Numerical Comparison of Planar and Micro-Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Year 2021, Volume: 24 Issue: 2, 593 - 597, 01.06.2021

Mustafa İlbaş , Fethi Mustafa Çimen , Berre Kümük

https://doi.org/10.2339/politeknik.735025

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a highly efficient power generation system that can be designed in many different geometries including planar and tubular types of fuel cell. Although their operating performance is based on the same principles, parameters may be unique for each geometry. This study investigates numerically effects of cell configuration on performance by developing a finite element method (FEM) based SOFC models. The effects of configuration on the fuel cell are investigated in terms of voltage, the average cell current density, and the average cell power. These effects are illustrated with polarization and power curves by using COMSOL software. As the most convenient results of this study, although both types have their own advantages, it can be concluded that the performance of the SOFC increases with the planar geometry compared to micro-tubular type under the studied operating conditions.

Keywords

Planar SOFC, micro-tubular SOFC, performance, numerical analysis

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