A two-dimensional numerical model of a planar solid oxide fuel cell

A two-dimensional CFD model of a planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has been developed. This model can predict the performance of SOFC at various operating and design conditions.
The effect of Knudsen diffusion is accounted in the porous electrode (backing) and reaction zone layers. The mathematical model solves conservation of electrons and ions and conservation of species. The model is formulated in COMSOL Multiphysics 3.4, a commercial Finite Element Method (FEM) based on software package. The objective of the present study is to compare the results obtained from FEM with Control Volume Method (CVM) results obtained by Hussain et al. Both sets of results are compared with the experimental data published in literature. The results obtained by FEM show more accurate agreement with the experimental data. Finaly, the effect of various operating and design parameters on the performance of SOFC has been
examined.