Modelling effects of current distributions on performance of micro-tubular hollow fibre solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract A three-dimensional model, considering mass, momentum, energy and charge conservation, was developed and the equations solved to describe the physico-chemical phenomena occurring within a single, micro-tubular hollow fibre solid oxide fuel cell (HF-SOFC). The model was used to investigate the spatial distributions of potential, current and reactants in a 10 mm long HF-SOFC. The predicted effects of location of current collectors, electrode conductivities, cathode thickness and porosity were analysed to minimise the ranges of current density distributions and maximise performance by judicious design. To decrease the computational load, azimuthal symmetry was assumed to model 50 and 100 mm long reactors in 2-D. With connectors at the same end of the HF-SOFC operating at a cell voltage of 0.5 V and a mean 5 kA m−2, axial potential drops of ca. 0.14 V in the cathode were predicted, comparable to the cathode activation overpotential. Those potential drops caused average current densities to decrease from ca. 6.5 to ca.1 kA m−2 as HF-SOFC length increased from 10 to 100 mm, at which much of the length was inactive. Peak power densities were predicted to vary from 3.8 to

[1]  R. Kee,et al.  The influence of current collection on the performance of tubular anode-supported SOFC cells , 2007 .

[2]  Pedro Nehter.  Two-dimensional transient model of a cascaded micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell fed with methane , 2006 .

[3]  J. I. Gazzarri,et al.  Non-destructive delamination detection in solid oxide fuel cells , 2007 .

[4]  Kevin Kendall,et al.  A small solid oxide fuel cell demonstrator for microelectronic applications , 1998 .

[5]  Ali Volkan Akkaya,et al.  Electrochemical model for performance analysis of a tubular SOFC , 2007 .

[6]  R. Kee,et al.  A general mathematical model for analyzing the performance of fuel-cell membrane-electrode assemblies , 2003 .

[7]  X. Tan,et al.  Yttria Stabilized Zirconia Hollow Fiber Membranes , 2006 .

[8]  Jung-Hoon Song,et al.  The properties and performance of Micro-tubular (Less than 1mm Od) anode supported SOFC's for APU-applications , 2008 .

[9]  S. Cocchi,et al.  A global thermo-electrochemical model for SOFC systems design and engineering , 2003 .

[10]  N. Sammes,et al.  Design and fabrication of a 100 W anode supported micro-tubular SOFC stack , 2005 .

[11]  Chao-Yang Wang,et al.  Electron Transport in PEFCs , 2004 .

[12]  N. Minh.  Ceramic Fuel Cells , 1993 .

[13]  Toshiaki Yamaguchi,et al.  Improvement of SOFC Performance Using a Microtubular, Anode-Supported SOFC , 2006 .

[14]  S. Yoshioka,et al.  Dependence of Entropy Change of Single Electrodes on Partial Pressure in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells , 1991 .

[15]  Chusheng Chen,et al.  Fabrication and characterization of an anode-supported hollow fiber SOFC , 2009 .

[16]  Daniel Loghin,et al.  A three-dimensional numerical model of a single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell , 2009 .

[17]  Ian S. Metcalfe,et al.  Microstructure and performance of novel Ni anode for hollow fibre solid oxide fuel cells , 2009 .

[18]  M. Chyu,et al.  Simulation of the chemical/electrochemical reactions and heat/mass transfer for a tubular SOFC in a stack , 2003 .

[19]  Kang Li,et al.  Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ)-Based Hollow Fiber Solid Oxide Fuel Cells , 2008 .

[20]  W. Bessler,et al.  A new framework for physically based modeling of solid oxide fuel cells , 2007 .

[21]  Nigel P. Brandon,et al.  SOFC technology development at Rolls-Royce , 2000 .

[22]  Toshiaki Yamaguchi,et al.  Anode-supported micro tubular SOFCs for advanced ceramic reactor system , 2007 .

[23]  N. Sammes,et al.  Dynamic modeling of single tubular SOFC combining heat/mass transfer and electrochemical reaction effects , 2005 .

[24]  P. Costamagna,et al.  FEM model of the ohmic resistance of IP-SOFCs , 2008 .

[25]  M. Koyama,et al.  Object-based modeling of SOFC system: dynamic behavior of micro-tube SOFC , 2003 .

