A coupled-physics model for the vanadium oxygen fuel cell

• A stationary model for the vanadium oxygen fuel cell is developed.
• The transient cell behavior is modeled by introducing a logistic function.
• Simulated data on basis of this model are in good agreement with experimental data.
• Optimization of the oxygen cathode will contribute the most to system improvement.

A stationary two-dimensional model for the vanadium oxygen fuel cell is developed. The model consists of a single cell with two membranes, set up as of two half-cells and an intermediate chamber. The transport and balance of mass, momentum and charge are linked to the electrochemical reaction kinetics of the vanadium species and oxygen. The kinetic model for the cathode half-cell is extended by an empirical logistic function to describe the transient behavior of the half-cell. Additionally, experiments are conducted on a single vanadium oxygen fuel cell with 40 cm2 active membrane area. The experimental results are used to validate the simulation data. The effects of constant current discharging, polarization behavior and different flow rates on the cathode overpotential are studied by means of this model.