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VOL. 1, ISSUE 2 (2025)
Integration of solid oxide fuel cells into urban high-rise hvac systems
Authors
Lestari Widyatama
Abstract
Heating, ventilation,
and air conditioning systems in urban high-rise buildings represent
approximately 35–45% of total energy consumption in temperate climates.
Conventional centralized heating and cooling approaches demonstrate poor energy
efficiency due to transmission losses, distribution inefficiencies, and
inability to modulate power output with instantaneous thermal demand
variations. Solid oxide fuel cell technology offers potential for distributed
energy generation with simultaneous thermal and electrical output, yet
integration into existing building HVAC infrastructure remains underdeveloped.
This study evaluated technical feasibility and energy performance of solid
oxide fuel cell systems integrated into heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning networks of a 28-story office building located in a temperate
urban environment. A hybrid energy modeling framework combining building energy
simulation, fuel cell thermodynamic modeling, and control system optimization
was developed using TRNSYS and MATLAB platforms. The reference building
consumed 3,847 megawatt-hours of energy annually, with space heating (38%),
cooling (28%), ventilation (15%), and lighting (19%) representing primary end
uses. System modeling incorporated solid oxide fuel cell modules (100 kilowatt
nominal capacity) with heat exchangers, thermal storage, and demand-responsive
control algorithms. Integrated solid oxide fuel cell systems reduced total
building energy consumption by 23.4% (95% confidence interval: 21.8–25.1%),
with electricity generation contributing 18.7 megawatt-hours annually and waste
heat recovery enabling 12.3% reduction in heating energy requirements. Carbon
dioxide emissions were diminished by 34.2% on a life-cycle basis compared to
conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel baseline. System payback period
was estimated at 8.2 years (range: 7.1–9.8 years) at current technology costs
and energy prices. The integrated solid oxide fuel cell–HVAC system
demonstrated 61.8% overall energy efficiency compared to 34% for conventional
separated systems. Critical technical challenges including thermal cycling
durability, system reliability, and grid interconnection complexity were
identified. This analysis demonstrates substantial environmental and economic
benefits from deploying distributed solid oxide fuel cell systems in high-rise
buildings, with technology maturity sufficiently advanced to support pilot
deployment in suitable urban contexts.
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Pages:35-45
How to cite this article:
Lestari Widyatama "Integration of solid oxide fuel cells into urban high-rise hvac systems". World Journal of Engineering and Technology, Vol 1, Issue 2, 2025, Pages 35-45
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