ONE-DIMENSIONAL DISTRIBUTED PARAMETERS MODELING OF A MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELL

This work presents a one-dimensional distributed parameters mathematical model for MCFC based on mass, energy and momentum conservation principles and thermodynamic properties. The Model of electrochemical reaction has been considered based on the polarization characteristics from experience. Using the V-R modeling technique the partial differential equations for cell mass and momentum balance can be changed to ordinary differential equations which meet the quick simulation. The model is validated over experiments by the polarization curves when operating in different pressure and temperature. By comparison a systematic discrepancy between the experimental and theoretical cell voltage was observed. The difference can be probably caused by the existence of parasitic currents between electrodes, depending on specific cell manufacturing features, which are difficult to be evaluated. The average absolute difference between model prediction and experimental results is limited to 3% for cell voltage. The results indicate that the V R characteristic modeling technique is valuable and viable in the MCFC system.