February 26, 2019
DATADVANCE and SOLIDpower Collaborate to Extend the Lifetime of Fuel Cell Generators
TOULOUSE, France, February 26 2019 — DATADVANCE, an independent software developer of design exploration, predictive modeling, automation and integration solutions, and the SOLIDpower Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of solid oxide fuel cell systems, collaborated to maximize the robustness and extend the lifetime of BlueGEN electricity generators with the use of pSeven software platform.
The BlueGEN is a micro CHP system (combined heat and power) based on the innovative fuel cell technology to separate natural gas into carbon and hydrogen using an electrochemical reaction that delivers clean and controllable electricity.
SOLIDpower BlueGEN generator and corresponding heat exchanger
The goal of the project performed with pSeven was to optimize the geometry of high-temperature heat exchanger within the generator in order to control thermal deformation and increase mechanical robustness, which means the system is able to overcome a larger number of thermal cycles in operation. The optimized shape found by using pSeven allows minimizing the fuel cell stress by ~45%. Improvement of such order will lead to the extension of the system’s mean time between failures (MTBF) and significantly decrease maintenance costs.
Massimo Bertoldi, CTO and Site Manager SOLIDpower, said: “BlueGEN is the most efficient small-scale generator, generating continuous power at 60% efficiency – a level unmatched anywhere in the world in such small power level. Despite that, the R&D division of SOLIDpower always moves beyond the gain and keeps optimizing the product, improving its robustness and lifetime by using cost competitive solution”.
Sergey Morozov, CEO of DATADVANCE, continued: “We are looking forward to the successful physical tests of the optimized elements shape obtained in pSeven to make a good start of the collaboration between our companies.”
About SOLIDpower
The SOLIDpower Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) thanks to its high level of technical expertise and continuous innovation. As a leading innovator in the industry and the European market leader, the company has already sold more than a thousand small-scale power generators for independent power generation following the launch of Bluegen. Based in Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Australia and with a total of 230 employees, Solidpower is advancing its technical innovations to develop new markets in the USA and Asia.