Formulation of an Ideal Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Abstract

Principles of transport phenomena and chemical/ electrochemical reaction kinetics were employed to develop the formulation for the prediction of fuel (e.g., ) and oxidant (e.g., ) mole fraction profiles in the porous anode and cathode electrodes of an ideal solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The ideal SOFC is composed of the porous anode, , which is the cermet of metallic nickel and yttria-stabilized zirconia and the porous cathode, , which is the strontium-doped lanthanum manganite. A thin film of the yttria-stabilized zirconia is the solid electrolyte separating the cell electrodes. The cell anode-side fuel and cathode-side oxidant supply compartments are continuously stirred to maintain constant concentrations of fuel and oxidant in them. The relevant analytical formulation as well as the numerical data computed is presented. The current calculated data show a non-linear decrease, associated with the coupled effect of diffusion and consumption, in the mole fractions of hydrogen and oxygen in the porous electrodes with an increase in the distance from the reactant supply compartments towards the cell electrolyte separator.