Low Cost Hot Anode Recycle Blower

Concerns about the high cost of energy, dwindling natural resources, and environmental pollution are pressuring the country to explore energy production technologies that offer greater efficiency and cleanliness. Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems are one such technology. In order to operate SOFC systems at their best efficiency, the anode fuel mixture require recirculation. In turn, a hot anode recycle blower will be needed. However, the extreme temperature of the anode gas (850C) necessitates a very unusual blower. Additionally, the cost of this blower must be low enough to not appreciably increase the cost of the overall system. This project will develop a low-cost, high-temperature recycle blower for SOFC systems. In Phase I, a pumping concept was designed, built, and demonstrated at nearly 600C.. Test station inadequacies prevented testing at full temperature, but the results indicated that the design should be adequate for the desired temperature. In Phase II, the pump¿s thermal management technology will be demonstrated at full temperature. For cost reduction, the design will be modified to include the use of a high-volume low-cost motor and controller, and a reduced-size pump head. For performance improvement, the regenerative pump head will be adjusted to use improved aerodynamics. Finally, the cost-reduced version of the pump will be demonstrated for 5000 hours. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Implementation of this recycle blower in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell systems should provide an approximately 10% improvement in overall efficiency