A Pore-Scale Computational Framework for Enhancing Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Performance through the Design of Anode Porous Configurations

The design of the microporous structure of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes can significantly affect the overall cell efficiency. A novel pore-scale computational framework has been developed using Plurigaussian methods to create micorporous anode topologies at will. A multi-dimensional model describing the electrochemical phenomena occurring within the corresponding discretised domain of the active layer of the porous anode cermet has been constructed and solved using the finite volume method. Three different anode configurations have been computationally synthesized and analyzed with respect to their topological properties and electrochemical performance: A conventional Ni/YSZ configuration, and two novel designs, a fibrous and a lattice microstructure are synthesized and tested. Utilization of synthetically generated microstructures enables the direct study of microporous and image acquisition attributes. Our numerical investigations demonstrate that lattice and fibrous structures produce increased current densities by 4.8 and 1.4 times, respectively, compared to conventional configurations. In addition, gradient microstructures also have the capacity to enhance electrochemical performance when subjected to careful fabrication methodologies.