Modeling and Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) for Performance Improvement under Different Fuel Combinations

In this research, modelling and analysis of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) have been investigated for its performance improvement under various fuel combinations. Design and fabrication of fuel cell is too much costlier and it’s not possible to make experimental work without analysing by modelling. SOFC technologies are great interest over many years due to their flexibilities in the usage of different fuels for operation. Including the fundamental fuel that is hydrogen. Various computational and numerical models have been developed along with experimental work to evaluate the performance as well as to identify and overcome the problem faced in the development of SOFCs. In an attempt to achieve efficient operations with respect to design and combination of thermal and electrochemical perspective, the main objective of the proposed study is to present a 3D computational model, which will serve as framework for the analysis and optimization of SOFCs. A 3D model of a tubular SOFC is developed to study the effect of electric potentials and current densities. ANSYS FLUENT is used for the development of the model which incorporates an interactive 3D electro-thermo chemical fluid flow analysis. The model is further evaluated using different fuels such as C3H8 (propane) and C4H10 (butane) including the modelling of the reformation and the water gas shift reaction. The results are found to be satisfactory and less expensive, analytical and empirical model towards faster SOFC design.