Highly efficient operation of an innovative SOFC powered all-electric ship system using quick approach for ammonia to hydrogen

Abstract

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power system fueled by NH₃ is considered one of the most promising solutions for achieving ship decarbonization and carbon neutrality. This paper addresses the technical challenges faced by NH₃ fuel SOFC ship power system, including slow hydrogen (H₂) production, low efficiency, and limited space. It introduces an innovative a NH₃-integrated reactor for rapid H₂ production, establishes a safe and efficient all-electric SOFC all-electric propulsion system adaptable to various sailing conditions. The system is validated using a 2 kW prototype experimental rig. Results show that the SOFC system, designed for a target ship, has a rated power of 96 kW and an electrical efficiency of 60.13%, meeting the requirements for rated cruising conditions. Under identical catalytic scenarios, the designed reactor, with highly efficient heat transfer, measuring 1.1 m in length, can achieve complete NH₃ decomposition within 2.94 s, representing a 35% reduction in cracking time and a 42% decrease in required cabin space. During high-load voyage conditions, adjusting the circulation ratio (CR) and ammonia-oxygen ratio (A/O) improves system efficiency across a wide operational range. Among these adjustments, altering the A/O ratio proves to be the most efficient strategy. Under this configuration, the system achieves an efficiency of 55.02% at low load and 61.73% at high load, allowing operation across a power range of 20% to 110%. Experimental results indicate that the error for NH₃ cracking H₂ is less than 3% within the range of 570–700 °C, which is relevant to typical ship operation scenarios. At 656 °C, the NH₃ cracking H₂ rate reaches 100%. Under these conditions, the SOFC produces 2.045 kW of power with an efficiency of approximately 58.66%. The noise level detected is 58.6 dB, while the concentrations of CO₂, NO, and SO₂ in the flue gas approach zero. These findings support the transition of the shipping industry to green, clean systems, contributing significantly to future reductions in ocean carbon emissions.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

integrated ammonia cracker / hydrogen production / solid oxide fuel cell / all-electric propulsion system / shipping decarbonization

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Acknowledgements

The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52176013), the Shanghai Inter-governmental International Cooperation Project, China (No. 23160710200), the National Science and Technology Major Project, China (No. J2019-I-0012-0012), and the UK Royal Society, China (Grant No. IES\R3\213195).

Competing Interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-025-0974-8 and is accessible for authorized users.

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