TY - JOUR
T1 - Modelling of high temperature direct methanol solid oxide fuel cells
AU - Xu, Qidong
AU - Ni, Meng
N1 - Funding Information:
Research Grant Council, University Grants Committee, Hong Kong SAR, Grant/Award Numbers: PolyU 152064/18E, PolyU 152214/17E Funding information
Funding Information:
M. Ni thanks the funding support (Project Number: PolyU 152214/17E and PolyU 152064/18E) from Research Grant Council, University Grants Committee, Hong Kong SAR.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Methanol is a promising fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). A 2D numerical model is developed to study a tubular direct methanol SOFC. The model fully considers the methanol decomposition reaction and water gas shift reaction in the anode, the electrochemical oxidations of H2 and CO, fluid flow and mass transfer in the cell. The model is validated by the direct methanol SOFC experiment. At a temperature of 1073 K, a peak power density of 1.2 W cm−2 is achieved, which is much higher than room temperature direct methanol fuel cells (typically less than 0.1 W cm−2). Subsequent parametric simulations are conducted to understand the effects of operating and structural parameters on the SOFC performance, such as temperature, potential, anode thickness and cell length. Increasing the temperature enhances chemical/electrochemical reaction rates and ion conduction, leading to improved cell performance. Increasing the anode thickness improves methanol conversion and increases the average current density to some extent. For comparison, a longer cell can also improve methanol conversion but decreases the average cell current density. The results form a basis for subsequent performance enhancement of direct methanol SOFC by optimization of the cell structure and operating parameters.
AB - Methanol is a promising fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). A 2D numerical model is developed to study a tubular direct methanol SOFC. The model fully considers the methanol decomposition reaction and water gas shift reaction in the anode, the electrochemical oxidations of H2 and CO, fluid flow and mass transfer in the cell. The model is validated by the direct methanol SOFC experiment. At a temperature of 1073 K, a peak power density of 1.2 W cm−2 is achieved, which is much higher than room temperature direct methanol fuel cells (typically less than 0.1 W cm−2). Subsequent parametric simulations are conducted to understand the effects of operating and structural parameters on the SOFC performance, such as temperature, potential, anode thickness and cell length. Increasing the temperature enhances chemical/electrochemical reaction rates and ion conduction, leading to improved cell performance. Increasing the anode thickness improves methanol conversion and increases the average current density to some extent. For comparison, a longer cell can also improve methanol conversion but decreases the average cell current density. The results form a basis for subsequent performance enhancement of direct methanol SOFC by optimization of the cell structure and operating parameters.
KW - direct internal reforming
KW - methanol fuel
KW - modelling
KW - solid oxide fuel cell
KW - water gas shift reaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092113937&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/er.6003
DO - 10.1002/er.6003
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85092113937
SN - 0363-907X
JO - International Journal of Energy Research
JF - International Journal of Energy Research
ER -