DESTA: SOFC APUs for Heavy Duty Truck Idling - a Progress Report

Within the EU (FCH JU) funded project DESTA the partners AVL, Eberspächer, Topsoe Fuel Cell, Volvo and Forschungszentrum Jülich are collaborating since January 2012 to demonstrate the first European Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Auxiliary Power Unit (SOFC APU) on a heavy duty truck. The SOFC technology offers the main advantage of compatibility with conventional fuels. The DESTA SOFC APU systems are operated with conventional road diesel fuel. Within the APUsystem the diesel fuel is reformed to a hydrogen and carbon monoxide containing synthesis gas. Another benefit of SOFC technology is that, alongside hydrogen also carbon monoxide can be directly converted into electricity.The system technology is developed by AVL and Eberspächer. Both companies have developed this technology over the last 5 years into prototype systems. Within the project DESTA 6 APU systems, 3 from each partner, are tested in the laboratory. After 6 months of testing the superior features of both systems will be merged to an optimized DESTA SOFC APU, which will go into the vehicle demonstration in 2014. The test results of the 6 APU systems will be shown and discussedin detail. Within the first 2 project years both APU systems reached the net power target of 3kW, around 30% efficiency and significant improvements towards packaging size to enable the truck demonstration.Both systems are equipped with SOFC stacks from Topsoe Fuel Cell. Topsoe Fuel Cell is mainly working on the optimization of the fuel cell stacks towards diesel fuel compatibility (especially sulfur tolerance), thermal cycle ability and re-oxidation stability. The actual development status and latest test results will be shown. Volvo is responsible for the vehicle demonstration on a US type class 8 heavy duty truck. All interfaces have to be defined and prepared for the integration of the SOFC APU. Volvo is also in charge to develop a customized DC/DC converter to step down the stack voltage into the 12V vehicle electrical grid. Also the latest results from the preparation of the vehicle integration will be presented