Fuel Cell APU for Commercial Aircraft

Joe Breit
Systems Concept Center
Boeing Commercial Airplanes
(In Conjunction with NASA)
 Agenda

• Background
• NASA
• SOFCo
• Integration Options
• Boeing
 Replacing APU with fuel cell will reduce
airport emissions

Large
Airplane (777-sized)
NOx Emissions at
Airport

Fuel Cell Turbine APU Engine

 Future “More Electric Airplane” is ideally
suited for fuel cell APU
Boeing 777-sized
“More Electric Airplane”
Aircraft
Systems

Starter/Generator
AC

Engine
DC Present APU
Environment
Control Motor
System
Gear
Motor
Lift
Gear Battery
Motor
Lift
Environment
Control Motor DC
System
DC
Engine
Aircraft
Systems

AC
AC Starter/Generator Future 440 kW Fuel Cell
APU Concept
 Working with fuel cell industry to obtain
future SOFC performance
- Tech. U. of Munich (i.e. Europeans) 2-year SOFC APU design completed
- SOFCo 1st contract completed, 2nd contract issued
- US & Canadian National Labs
- NASA Glenn Feasibility study to Boeing
- GE Contract issued
- University of California, Irvine
SOFC model completed
- Delphi Contract issued
- UTRC NASA to issue contract
- Fuel Cell Energy In discussions
- Turbine Co. Future Contract?
 Agenda

• Background
• NASA
• SOFCo
• Integration Options
• Boeing
 NASA to leverage SOFC R&D for aerospace
2015 Aerospace
Same as industrial plus:
• Weight & Size
• Altitude Operation
• Jet-A fuel
• Safety
• Vibration & shock

Industrial Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Installations

2003 Industrial
• Cost
• Efficiency
• Commercialization
• Reliability
Concept 440 kW Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
in Boeing 777 Airplane Tail Cone
 NASA/Boeing fuel cell APU timeline
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
NASA/Industry Collaboration

DOE SECA program

Power Current
Electrical System Hybrid aircraft unit
with 5kW unit development
NASA FC APU
Current 5kW SOFC Proposed Phase III (scaled demo)
NASA FC APU
Proposed Phase II (proof of concept)
NASA FC APU
Phase I (feasibility)
Boeing IR&D

Boeing Fuel Cell Powered Airplane

Demonstrator
 Agenda

• Background
• NASA
• SOFCo
• Integration Options
• Boeing
 SOFCo 1st System Configuration
Cathode
Anode

Reformer
405 kW Trim
Heat
Exchanger

Steam
Generator
Starter/ Turbine
Comp.
Generator
36 kW
Jet
Fuel
Cabin Exh.
Air

Recuperator Fuel
Heater Outside Water
Air to
Filter
SOFC
operates near
ambient
pressure for
SOFCo System Advantages
Trim Hx for low
low vessel thermal gradients
weight
Cathode
Anode

Reformer
405 kW Trim
Heat
Exchanger

Simple, single-stage
2.5 PR impellers
Steam
Generator
Starter/ Turbine
Comp.
Generator
36 kW
Jet
Fuel
Cabin Exh.
Air

Recuperator Fuel
Heater Outside Water
Air to
Filter
Efficiency loss at
low pressure
SOFCo System Disadvantages
Cathode
Anode

Reformer
405 kW Trim Waste sulfur results in
Heat acidic water, needs
Exchanger filter prior to steam
generator
Gas doesn’t fully expand to
atmospheric pressure – lost
power potential Steam
Generator
Starter/ Turbine
Comp.
Generator
36 kW
Jet
Fuel
Cabin Exh.
Air

High cost for low weight, Recuperator Fuel

reliable recouperator Heater Outside Water
to
480kW cooling air needed … Yikes! Air Filter
 SOFCo APU concept fits within tail cone
777 APU Cavity
(aft end of airplane)
Exhaust
Out
ATR

