A Fully Coupled Transport-Reaction Model for a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Kumar, Sanjay and Monder, Dayadeep (2013) A Fully Coupled Transport-Reaction Model for a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell. Masters thesis, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad.

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Abstract

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are capable of the highest eciency among energy conversion devices. Another advantage for SOFCs is the promise of fuel exibility with full-scale prototypes running on natural gas and lab scale demonstrations of the direct use of higher hydrocarbons such as diesel. We are developing rst principles models that describe the transport and reaction processes in a working SOFC with the aim of using these models for the design and optimization of such fuel cells. In this dissertation I developed 2D and 3D model for a planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell. The current model includes uid ow in porous electrodes and channels by solving Navier-Stokes equation in channels and Brinkman equation in porous electrodes. Species balance includes porous electrodes and channels by solving Maxwell-Stefan diusion and convection relation. Charge transport is calculated in porous electrodes by solving Poisson's equation followed by modied Butler-Volmer equation. The model also considers detailed calculation of eective conductivity of composite elec- trodes anode (Ni-YSZ) and cathode (YSZ-LSM). The main aim of my thesis is to develop 2D and 3D models, in order to study the performance of these models with change in various parameters. In this work I use COMSOL Multiphysics to model the resulting fully coupled transport-reaction model for a anode-supported planar SOFC.

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