Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Study the flow and species distribution characteristics in a typical 25-cell proton ceramic fuel cell stack by 3D large-scale modeling

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Ionics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC) has attracted more and more research attention due to its special working features, compared with both the traditional oxygen ionic solid oxide fuel cell (O2−-SOFC) and protonic exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The 3D CFD numerical method is generally considered to be an effective path to explore the proper air flow path design for the PCFC stack. In this paper, the 3D large-scale CFD models for the 25-cell PCFC stacks with both U-type and Z-type air flow paths and O2−-SOFC stack are developed to compare and access the flow and species distribution features within the PCFC stacks. The result shows that the U-type configuration would be a more proper choice for the PCFC air flow path to achieve higher air and oxygen feeding qualities than that of the Z-type configuration. The flow and species uniformities within the 25-cell PCFC stack are worse than that of the O2−-SOFC stack because the vapors are generated within the cathode side. Different vapor generation sites and operation temperatures are two key factors contributing to the different item distributing features within the PCFC and traditional O2−-SOFC stacks.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hu Z, Xu L, Li J, Gan Q, Xu X, Song Z, Shao Y, Ouyang M (2019) A novel diagnostic methodology for fuel cell stack health: performance, consistency and uniformity. Energy Convers Manage 185:611–621

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Giacoppo G, Hovland S, Barbera O (2019) 2 kW Modular PEM fuel cell stack for space applications: development and test for operation under relevant conditions. Appl Energy 242:1683–1696

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Forysinski P, Oloman C, Kazemi S, Nickchi T, Usgaocar A (2019) Development and use of a mixed-reactant fuel cell. J Power Sources 414:366–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Chen D, Bi W, Kong W, Lin Z (2010) Combined micro-scale and macro-scale modeling of the composite electrode of a solid oxide fuel cell. J Power Sources 195(19):6598–6610

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhao J, Jian Q, Huang Z, Luo L, Huang B (2019) Experimental study on water management improvement of proton exchange membrane fuel cells with dead-ended anode by periodically supplying fuel from anode outlet. J Power Sources 435:226775

  6. Russner N, Dierickx S, Weber A, Reimert R, Ivers-Tiffée E (2020) Multiphysical modelling of planar solid oxide fuel cell stack layers. J Power Sources 451:227552

  7. Yang G, Su C, Shi H, Zhu Y, Song Y, Zhou W, Shao Z (2020) Toward reducing the operation temperature of solid oxide fuel cells: our past 15 years of efforts in cathode development. Energy Fuels 34(12):15169–15194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Yuan T, Wu X, Bae SJ, Zhu X (2019) Reliability assessment of a continuous-state fuel cell stack system with multiple degrading components. Reliab Eng Syst Saf 189:157–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Wu X, Yang D, Wang J, Li X (2019) Temperature gradient control of a solid oxide fuel cell stack. J Power Sources 414:345–353

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Medvedev D (2019) Trends in research and development of protonic ceramic electrolysis cells. Int J Hydrogen Energy 44(49):26711–26740

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Shin E-K, Anggia E, Parveen AS, Park J-S (2019) Optimization of the protonic ceramic composition in composite electrodes for high-performance protonic ceramic fuel cells. Int J Hydrogen Energy 44(59):31323–31332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Li K, Araki T, Kawamura T, Ota A, Okuyama Y (2020) Numerical analysis of current efficiency distributions in a protonic ceramic fuel cell using Nernst-Planck-Poisson model. Int J Hydrogen Energy 45(58):34139–34149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wang N, Hinokuma S, Ina T, Zhu C, Habazaki H, Aoki Y (2020) Mixed proton–electron–oxide ion triple conducting manganite as an efficient cobalt-free cathode for protonic ceramic fuel cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 8(21):11043–11055

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang Q, Guo Y, Ding J, Jiang G, Wen J (2020) Comprehensive models for evaluating electrolyte hole conductivity and its impacts on the protonic ceramic fuel cell. J Power Sources 472:228232

