Transcript Palmdale Fuel Cell Project Review 090727

The Palmdale Fuel Cell Project:
Five-Year Review
SCAP Energy Management Committee
Meeting
Mark McDannel
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
July 28, 2009
Presentation Overview
Facility Descriptions and Design
Parameters
Results
Lessons Learned & Conclusions
Antelope Valley Green
Energy Program
Parallel renewable combined heat and
power projects using digester gas
Similar size units at similar size plants
250 kW Fuel Cell Energy molten
carbonate fuel cell at Palmdale
250 kW Ingersoll-Rand microturbine at
Lancaster
Palmdale Water Reclamation Plant
STARTED: NOVEMBER 1952
CAPACITY: 15 MGD
CURRENT FLOW: 9.2 MGD
Project Design Data
Manufacturer
Fuel Cell Energy
Rated unit output, gross
250 kW
Net system power output
225 kW
Startup date
2005
Electrical efficiency (LHV)
47%
% of heat input recovered as waste heat
26%
Combined heat and power efficiency
73%
2005 Performance Test Data
Gross power output
251 kW
Electrical Efficiency
46%
Palmdale Fuel Cell Project
 Fuel Cell Energy molten
carbonate fuel cell
 Capital cost $2.4
million
 50% of cost recovered
from SGIP
Fuel Cell Project Team
 Quinn Power Systems Associates
Prime contractor
Operation and maintenance under contract to LACSD
 Fuel Cell EnergyFuel cell supplier
Subcontracted to Quinn for fuel cell O&M
 SCS EnergyDesign and installation
Gas treatment skid o&m
 Facility ownership retained by LACSD
Fuel Cell Fuel Skid
Load Profiles at Palmdale
Electricity Purchase Load Profile With and Without Fuel Cell In
Service (typical days)
400
350
Fuel cell at full load
Fuel cell out of service
250
200
150
100
50
0
0:
00
0:
45
1:
30
2:
15
3:
00
3:
45
4:
30
5:
15
6:
00
6:
45
7:
30
8:
15
9:
00
9:
45
10
:3
0
11
:1
5
12
:0
0
12
:4
5
13
:3
0
14
:1
5
15
:0
0
15
:4
5
16
:3
0
17
:1
5
18
:0
0
18
:4
5
19
:3
0
20
:1
5
21
:0
0
21
:4
5
22
:3
0
23
:1
5
Load (KW)
300
Time
Results
Plant Performance
Economics
Siloxane Removal
Lessons Learned & Conclusions
Fuel Cell Availability and
Capacity
Availability
Capacity Factor
90%
76.5%
80%
70.2%
69.8%
70%
60%
50%
58.2%
42.6%
41.5%
35.8%
40%
31.8%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2005
2006
2007
2008
Fuel Cell Availability and
Capacity
Availability has increased during the
program
Capacity has decreased despite
improvements in availability
Capacity factor well below 90% target
Breakdown of Downtime
70%
Unknown/Other
Planned Outage
Districts' Equipment
SCE Grid
Fuel Skid Outage
Power Equip. Outage
% Time Unavailable
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2005
2006
2007
2008
Palmdale Availability
Fuel cell balance of plant equipment
Routine repairs on water treatment system
Multiple significant fuel skid issues
Four electrode stack replacements
Carbon filter media replacement
Stack Replacements
Four stack replacements
3975 hrs - Replaced with new stack design
2696 hrs – Stack degradation
5386 hrs - Sulfur poisoning & excessive
startups
9889 hrs - Sulfur poisoning
Causes of Capacity Reduction
at Palmdale Fuel Cell
Frequent long time periods at reduced
loads due to fuel cell issues
Variations in digester gas pressure due to
issues with the fuel skid
Lower digester gas flows and higher
methane content due to sewer cleaning
Defective stack installed in 2008
Causes of Capacity Reduction
at Palmdale Fuel Cell, ctd
Long start up times after outages
Parasitic Loads
Internal fuel cell loads of 18-20 kW not counted
against net, but cost plant when fuel cell is in hot
standby
Fuel skid, 25 kW (design value, not metered)
Three sulfur poisoning events have resulted in
reduced power output for several months
Q1 2009
Q4 2008
Q3 2008
Q2 2008
Q1 2008
200
Q4 2007
Q3 2007
Q2 2007
Q1 2007
Q4 2006
Q3 2006
Q2 2006
Q1 2006
Q4 2005
Q3 2005
Q2 2005
Q1 2005
Net Power, kW
Net Electrical Generation per
Quarter
260
240
220
Rated Net Output
