Numerical Simulation Heat And Mass Transfer In A Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell

Fuel cell is believed to be the most promising new energy conversion devices that convert chemical energy in fossil fuels into electricity. It is a highly efficient and environmentally clean source of power generation. MCFC (molten carbonate fuel cell), which is one of two kinds of high temperature fuel cells, have been researched in most of countries.Most experimental investigations of fuel cells are expensive. In addition, they can only be carried out on a small scale, with a few designs and with difficulties of measurement, e.g., of the electrical resistance. On the other hand, the cost of numerical modeling of fuel cells is low, and it is easy to set up a number of alternative new designs. Hence, the numerical simulation of fuel cells is worthwhile and has been used extensively.The numerical simulation can be appropriately divided into modeling at the electrode level (micromodelling),at cell level, and at stack level(macromodelling). Micromodelling aims at building better electrodes through study of microscopic processes. However, macromodelling aims at optimizing design alternatives and determining operational strategies, provided that the electrochemical performance of the given electrodes and electrolytes are known. In this paper, macromodelling of fuel cells is emphasized.In this paper, the performance of a molten carbonate fuel cell was investigated numerically. A numerical model has been developed to simulate the parameter distribution of temperature and concentration in the molten carbonate fuel cell under the s teady-state. In p articular, t he model c an c onsider s imultaneously t he d ominant processes of a cell, such as mass transport, chemical reactions, heat transfer, and voltage-current relations. Moreover, it is also capable of calculating the fuel cell with different gas flow direction(cross-,co-,and counter-flow). The model is an effective tool for optimal design and operation analysis of fuel cells.At last, this paper analyzes the process that chemical energy change into electrical energy directly according to the thermodynamic theorem. It provides a method of computation of open circuit voltage molten carbonate fuel cell(MCFC).In this paper, the open circuit voltage was calculated according to the given design parameters.There is much work to be done to develop the technology of fuel cell power system. The key point lays on the technology of fuel cell stack. On the basis of accumulation in MCFC experimentation, some technology will be more easilytransplanted on SOFC. The final objective is to realize the integrated coal gasification or biomass gasification fuel cell power system.