NUMERICAL FLUID DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS (SOFC)

The computational modeling plays an important role on the project, the design and the evaluation of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) performance. However, due to the large quantity of double physical phenomena, this modeling shows great complexity. Besides this interdependence, the validation of these models represents a problem because of the small dimensions of these devices, which make it difficult the obtaining of experimental data. In this work, a stack designed on laboratory has its flow and pressure profiles evaluated tri-dimensionally. Through this method, the momentum equations are solved by finite volume technique using a commercial software. It is considered steady state and isotropy to all physical properties, which are determined on constant temperature. The model validation is performed through its two dimensional versions, based on published literature results. The stack, in this case, has ten cells associated in a serial way. The results indicate some heterogeneity on flow between cells and flow distribution nearly homogeneous along each cell. The pressures increase in a asymptotic way at manifolds.