Strongrestrictionsonemissionsfrommarinepowerplants(particularlySOx,NOx)willprobablybeadoptedinthenearfuture.Inthispaper,acombinedsolidoxidefuelcell(SOFC)andsteamturbinefuelledbynaturalgasisproposedasanattractiveoptiontolimittheenvironmentalimpactofthemarinesector.TheanalyzedvariantofthecombinedcycleincludesaSOFCoperatedwithnaturalgasfuelandasteamturbinewithasingle-pressurewasteheatboiler.ThecalculationswereperformedfortwotypesoftubularandplanarSOFCs,eachwithanoutputpowerof18MW.Thispaperincludesadetailedenergyanalysisofthecombinedsystem.Massandenergybalancesareperformednotonlyforthewholeplantbutalsoforeachcomponentinordertoevaluatethethermalefficiencyofthecombinedcycle.Inaddition,theeffectsofusingnaturalgasasafuelonthefuelcellvoltageandperformanceareinvestigated.Ithasbeenfoundthatahighoverallefficiencyapproaching60%maybeachievedwithanoptimumconfigurationusingtheSOFCsystem.Thehybridsystemwouldalsoreduceemissions,fuelconsumption,andimprovethetotalsystemefficiency.
