Thermal-electric cogeneration efficiency of 92.55% ranks first in the world. Weichai releases the world's first commercialized high-power metal-supported SOFC product

JINAN, SHANDONG, China, March 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 18, 2023, Weichai announced the global commercialization of its high-power metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) product, which has achieved a record-breaking combined heat and power (CHP) efficiency of 92.55% for high-power SOFC systems.

At the press conference, Tan Xuguang, director of the National Key Laboratory of Internal Combustion Engines and Powertrain Systems, introduced the technology and application of Weichai's SOFC product. The product has also received the European CE certification from the international testing institution, TÜV SÜD.

As a new generation of fuel cell technology, SOFCs are highly efficient, low-carbon, and environmentally friendly devices that convert the chemical energy of fuels into electrical energy at high temperatures. They are currently the most efficient new energy technology for power generation worldwide, with an electricity generation efficiency of over 60% and a CHP efficiency of over 85%. In addition, SOFCs have the advantages of fuel flexibility, green and low-carbon emissions, and no use of precious metals. They can use various fuels such as natural gas, hydrogen, coal gas, biomass gas, and methanol. SOFCs using natural gas can achieve more than 30% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional natural gas generators.

Weichai's latest product is the world's first commercialized high-power metal-supported SOFC product with a system power of 120 kW, which supports modular installation and can be scaled up to megawatt-level power. It has achieved significant technological breakthroughs:

1. The product's CHP efficiency has reached 92.55%, the highest in high-power SOFC systems worldwide.
2. Weichai is the first in the world to use the latest generation of metal-supported SOFC technology, which has outstanding advantages such as low operating temperature and strong resistance to thermal shocks compared to traditional electrolyte-supported and anode-supported technologies. The product has overcome the technical difficulties of operating temperatures from 800℃ to 600℃. The system's number of start-stop cycles is more than four times that of international competitors, and its start-up speed is more than three times that of international competitors, reaching the international leading level.
3. The product has passed 39 certification tests for the European CE certification by the international authoritative testing institution TÜV SÜD.

Weichai's SOFC product has the advantages of high CHP efficiency, good reliability, wide fuel adaptability, stable output of electrical and thermal energy, and is suitable for multiple applications such as industrial parks, buildings, and data centers. It can provide green and low-carbon solutions for distributed energy and microgrids, and is a revolutionary new energy technology that will be widely used in the future.

Weichai's SOFC product has been demonstrated in the Weichai Fuel Cell Industry Park and the Weifang Energy Group, accumulating more than 30,000 hours of operation, achieving a breakthrough in commercial operation. The product can provide efficient electricity and thermal energy supply, greatly reducing customer energy costs and has good economic benefits.

SOURCE Weichai America