Parametric analysis of a hybrid power system using organic Rankine cycle to recover waste heat from proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Using fuel cell systems for distributed generation (DG) applications represents a meaningful candidate to conventional plants due to their high power density and the heat recovery potential during the electrochemical reaction. A hybrid power system consisting of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is proposed to utilize the waste heat generated from PEM fuel cell. The system performance is evaluated by the steady-state mathematical models and thermodynamic laws. Meanwhile, a parametric analysis is also carried out to investigate the effects of some key parameters on the system performance, including the fuel flow rate, PEM fuel cell operating pressure, turbine inlet pressure and turbine backpressure. Results show that the electrical efficiency of the hybrid system combined by PEM fuel cell stack and ORC can be improved by about 5% compared to that of the single PEM fuel cell stack without ORC, and it is also indicated that the high fuel flow rate can reduce the PEM fuel cell electrical efficiency and overall electrical efficiency. Moreover, with an increased fuel cell operating pressure, both PEM fuel cell electrical efficiency and overall electrical efficiency firstly increase, and then decrease. Turbine inlet pressure and backpressure also have effects on the performance of the hybrid power system.