Modeling Heat Transfer Effects In a Solid Oxide Carbon Fuel Cell

A model of a planar geometry solid oxide-based carbon fuel cell is developed. The carbon fuel cell involved a carbon bed in direct contact with the anode, and the oxygen needed for conversion is supplied through the yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) solid electrolyte. Using experimentally derived parameters, the model includes mass transport and chemical reaction kinetics inside the carbon bed, anode and cathode reaction kinetics, and ion transport across the YSZ electrolyte. The model also accounts for the effect of heat transfer on temperature distribution inside the anode and cathode compartments, and on the overall cell performance. As expected, inclusion of heat transfer effects provides a realistic predictive tool to anticipate cell performance and efficiency-under exothermic, autothermal, and endothermic operating conditions for the carbon fuel cell.