel cell power at Miramar marks a major milestone in the Energy Department's efforts to achieve environmentally clean and efficient electric power. The public will benefit through cleaner, more efficient energy production and the project will boost the U.S. fuel cell industry's competitive stance in the international marketplace, potentially increasing the professional opportunities in this arena. Innovative Technology ShowcasedA fuel cell power plant has three main components: the power conversion section, the fuel processor and the power conditioner. The power conversion section contains the fuel cells -- often referred to as the fuel cell stack. The fuel processor converts a fuel such as natural gas or coal to a hydrogen-rich gas that is fed to the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stack -- containing a collection of plate-like cells stacked one on top of the other -- combines oxygen from the air with hydrogen from the fuel processor to generate direct current electricity and steam for heat. The heat may either be used directly as a co-product or applied in a bottoming cycle to produce additional electricity. The power conditioner changes the direct current from the fuel cells to alternating current to provide usable power. The 250-kilowatt power plant at Miramar will be operated with pipeline natural gas, although future units could be fueled with gas made from coal. The environmental benefits of the power plant will be quantified during the 8,000-hour demonstration. The year-long test will focus on the integrated operation of the plant's unique design, including these main components: the cogeneration system; a new reformer design -- which transforms the fuel to the hydrogen-rich stream; and a larger scale-up of an internal manifold design -- or "passages" for the chemical reactants within M-C Power's fuel cell stack. The internally manifolded fuel cell is one of the unique designs in the M-C Power power plant. The concept has been successfully tested at smaller scales and which will now be tested at Miramar for its operation within an integrated cogeneration power plant. An expected outcome of these scale-up demonstrations is MCFC power plants with overall electrical system efficiencies from 50 to 60 percent. If the fuel cell system also makes use of the byproduct heat, as the Miramar unit does, efficiency levels can be boosted to more than 70 percent, approximately doubling the typical efficiency levels in a conventional power plant. MCFCs are environmentally benign and can be sited in environmentally sensitive and populated areas. They can be designed to operate on many different fuels, such as gasified coal and natural gas, to ensure flexibility and reliability. In addition to M-C Power and San Diego Gas and Electric, another partner on the M-C Power MCFC power plant is the Department of Defense, which provided $2-million for technology R&D for this project. The Department of Energy furnished developmental R&D support and funded the fuel cell stack at the site for $17.2-million -- the Energy Department's share of a Federal/industry cost sharing total of $31 million. The private sector provided the remainder of the cost-shared dollars, $14.1-million -- the majority from San Diego Gas and Electric. Other contributors include Bechtel Corporation, the Institute of Gas Technology, Stewart & Stevenson, the Gas Research Institute, and the Electric Power Research Institute. The Alliance to Commercialize Carbonate Technology (ACCT) also has strongly supported this effort. The group consists of a number of utilities and end-users who expect to be among the first purchasers of power systems employing the M-C Power technology. - End of TechLine - For more information, contact: |