Modeling the concentration profiles of CO and CO2 in a direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell—effect of cathode and electrolyte design parameters

Abstract

A mathematical model is developed to study the concentration profile of gases, namely carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, across the anode of a direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell (DC-SOFC) under anode-supported configuration. The concentration profiles are evaluated as a function of cathode and electrolyte design parameters, namely cathode porosity, cathode tortuosity, cathode composition, cathode pressure, electrolyte thickness, and length of the triple-phase boundary (TPB). The effect of operating potential on these concentration profiles is modeled. The effects of electrolyte thickness and TPB length are found to be major factors in determining the performance of the DC-SOFC. Model results are compared with experimental data and found to compare well.