Modeling and parametric simulations of solid oxide fuel cells with methane carbon dioxide reforming

A two-dimensional model is developed to simulate the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) fed with CO2 and CH4 mixture. The electrochemical oxidations of both CO and H2 are included. Important chemical reactions are considered in the model, including methane carbon dioxide reforming (MCDR), reversible water gas shift reaction (WGSR), and methane steam reforming (MSR). It’s found that at a CH4/CO2 molar ratio of 50/50, MCDR and reversible WGSR significantly influence the cell performance while MSR is negligibly small. The performance of SOFC fed with CO2/CH4 mixture is comparable to SOFC running on CH4/H2O mixtures. The electric output of SOFC can be enhanced by operating the cell at a low operating potential or at a high temperature. In addition, the development of anode catalyst with high activity towards CO electrochemical oxidation is important for SOFC performance enhancement. The model can serve as a useful tool for optimization of the SOFC system running on CH4/CO2 mixtures.

► A 2D model is developed for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).
► CH4 reforming by CO2 (MCDR) is included.
► SOFC with MCDR shows comparable performance with methane steam reforming SOFC.
► Increasing CO electrochemical oxidation greatly enhances the SOFC performance.
► Effects of potential and temperature on SOFC performance are also discussed.