Transport, sensitivity, and dimensional optimization studies of a tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

In this paper, the impact of the design and operating parameters of a tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is studied using a well-validated steady-state model. The profiles of species concentrations and pressure in the flow channels when the cell terminal voltage is changed are studied. In addition, both the axial and radial profiles of the species concentrations inside the electrodes are presented. The model is also used to study the effects of the parameters that can significantly influence the design criteria of an anode-supported tubular SOFC. The effects of the flowrate of H2H2, inlet pressure, and the cell temperature on the power output from the cell are studied. Cell characteristic parameters such as the porosity of the electrodes, effective diffusivity of the species, and the rate of the electrochemical reactions are varied and their impact on the cell performance is observed. The influence of the cell design parameters such as the thickness of the electrodes and the electrolyte on the steady-state polarization curve are also studied. Finally, a dimensional study is presented. In the dimensional study, the radius of the anode flow channel, the length of the cell, and the annulus size are varied keeping the solid volume and the total cell volume constant. This study shows that it is possible to design guidelines for the optimum performance of the cell.