A Life Cycle Assessment of the PureCell Stationary Fuel Cell System ...

Chapter 3 - Goal and Scope
Goal of the Study
The objective of this project is to provide a guide for environmental improvement of the
PureCell power system. By using LCA to model the product life cycle, the ‘hotspots’
that contribute to the present environmental footprint of the product are identified. By
targeting these hotspots, opportunities for improving the environmental footprint can be
explored. An analysis of the targeted hotspots is given in Chapter 5 - Impact Assessment
and Interpretation.
Subsequent to the impact assessment results, two feasible opportunities for environmental
improvement within the scope of this research were modeled in SimaPro: 1) using
renewable hydrogen from wind power and 2) improving the end-of-life scenario from an
environmental perspective by reusing components and maximizing platinum recycling.
The goal of this part of the research is to quantify the potential environmental
improvement for both opportunities relative to the current PureCell system.
Function and Functional Unit
The primary function of the PureCell system is electricity production. In addition, the
PureCell system provides the option of heat recovery. The PureCell system can thus
be operated as a combined heat and power (CHP) system. The PureCell system is used
as a power supply system for remote locations where there is no connection to the
electricity grid, however, it still requires that a constant supply of natural gas is available.
It is also used as a source for back-up power; within this application, the PureCell
system can function as a constant or as an intermittent power supply. Also, within this
application the PureCell system can function with a connection to the electricity grid as
well as grid-independent. In the near future, the function of stationary fuel cells may
become more significant, since they are constant and reliable energy conversion systems
and they can therefore compensate for increased shares of fluctuating renewable energy
sources used for the electricity grid.
This research aims at modelling the life cycle of one PureCell power system. The
functional unit therefore is:
• One PureCell power system, generating 200 kW of electricity, 480 Volt, 60 Hz,
and providing optional heat recovery of 271 kW at 60 degrees Celsius, with a
lifetime of 85,000 hrs.
Most of the PureCell systems which are currently in use have a projected lifetime of
40,000 hrs, and this model is commonly referred to within UTC Power as the PC25 C.
The PC25 C is now out of production, and it is planned to utilize a new cell stack design
and a new low shift converter for the steam reforming process (together with some other
minor design changes), which will result in the PC25 D. These design changes give the
PC25 D an expected lifetime of 85,000 hrs. The data that are used in this LCA are based
on the PC25 D system. The decision to study the PC25 D was made by UTC Power.
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