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Other Issues at Palmdale
Integration into plant digester gas system
including flare and boilers was complex
Remote monitoring and operation help
minimize down time
Installation of natural gas line was
necessary for backup and controlled
shutdown
Capital Cost
Fuel Cell
$1,178,000
Fuel Treatment Skid
$201,600
Installation
$526,301
Control Room Signal
$2,895
Gas Piping Installation
$2,511
Satellite Internet
$5,328
Warranty
$330,000
Sales Tax
$113,817
SCE Interconnection
$3,038
Natural Gas Piping
$19,084
Total Capital Cost
$2,382,574
SGIP Rebate
-$1,125,000
Net Cost to Districts
$1,257,574
Facility Economics (design,
assuming 90% capacity factor)
Capital Cost
$2,382,574
Subsidies
$1,125,000
Net cost
$1,257,574
Annual power purchase savings (at 90%
capacity factor)
$227,000
Total subsidized production cost /kW-hr
$0.093
Operation and maintenance /kW-hr
$0.035
Capital recovery /kW-hr
$0.058
Retail electricity cost /kW-hr
$0.128
Cost of Power Production
$0.35
$0.28
$0.30
$0.041
$/kWh
$0.25
$0.049
$0.20
Natural Gas
O&M
Average Retail Electrical Price
$0.15
Capital Recovery
$0.093
$0.10
$0.190
$0.035
$0.05
$0.058
$0.00
Design 90% C.F.
Actual
Net Savings per Year
2005
2006
2007
2008
$66,551
$69,452
$46,543
$2,119
Cumulative Net Savings
$1,400,000
$1,200,000
$1,257,574
Capital Cost to Districts with
SGIP Grant
$1,000,000
$800,000
$600,000
$184,665
$400,000
Net Savings Earned through Dec 2008
$200,000
$Dec- Mar04
05
Jul05
Oct- Jan- May- Aug- Nov- Feb- Jun- Sep- Dec- Apr05
06
06
06
06
07
07
07
07
08
Jul08
Oct- Jan08
09
Siloxane Removal
Carbon absorption
Also removes Cl, S to protect fuel cell
Requires periodic testing for
breakthrough
Short term high siloxane levels could
cause undetected breakthrough
Criteria Pollutant
Emissions
NOX
0.05 ppm @ 15% O2
0.0017 lb/MWh
CO
1.2 ppm @ 15% O2
0.025 lb/MWh
TGNMO
2.07 ppm
0.016 lb/MWh
Sulfur Compounds
Raw
Digester Gas
Treated
Digester Gas
H2S, ppm
20
ND<0.5*
Total Reduced Sulfur, ppm
20
ND<3.5
*Note-detection limit not sensitive enough to fully
protect fuel cell
Trace Organic Compounds
Raw
Treated
Digester Gas Digester Gas
Exhaust
Chlorobenzene, ppb
38
2.1
ND<0.05
Vinyl Chloride, ppb
2.0
0.38
ND<0.05
Benzene, ppb
26
2.4
0.95
Toluene, ppb
830
36
ND<0.27
Recent Operating Status
Stack replaced in Sep 2008.
A leak in the new stack forced reduction
in output to 40 kW in Dec 2008
Operated at nearly 100% availability at
reduced load
Fuel cell was shutdown June 11 upon
discovery of sulfur breakthrough
Unit will not be restarted
Lessons Learned by
LACSD
Ambient temperature considerations
Chiller was undersized for high summer temperatures
Lower digester gas production during winter months
Carbon media must be monitored and/or
replaced periodically
Site involvement
Digester gas system balancing
Lessons Learned by Fuel
Cell Energy
Natural gas must be used as a backup
fuel
A load bank should be installed to
mitigate grid disturbances
Ensure proper maintenance of the fuel
skid
Contracting Issues
Impacting the Facility
 These were demonstration projects; as such, providers
would not provide availability guarantees
 The current O&M contracts have no performance
incentive or penalty: down time costs the owner but
does not cost the contractor
 Fast response not always justified by plant economics
 Other contracting options
Incentives and penalties for response time and availability
Power purchase agreement, unit owned by provider or third
party
These options are generally currently available
Conclusions
The Palmdale fuel cell did not meet
performance goals
The Palmdale fuel cell met its goal to
demonstrate a high efficiency, low
emission technology on digester gas
As an early adopter, Districts allowed
manufacturers to address and resolve
design and operating issues
Questions?
Contact information
[email protected]
(562) 908-4228 x2442