Numerical analysis of electrical power generation and internal reforming characteristics in seal-less disk-type solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract

For seal-less type solid oxide fuel cells, its power generation characteristics and distribution of the gas composition depend on not only the electrochemical reaction, but also complex kinetics and transport phenomena, because the internal reforming reaction and the water-gas shift reaction take place together with reverse diffusion of the ambient gas from the surroundings of the cell. The purpose of this paper is to theoretically explain the experimental results of the anodic concentration profile of gaseous species previously reported in a practical seal-less disk-type cell which used pre-reforming methane with steam as a fuel. A numerical model that takes into account the transport phenomena of the gaseous species and the internal reforming reaction with the water-gas shift reaction together with the assumption of the cell outlet boundary condition was constructed to numerically analyse the gas composition distribution and power generation characteristics. Numerical analyses by the model were conducted for the several cases reported as the experiment. The calculated results in the anode gas concentration profile and in the voltage–current characteristics show good agreement with the experimental data in every case, and then the validity of the simulation model was verified. Therefore, the model is useful for a seal-less disk-type cell which is operated by a fuel including non-reformed methane.