Motivation:

AVL develops since 2002 auxiliary power units for trucks based on High-temperature fuel cell technology (SOFC – Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) operated with conventional diesel. As part of the work a concept for a Final realization was developed. A crucial subsystem in this concept is a evaporator unit. From this (patented) arrangement is expected an improved homogeneous mixture between the fuel and air and also benefits during the operation by the Heat transfer between the burner, reformer and evaporator.

In an annular combustion chamber, a diesel reformer is arranged. The diesel reformer Technology is available at AVL. The reformer should now be integrated in a Burner. Which evaporation technology (for example purely catalytic, flame burner) is used, is part of the thesis and must be investigated.

The combined unit is designed using simulation methods (1D CFD) and is then constructed and tested. There is then a test with a SOFC fuel cell (if available) to be carried out.

 

Goals:

 

• Understand the basic principles of fuel cell, burning, evaporation and reforming technologies
• Understand the functioning of the entire SOFC APU system and its main components
• Specification of the requirements
• Evaluation of an optimised evaporation technology
• Design of an optimised evaporator unit
• System CFD simulation and optimization of the design
• System set up on an AVL test bench
• Testing and validation of the results on the hardware on a test bench
• Verification comparison of the previous system with the new system