Technical and economic prospects of fuel cells combination with polygeneration systems?

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts a chemical reaction's energy directly into electrical energy. This conversion of energy takes place as long as the fuel is injected into the cell. A fuel cell increases energy conversion efficiency by eliminating intermediate stages of energy conversion. As mentioned in the previous chapter, the combined hydrogen procedure and power production from natural gas using a combination of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technologies and solid oxide electrolyzer cells. Therefore in this chapter, the fuel cell and its types are first introduced, and a comprehensive study of SOFCs is given. Then the electrolysis technology and its types are fully explained. Finally, a description of the principles and information of the electrolyzer and the combined system is provided.