Matching and performance analysis of a solid oxide fuel cell turbine-less hybrid electric propulsion system on aircraft

Advanced low-carbon propulsion technology is one of the major initiatives to address aviation environmental challenges. In this paper, a solid oxide fuel cell turbine-less hybrid electric propulsion system is developed. It is a new engine, in which the power consumed by the compressor comes from a fuel cell, not a turbine. The aircraft's propulsion comes from the high-velocity exhaust discharged from the nozzles. To make the key fuel cell work properly and determine the system operating parameters, it is necessary to study the matching and performance of the hybrid electric propulsion system. In this study, a performance analysis model of the hybrid electric propulsion system is established. In particular, a one-dimensional fuel cell is simulated to obtain its localized thermal gradient. The results show that the hybrid electric propulsion system has a satisfactory performance under the design conditions. It is superior to the gas turbine-based engine in performance, and they have different performance trends. The operating range of compressor pressure ratio is determined. The sensitivity analysis shows that in addition to compressor pressure ratio, Mach number, reforming temperature, and fuel utilization have a great influence on the performance, which is worthy of further study.