Three-dimensional simulation of a molten carbonate fuel cell stack using computational fluid dynamics technique

The performance of a molten carbonate fuel cell stack with regard to safe and efficient electricity generation has been investigated using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. A numerical model is developed, and it is employed to calculate the three-dimensional distributions of the crucial parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, concentration, and density) across a stack. In particular, the model can consider simultaneously the dominant processes of a stack, such as mass transport, chemical reactions, heat transfer, and the voltage-current relations. Moreover, it is also capable of calculating the mass distribution across the stack rather than assuming a uniform distribution. In this paper, the model is demonstrated by applying it to calculate fuel cells with three different manifolds (e.g., co-, counter- and cross-flow) in a stack. The model is an effective numerical tool for optimal design and operational analysis of fuel-cell stacks, e.g. for comparing performance with different manifolds and to identify operational characteristics.