Operation Mode Control Algorithm and Modeling of Stand Alone Power Supply System with SOFC on Biogas

The article is devoted to the problem of improving the power supply quality and environmental friendliness of remote agricultural consumers through the use of a power plant based on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), which operates on biogas from recycled agricultural waste. A standalone power supply system for a livestock enterprise has been considered. The system includes a SOFC-based power plant (the main power source), a storage system based on batteries (use to ensure the electrical power balance) and a biogas gas-piston power plant (backup power source). The analysis and mathematical description of the main operation modes of system have been carried out. An algorithm for controlling the operation modes which ensures optimal distribution of the electrical load between the power sources has been developed. The authors were also presented a structure of the Simulink-model of the stand-alone power supply system, which is designed to test the control algorithm. The selection of the power supply system's main elements parameters for the development the Simulink-model has been performed. A levelized cost of energy (LCOE) analysis to select the SOFC-based power plant capacity was carried out.