Ms. Priyanka Rajeev

IIT Kanpur
India

Abstract Title: Performance Analysis of Ammonia and Hydrogen Fuels in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: A Comparative Study Based on Simulation

Biography:

Priyanka Rajeev is a 4th-year Doctoral Fellow in Mechanical Engineering at IIT Kanpur, specialising in carbon-neutral energy solutions like Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) and Directammonia technology. An NIT Puducherry alumna (B.Tech '22), her research leverages expertise in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and energy storage, honed through projects at ISRO/VSSC and ANERT, Kerala. A founding member of the tutoring non-profit LEAP and an NCC cadet, she balances rigorous research with community service. Awarded the prestigious PMRF at age 22, Priyanka aims to bridge academia and industry for sustainable energy advancements. She is also an avid Carnatic singer and sports enthusiast.

Research Interest:

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are a very effective energy conversion technology that offers remarkable fuel flexibility. While the conventional fuel used in SOFCs is hydrogen (H?), recently, ammonia (NH?) has become increasingly popular as a carbon-free alternative for its superior storage and ease of transportation characteristics. This study conducts a rigorous analysis by comparing NH? and H? as fuels in the same SOFC systems through a MATLABbased numerical simulation. The study compares the operational output parameters such as voltage-current characteristics, power density, and system efficiency across a range of operating temperatures (800–1200°C) and pressures (0.5–15.5 atm). This study demonstrates NH?'s performance, achieving comparable efficiency to H? at elevated current densities, with better efficiency at higher temperatures. While hydrogen maintains superior gravimetric efficiency, NH? holds a distinct practical advantage in terms of infrastructure compatibility and handling safety. Furthermore, the analysis shows that NH? can be made more suitable for large-scale applications by mitigating its kinetic limitations through optimal temperature and pressure conditions. These results support NH?'s feasibility as a direct fuel and hydrogen carrier for SOFCs, tackling important issues in the distribution and storage of renewable energy. H? and NH? play complementary roles in sustainable power generation, and the study offers crucial insights for developing SOFC technology toward decarbonized energy systems. This work aids in the development of effective, fuel-flexible SOFC systems that are in line with international carbon neutrality goals by quantifying operational parameters and performance trade-offs. Keywords- Decarbonization, Ammonia, Hydrogen, Solid oxide Fuel Cell, Numerical Model