Solar thermal assisted proton exchange membrane electrolyzer and solid oxide fuel cell system based on biomass gasification for green power and hydrogen production: Multi-objective optimization and exergoeconomic analysis

Abstract

The industrial revolution led to technological advances but also exacerbated environmental issues, notably increasing carbon emissions. This study introduces a novel hybrid system combining photovoltaic-thermal (PVT), proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (PEME), gasification, solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), and a Rankine cycle to address these challenges. The system features solar-assisted gasification with preheated air and water to improve syngas quality, increasing hydrogen content and enhancing combustion efficiency. The PEME unit uses excess solar electricity for green hydrogen production, ensuring a flexible clean fuel source, while oxygen produced by the PEME is injected into the SOFC cathode, improving electrochemical performance. This integrated system operates entirely on biomass-derived syngas, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Comprehensive energy, exergy, and economic analyses confirm the system’s potential, achieving 55.03 % energy efficiency and 50.64 % exergy efficiency, with a product cost of $0.125/kWh. A multi-objective optimization study showed an energy efficiency of 74.88 %, reducing the environmental impact to 0.24 kg/kWh. The results highlight the system’s ability to optimize performance, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability, offering a promising solution for industrial decarbonization.