Current and voltage distributions in a tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)

One of the major obstacles to improving electrochemical performance of SOFCs is the limitation with respect to current collecting. The aim of this study is to examine these limitations on the basis of a model of a single cell of tubular SOFC. The simulation results allow us to understand and analyze the effects of ionic and electronic ohmic drops on cell performance. This paper describes a model using the CFD-Ace software package to simulate the behaviour of a tubular SOFC. Modelling is based on solving conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy, species and electric current by using a finite volume approach on 3D grids of arbitrary topology. The electrochemistry in the porous gas diffusion electrode is described using Butler-Volmer equations at the triple phase boundary. The electrode overpotential is computed at each spatial location within the catalyst layer by separately solving the electronic and ionic electric potential equations. The 3D presentation of the current densities and the electronic and ionic potentials allows analysis of the respective ohmic drops. The simulation results show that the principal limitations are at the cathodic side. The limitations due to ionic ohmic drops, classically considered to be the main restrictions, are confirmed. The particular interest of our study is that it also shows that, because of the cylindrical geometry, there is a significant electronic ohmic drop.