Integrated Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell: Steady-State Model of a Bundle and Validation through Single Tube Experimental Data

Paola Costamagna, Simone Grosso, Rowland Travis and Loredana Magistri
Additional contact information
Paola Costamagna: Thermochemical Power Group (TPG)-Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), Polytechnic School, University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 15, Genoa 16145, Italy
Simone Grosso: Thermochemical Power Group (TPG)-Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), Polytechnic School, University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 15, Genoa 16145, Italy
Rowland Travis: Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems Limited, SinA-7, PO Box 31, Derby DE24 8BJ, UK
Loredana Magistri: Thermochemical Power Group (TPG)–Department of Mechanics, Energetics, Management and Transportation (DIME), Polytechnic School, University of Genoa, Via Montallegro 1, Genoa 16145, Italy

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 11, 1-24

Abstract: This work focuses on a steady-state model developed for an integrated planar solid oxide fuel cell (IP-SOFC) bundle. In this geometry, several single IP-SOFCs are deposited on a tube and electrically connected in series through interconnections. Then, several tubes are coupled to one another to form a full-sized bundle. A previously-developed and validated electrochemical model is the basis for the development of the tube model, taking into account in detail the presence of active cells, interconnections and dead areas. Mass and energy balance equations are written for the IP-SOFC tube, in the classical form adopted for chemical reactors. Based on the single tube model, a bundle model is developed. Model validation is presented based on single tube current-voltage (I-V) experimental data obtained in a wide range of experimental conditions, i.e. , at different temperatures and for different H 2 /CO/CO 2 /CH 4 /H 2 O/N 2 mixtures as the fuel feedstock. The error of the simulation results versus I-V experimental data is less than 1% in most cases, and it grows to a value of 8% only in one case, which is discussed in detail. Finally, we report model predictions of the current density distribution and temperature distribution in a bundle, the latter being a key aspect in view of the mechanical integrity of the IP-SOFC structure.

Keywords: integrated planar solid oxide fuel cell (IP-SOFC); electrochemical reaction; heat and mass transport; modelling; model validation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/8/11/12364/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/8/11/12364/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:8:y:2015:i:11:p:12364-13254:d:59177

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().