Consideration of numerical simulation parameters and heat transfer models for a molten carbonate fuel cell stack

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A fuel cell stack model based on differential heat balance equations was solved numerically with a computational fluid dynamics code. Theoretical aspects in the simulation of a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) performance model were discussed with regard to numerical accuracy of temperature prediction. The effect of grid setting for gas channel depth was studied to ensure how coarse it can be. A single computational element was sufficient for temperature prediction, while more grid elements are required for calculation of flow field and pressure distribution. The use of constant velocities is not recommended because it cannot account for the change of linear velocity within fuel cells, indicating the momentum equations have to be solved together with the heat balance equations. Thermal radiation has little effect on calculation of temperature field from the model. Gas properties vary within fuel cells, but most of them can be treated constant except for specific heat capacity of anode gas. Convection heat transfer by anode gas can be overestimated when a constant specific heat capacity is used, resulting in prediction of lower temperature curves. Overall, heat transfer in a co-flow stack is well characterized by two-dimensional model along the axial and vertical coordinates rather than on cell plane.