Fuel Cell
Hot Box

Burner
Trim
Turbo/Comp HX

Future 2015 Hybrid Solid Recuperator

Oxide Fuel Cell APU
APU compartment firewall
 SOFCo says airplane APU achievable but
challenging
Old 2002 Study New 2003 Study
• 0.45kW/kg system
• Pressure/Temperature
density almost met goals
stack optimization
ifo lds
• 58% efficiency Deple ted
F uel Man
Depleted
• Desulfurization & water
• Fits within space Air Out
Stacks (4)
extraction schemes
• Fuel sulfur a problem • Fuel processing
alternatives
• Aspen model identified
Air In
1st configuration needs • Single (440kW) vs. two
to change ifolds (2 ea. 250kw) units?
ply Ma n
F uel Sup

• 2nd iteration to optimize

Fuel Cell Hot Box system
 Agenda

• Background
• NASA
• SOFCo
• Integration Options
• Boeing
Integration into airplane affects performance
Option # A
Fuel eff. 3 Option “A”
Weight 1 (basic design with POX)
Drag 1
Thrust 1 Poorest Fuel No Drag Impact
Efficiency
#1 = Best Rating Fuel in

Exhaust Hybrid SOFC Cabin air

Best Thrust Fuel Cell
Recovery APU

Sulfur
Tolerant Lowest Airplane
System tail cone
Weight
Integration into airplane affects performance
Option # A B High
Fuel eff. 3 2 Option “B”
Weight (recovers water Inlet
1 3
Drag 1 3 and has ATR) Drag
Thrust 1 3
Water 3 1
#1 = Best Fuel in
Cathode
Exhaust Hybrid SOFC Cabin air
Lowest Fuel Cell
Thrust APU

Anode Exh. Heat

Lowest Highest Exchanger
Sulfur Unit
Fuel Req. Weight H20

Recovers H2O to offset weight

Integration into airplane affects performance
Option # A B C
Fuel eff. 3 2 1 Option “C”
Weight 1 3 2 (recycles water)
Drag 1 3 1
Thrust 1 3 2 Best Fuel Low Drag
Water 3 1 2 Efficiency
#1 = Best Fuel in
Cathode H2 &
Exhaust Hybrid SOFC H20 Cabin air
Fuel Cell
APU

Anode Exh. Separator

Low
Sulfur
Air, N2,
Fuel Req. Sulfur,
CO2
Design “C” has best airplane value due to
lowest drag & highest efficiency
Trading-Off: Weight, Drag, Thrust Best Airplane
& Efficiency Performance
0.70
APU Fuel Efficiency
Airplane Fuel Savings

System Efficiency (%)

0.60

0.50

0.40

Fuel 0.30
Saved
0.20
A B C
Design
 Agenda

• Background
• NASA
• SOFCo
• Integration Options
• Boeing
In-flight fuel saving opportunity

40-45% Efficient Jet-A

(Jet-A to electrical =
during cruise)
1 litre
40% less
fuel used

≈75% Efficient
(Overall system at cruise) = Jet-A
Future 2015
SOFC APU 0.6 litre
Fuel saving opportunity on the ground is very
attractive
Typical Turbine-
powered APU

15% Efficient = Jet-A

(over average operating cycle)

1 litre
75% less
fuel used

=
Jet-A
Future 2015
SOFC APU 0.25 litre
60% Efficient
(at std. sea-level conditions)
 Overall, FCAPU looks to be beneficial
Fuel Cell Performance (% of turbine)

4000

500

400
Ground

300

200
Cruise
Turbine APU Baseline

DLD02-31
100

?
0
Weight Power Output Startup time Fuel efficiency Cost Pollution
(at altitude)
Top 4 aerospace SOFC APU challenges

• Technology ready by 2010 (enables a 2015

entry into service date)

• High system power density (0.5 kW/kg

system goal)

• Ability to reform Jet-A fuel (1,000 PPM fuel

sulfur level tolerance goal)

• 40,000 hour life in airplane environment

Forever New Frontiers