A 3D model of computational fluid dynamics for an anode SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL is presented. This model incorporates important transport phenomena in a FUEL CELL such as heat transfer, mass transfer, electrode kinetics, and potential field. The simulation results of the model were compared with the available laboratory data in the same conditions that shows good agreement with other references. In this model, the effect of different parameters such as temperature, pressure, stoichiometry and electrolyte thickness on the FUEL CELL performance was investigated. The results of this model clearly describe the distribution of species, including reactants and products, temperature distribution, distribution potential, and distribution of current density. The results showed that the temperature, pressure and stoichiometry of the anode have a great effect on the performance of the CELL so that each parameter increases the performance of the FUEL CELL performance. On the other hand, increasing the thickness of the electrolyte can have a negative effect on the performance of the FUEL CELL.

A SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL (SOFC) with internal reformation and a parallel flow configuration is modeled. The solution domain of the model is divided into four sections: the FUEL channel, air channel, bipolar plates, and the CELL core (PEN), which comprises the anode and cathode electrodes as well as the electrolyte. The conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy, along with an electrochemical model, are solved in a one-dimensional steady-state framework using gPROMS software. The model's results have been validated against data available in published literature. First, the equations were solved using both variable properties (temperature-dependent) and constant properties, and the results were compared. The results show that the impact of temperature on properties within the performance range of the SOFC is negligible. Therefore, the results were obtained using constant properties, which reduced the program execution time by 16.7%. Secondly, to further reduce the program execution time, the various terms in the governing equations were analyzed based on their order of magnitude. Terms with lower significance were eliminated from the equations. The results of the simplified equations were then compared to those obtained from the original equations, ensuring consistency and accuracy. The effects of parameters such as the FUEL pre-reforming percentage, inlet temperature, and FUEL utilization factor on FUEL CELL performance have been investigated. The results show that the FUEL utilization factor has a direct relationship with the temperature gradient and an inverse relationship with the power output and efficiency of the FUEL CELL. Additionally, increasing the excess air leads to a reduction in the operational performance of the CELL.

In the present study, the effect of porosity on the cathode microstructure (50: 50 wt. % LSM: YSZ) of a SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL (SOFC) has been examined. A 3-D finite element method for Mixed Ionic and Electronic Conducting Cathodes (MIEC) is presented to study the effects of porosity on CELL performance. Each microstructure was realized using the Monte Carlo approach with the isotropic type of growth rate. The effect of porosity on the cathode of a SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL involving the Three Phase Boundary Length (TPBL), electric conductivity of LSM phase, ionic conductivity of YSZ, mechanical behavior and tortuosity of the pore phase were explored in the present work. The cathode having a porosity value between 31 and 34% revealed the maximum TPBL value as well as a high variation in the electrical conductivity of the LSM phase. Pore phase tortuosity was also decreased by increasing the porosity factor.

In this paper, a single SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL with internal reforming and parallel flow is modeled and optimized. The single FUEL CELL is a part of a stack of FUEL CELL system used for cogeneration of heat and work. The governing equations including the conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy and electrochemistry relations are solved by gPROMS software and validated using the data available in literature. The effect of quantities such as the rate of FUEL consumption, amount of excess air and the percentage of pre reforming of FUEL on the power and the efficiency of the FUEL CELL were evaluated. The results show that the percentage of the FUEL pre reforming on the performance of FUEL CELL is more effective than other parameters and the power output and energy efficiency increase with it as well. Optimal working point of FUEL CELL with three objective functions (output power, the product of output voltage in voltage efficiency and output power in energy efficiency) has been obtained. The optimal current density is less than the current density of maximum power output. The optimal power output and energy efficiency taking minimum energy dissipation into account are 1.11W/cm2 and 42% respectively and by considering minimum exergy are 1.46 W/cm2 and 24%, respectively.

In the present study, a new combined-cycle consisting of a turboprop engine equipped with a SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL has been analyzed and investigated. In this configuration, after the air inlet, the air compressor, SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL, combustion chamber, high-pressure turbine, free turbine, and outlet are considered, respectively. In this study, the cycle performance at different turbine inlet temperatures is investigated. Examination of the results shows that the integration of SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLs with turboprop engines will improve the efficiency of this engine. The results of this study show that adding SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLs to the turboprop engine will increase the efficiency of the whole system from 20% in the turboprop engine to 26% in the combined cycle. The results and diagrams also show that the combined cycle generates somewhat more thrust than a real turboprop engine and also provides 50 kWh of aircraft electrical energy.