| Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a direct chemical-to-electrical energy conversion system using hydrogen and oxygen as reactants, operating at a higher temperature range (800°--1100° C). With the advantages of low-cost materials for anode, cathode, membrane, and the versatility in the use of various types of fuels as compared to other fuel cell types, the SOFC is one of the most recommendable fuel cells for large power generating system. An additional distinct advantage is of using the hot exhaust by-product gases to generate electricity in an advance combined power generation system along with a gas turbine.;The objective of the present work is to analyze a tri-layer SOFC using a two-dimensional simulation model. This work was concerned with the evaluation of different fuel cell losses, heat generation, and determining the performance polarization of the SOFC using in-house computer code. The operation characteristics were evaluated with a wide spectrum of cell parameters and operating conditions. Further, a 1-MW SOFC is designed for a locomotive engine based on the selected operating characteristics and using the state-of-the-art SOFC materials. |