[26]  D. Cui,et al.  Thermal stress modeling of anode supported micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell , 2009 .

[27]  Mark C. Williams,et al.  U.S. distributed generation fuel cell program , 2004 .

[28]  Yann Bultel,et al.  Current and voltage distributions in a tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) , 2008 .

[29]  Keiji Yashiro,et al.  Demonstration and Stack Concept of Quick Startup/shutdown SOFC (qSOFC) , 2002 .

[30]  Nicola Elvassore,et al.  Mathematical Modeling of Three-Dimensional Cell Cultures in Perfusion Bioreactors , 2006 .

[31]  Mustafa Fazil Serincan,et al.  Computational Thermal-Fluid Analysis of a Microtubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell , 2008 .

[32]  Romesh Kumar,et al.  Thermal‐Hydraulic Model of a Monolithic Solid Oxide Fuel Cell , 1991 .

[33]  Stefano Ubertini,et al.  Modeling solid oxide fuel cell operation: Approaches, techniques and results , 2006 .

[34]  D. Cui,et al.  Comparison of different current collecting modes of anode supported micro-tubular SOFC through mathematical modeling , 2007 .

[35]  K. Kendall,et al.  High temperature solid oxide fuel cells : fundamentals, design and applicatons , 2003 .

[36]  A. Thursfield,et al.  Morphological control of electroless plated Ni anodes: Influence on fuel cell performance , 2008 .

[37]  J. Young,et al.  Thermodynamic and transport properties of gases for use in solid oxide fuel cell modelling , 2002 .

[38]  P. M. Robertson.  The variation of current density and electrode potential with electrode resistance and its role in cell design , 1977 .

[39]  D. Cui,et al.  Numerical analysis of thermal and electrochemical phenomena for anode supported microtubular SOFC , 2009 .

[40]  Kang Li,et al.  Co-Extrusion / Phase Inversion / Co-Sintering for Fabrication of Hollow Fiber Solid Oxide Fuel Cells , 2009 .

[41]  Mustafa Fazil Serincan,et al.  A transient analysis of a micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) , 2009 .

[42]  Kang Li,et al.  Characterization of NiO-yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) hollow fibres for use as SOFC anodes , 2009 .

[43]  Toshiaki Yamaguchi,et al.  Development of cube-type SOFC stacks using anode-supported tubular cells , 2008 .

[44]  Kyle J. Daun,et al.  Radiation heat transfer in planar SOFC electrolytes , 2006 .

[45]  Kang Li,et al.  Preparation of yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) hollow fibre membranes , 2006 .

[46]  S. Kakaç,et al.  A review of numerical modeling of solid oxide fuel cells , 2007 .

[47]  S. Campanari,et al.  Definition and sensitivity analysis of a finite volume SOFC model for a tubular cell geometry , 2004 .

[48]  Yoshinobu Fujishiro,et al.  Fabrication and characterization of components for cube shaped micro tubular SOFC bundle , 2007 .

[49]  Zhenguo Yang,et al.  Observations on the structural degradation of silver during simultaneous exposure to oxidizing and reducing environments , 2004 .

[50]  Toshio Suzuki,et al.  Examination of wet coating and co-sintering technologies for micro-SOFCS fabrication , 2007 .

[51]  Kang Li,et al.  Novel co-extruded electrolyte–anode hollow fibres for solid oxide fuel cells , 2009 .

[52]  H. Yakabe,et al.  3D simulation on the current path in planar SOFCs , 2004 .

[53]  Anil V. Virkar,et al.  The role of electrode microstructure on activation and concentration polarizations in solid oxide fuel cells , 2000 .

[54]  R. Herbin,et al.  Three-dimensional numerical simulation for various geometries of solid oxide fuel cells , 1996 .

[55]  Geoff Kelsall,et al.  Modelling Potential, Current and Gas Velocity Distributions in Micro-Tubular Hollow Fiber SOFC Stacks , 2009 .

[56]  Eric Croiset,et al.  Mechanistic modelling of a cathode-supported tubular solid oxide fuel cell , 2006 .

[57]  R. Mark Ormerod.  Solid oxide fuel cells , 2003 .