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Implementation and validation of the two-potential electrolyte assembly equations in the computational fuel cell model

Fuel cells are devices for conversion of chemical into electric energy. Because of their high theoretical efficiency and low impact on environment, they are likely to have a major role during the current transition towards renewable energy sources. In order to design high-quality device that is reliable during its life-span, advances in fuel cell technology and materials are needed. Synergy of new numerical models and experimental data is therefore crucial. Processes occurring in fuel cells are complex combination of fluid flow, heat transfer, species’ transport and electrochemical reactions. Numerical models for fuel cells need to include all of these processes with a satisfactory precision on both the porous electrodes’ micro-scale and the global scale of cell and complex geometry of supply channels. Before model development, considerable understanding of physical processes is needed, especially for thermodynamics of electrochemical reactions for energy conversion. OpenFuelCell is the open-source addition for OpenFOAM library that is developed for fuel cell modeling, focusing on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Additional model for OpenFuelCell that includes more detailed potential field description is developed. For it, new mesh decomposition is needed, as well as significant modifications of source-code and governing equations. Results of the new two potential model are given, although comparison with existing models is cumbersome due to underlying differences in model. Along with results, validity assessment of new model is also given.

CFD ; OpenFOAM ; SOFC ; fuel cell ; openFuelCell ; solid oxide ; electrochemistry ; potential field

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