A finite element analysis modeling tool for solid oxide fuel cell development: Coupled electrochemistry, thermal and flow analysis in MARC®

M. A. Khaleel; Z. Lin; P. Singh; W. Surdoval; D. Collin

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2003.11.074

A finite element analysis modeling tool for solid oxide fuel cell development: Coupled electrochemistry, thermal and flow analysis in MARC®

M. A. Khaleel, Z. Lin, P. Singh, W. Surdoval, D. Collin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

168 Scopus citations

Abstract

A 3D simulation tool for modeling solid oxide fuel cells is described. The tool combines the versatility and efficiency of a commercial finite element analysis code, MARC^®, with an in-house developed robust and flexible electrochemical (EC) module. Based upon characteristic parameters obtained experimentally and assigned by the user, the EC module calculates the current density distribution, heat generation, and fuel and oxidant species concentration, taking the temperature profile provided by MARC^® and operating conditions such as the fuel and oxidant flow rate and the total stack output voltage or current as the input. MARC^® performs flow and thermal analyses based on the initial and boundary thermal and flow conditions and the heat generation calculated by the EC module. The main coupling between MARC^® and EC is for MARC^® to supply the temperature field to EC and for EC to give the heat generation profile to MARC^®. The loosely coupled, iterative scheme is advantageous in terms of memory requirement, numerical stability and computational efficiency. The coupling is iterated to self-consistency for a steady-state solution. Sample results for steady states as well as the startup process for stacks with different flow designs are presented to illustrate the modeling capability and numerical performance characteristic of the simulation tool.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	136-148
Number of pages	13
Journal	Journal of Power Sources
Volume	130
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2003.11.074
State	Published - May 3 2004
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The work summarized in this paper was funded as part of the Solid-State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) Core Technology Program by the US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). PNNL is operated by Battelle for the US Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC06-76RL01830.

Keywords

Computer modeling
Electrochemical reaction
Finite element method
Flow model
Solid oxide fuel cell
Thermal analysis

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10.1016/j.jpowsour.2003.11.074

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title = "A finite element analysis modeling tool for solid oxide fuel cell development: Coupled electrochemistry, thermal and flow analysis in MARC{\textregistered}",

abstract = "A 3D simulation tool for modeling solid oxide fuel cells is described. The tool combines the versatility and efficiency of a commercial finite element analysis code, MARC{\textregistered}, with an in-house developed robust and flexible electrochemical (EC) module. Based upon characteristic parameters obtained experimentally and assigned by the user, the EC module calculates the current density distribution, heat generation, and fuel and oxidant species concentration, taking the temperature profile provided by MARC{\textregistered} and operating conditions such as the fuel and oxidant flow rate and the total stack output voltage or current as the input. MARC{\textregistered} performs flow and thermal analyses based on the initial and boundary thermal and flow conditions and the heat generation calculated by the EC module. The main coupling between MARC{\textregistered} and EC is for MARC{\textregistered} to supply the temperature field to EC and for EC to give the heat generation profile to MARC{\textregistered}. The loosely coupled, iterative scheme is advantageous in terms of memory requirement, numerical stability and computational efficiency. The coupling is iterated to self-consistency for a steady-state solution. Sample results for steady states as well as the startup process for stacks with different flow designs are presented to illustrate the modeling capability and numerical performance characteristic of the simulation tool.",

keywords = "Computer modeling, Electrochemical reaction, Finite element method, Flow model, Solid oxide fuel cell, Thermal analysis",

author = "Khaleel, {M. A.} and Z. Lin and P. Singh and W. Surdoval and D. Collin",

year = "2004",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jpowsour.2003.11.074",

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T2 - Coupled electrochemistry, thermal and flow analysis in MARC®

AU - Khaleel, M. A.

AU - Lin, Z.

AU - Singh, P.

AU - Surdoval, W.

AU - Collin, D.

PY - 2004/5/3

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N2 - A 3D simulation tool for modeling solid oxide fuel cells is described. The tool combines the versatility and efficiency of a commercial finite element analysis code, MARC®, with an in-house developed robust and flexible electrochemical (EC) module. Based upon characteristic parameters obtained experimentally and assigned by the user, the EC module calculates the current density distribution, heat generation, and fuel and oxidant species concentration, taking the temperature profile provided by MARC® and operating conditions such as the fuel and oxidant flow rate and the total stack output voltage or current as the input. MARC® performs flow and thermal analyses based on the initial and boundary thermal and flow conditions and the heat generation calculated by the EC module. The main coupling between MARC® and EC is for MARC® to supply the temperature field to EC and for EC to give the heat generation profile to MARC®. The loosely coupled, iterative scheme is advantageous in terms of memory requirement, numerical stability and computational efficiency. The coupling is iterated to self-consistency for a steady-state solution. Sample results for steady states as well as the startup process for stacks with different flow designs are presented to illustrate the modeling capability and numerical performance characteristic of the simulation tool.

AB - A 3D simulation tool for modeling solid oxide fuel cells is described. The tool combines the versatility and efficiency of a commercial finite element analysis code, MARC®, with an in-house developed robust and flexible electrochemical (EC) module. Based upon characteristic parameters obtained experimentally and assigned by the user, the EC module calculates the current density distribution, heat generation, and fuel and oxidant species concentration, taking the temperature profile provided by MARC® and operating conditions such as the fuel and oxidant flow rate and the total stack output voltage or current as the input. MARC® performs flow and thermal analyses based on the initial and boundary thermal and flow conditions and the heat generation calculated by the EC module. The main coupling between MARC® and EC is for MARC® to supply the temperature field to EC and for EC to give the heat generation profile to MARC®. The loosely coupled, iterative scheme is advantageous in terms of memory requirement, numerical stability and computational efficiency. The coupling is iterated to self-consistency for a steady-state solution. Sample results for steady states as well as the startup process for stacks with different flow designs are presented to illustrate the modeling capability and numerical performance characteristic of the simulation tool.

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KW - Electrochemical reaction

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KW - Thermal analysis

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A finite element analysis modeling tool for solid oxide fuel cell development: Coupled electrochemistry, thermal and flow analysis in MARC®

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