Modeling of thermal stresses in a microtubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell stack

Abstract

A modeling study was carried out to analyze thermal stresses in a microtubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (mSOFC) stack and to estimate thermal expansion of the fuel cells inside the stack. A joint analysis by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computational Structural Mechanics Finite Element Method (FEM) was performed. Temperature profiles generated by the thermo-hydrodynamic model were applied in the thermo-mechanical model to calculate thermal stress distributions in the mSOFC stack. The results yield maximum thermal axial elongation equal to 1.34 mm for the mSOFC stack, while the maximum radial elongation was equal to 0.496 mm. Modeled maximum equivalent (von Mises) stress was equal to 538 MPA in the contact areas of the cylindrical housing and manifold on the fuel inlet side. Based on comparison of the total axial stresses and the residual ones with the material strength it was noticed that the anode and electrolyte layers should not be critically deformed, but there is a risk of damage for cathode layers at chosen fuel cell configurations. A high risk of damage was also noticed for the outer housing, near contact points with manifolds as well as at the air distributor due to large number of cut-outs in the material.