Thermal-hydraulic model of a monolithic solid oxide fuel cell

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of the Electrochemical Society; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2086042· OSTI ID:5291988

Ahmed, S; McPheeters, C; Kumar, R ^[1]

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1. Electrochemical Technology Program, Argonne National Lab., Argonne, IL (US)

This paper discusses a mathematical model, developed to simulate the electrochemistry and thermal hydraulics in a crossflow monolithic solid oxide fuel cell. The fuel cell stack consists of a honeycomb structure of cells with alternating layers of anode, electrolyte, cathode, and interconnect. In each cell of the stack, the porous anode (fuel) layer consists of numerous horizontal channels separated by thin walls. The porous cathode (air) layer lies below the anode and is separated from it by the dense electrolyte. The horizontal flow channels in the cathode run perpendicular to those in the anode. A dense layer of interconnect is sandwiched between successive cells of the stack. Dividing a single-cell layer into a number of nodes, the model sets up the steady-state heat and mass-transfer equations for each node in a cell layers. The simulation also provides related performance data for the fuel cell stack, such as energy efficiency, fuel utilization, and power density. The model can be used to simulate operation with fuel gases other than hydrogen, such as coal gas or synthesis gas. A mathematical model such as this can be used to examine the effects of changing one or more of the various design variables and to evaluate the effectiveness of fabrication improvements in technology development. In the design phase, the model can be used to determine the size of the stack that will be required for a given power rating and to make design decisions regarding structure-specific parameters, such as the thicknesses of the anode, electrolyte, cathode, and interconnect layers and dimensions of the flow channels in the anode and cathode. The model can also be helpful to the fuel cell system operator. given a particular stack, the most favorable operating conditions can be determined by calculating a priori the effects of altering process variables, such as flow rates and feed conditions.

• OSTI ID: 5291988
• Journal Information: Journal of the Electrochemical Society; (United States), Vol. 138:9; ISSN 0013-4651
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
SOLID ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELLS
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ANODES
CATHODES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DESIGN
ELECTROLYTES
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
LAYERS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
CHEMISTRY
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
FUEL CELLS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
300505* - Fuel Cells- Electrochemistry
Mass Transfer & Thermodynamics
300503 - Fuel Cells- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
990200 - Mathematics & Computers