  15. Hwang SH, Kim SK, Nam J-T, Park J-S (2021) Fabrication of an electrolyte-supported protonic ceramic fuel cell with nano-sized powders of Ni-composite anode. Int J Hydrogen Energy 46(1):1076–1084

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Le LQ, Hernandez CH, Rodriguez MH, Zhu L, Duan C, Ding H, O’Hayre RP, Sullivan NP (2021) Proton-conducting ceramic fuel cells: scale up and stack integration. J Power Sources 482:228868

  17. Chen D, Xu Y, Tade MO, Shao Z (2017) General regulation of air flow distribution characteristics within planar solid oxide fuel cell stacks. ACS Energy Lett 2(2):319–326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kwan TH, Wu X, Yao Q (2019) Performance comparison of several heat pump technologies for fuel cell micro-CHP integration using a multi-objective optimisation approach. Appl Therm Eng 160:114002

  19. Chen D, Zhang Q, Lu L, Periasamy V, Tade MO, Shao Z (2016) Multi scale and physics models for intermediate and low temperatures H+-solid oxide fuel cells with H+/e−/O2− mixed conducting properties: part A, generalized percolation theory for LSCF-SDC-BZCY 3-component cathodes. J Power Sources 303:305–316

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Zhu Z, Wang S (2019) Investigation on samarium and yttrium co-doping barium zirconate proton conductors for protonic ceramic fuel cells. Ceram Int 45(15):19289–19296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Chen D, Xu Y, Hu B, Yan C, Lu L (2018) Investigation of proper external air flow path for tubular fuel cell stacks with an anode support feature. Energy Convers Manage 171:807–814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Chen D, Zeng Q, Su S, Bi W, Ren Z (2013) Geometric optimization of a 10-cell modular planar solid oxide fuel cell stack manifold. Appl Energy 112:1100–1107

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Fang Q, Blum L, Peters R, Peksen M, Batfalsky P, Stolten D (2015) SOFC stack performance under high fuel utilization. Int J Hydrogen Energy 40(2):1128–1136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Su S, He H, Chen D, Zhu W, Wu Y, Kong W, Wang B, Lu L (2015) Flow distribution analyzing for the solid oxide fuel cell short stacks with rectangular and discrete cylindrical rib configurations. Int J Hydrogen Energy 40(1):577–592

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Jiang C, Gu Y, Guan W, Ni M, Sang J, Zhong Z, Singhal SC (2020) Thermal stress analysis of solid oxide fuel cell with Z-type and serpentine-type channels considering pressure drop. J Electrochem Soc 167(4):044517

  26. Albrecht KJ, Dubois A, Ferguson K, Duan C, O’Hayre RP, Braun RJ (2019) Steady-state and dynamic modeling of intermediate-temperature protonic ceramic fuel cells. J Electrochem Soc 166(10):F687–F700

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Chen D, Ding K, Chen Z, Wei T, Liu K (2018) Physics field distributions within fuel cell stacks with manifolds penetrating through the plane zone and open outlet features. Energy Convers Manage 178:190–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Bi W, Chen D, Lin Z (2009) A key geometric parameter for the flow uniformity in planar solid oxide fuel cell stacks. Int J Hydrogen Energy 34(9):3873–3884

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Lin B, Shi Y, Cai N (2017) Numerical simulation of cell-to-cell performance variation within a syngas-fuelled planar solid oxide fuel cell stack. Appl Therm Eng 114:653–662

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Chen D, Wang H, Zhang S, Tade MO, Shao Z, Chen H (2015) Multiscale model for solid oxide fuel cell with electrode containing mixed conducting material. AIChE J 61(11):3786–3803

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Chen D, Xu Y, Tade MO, Shao Z (2017) General regulation of air flow distribution characteristics within planar solid oxide fuel cell stacks. ACS Energy Lett 2:319–326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Ding K, Zhu M, Han Z, Kochetov V, Lu L, Chen D (2020) Momentum-species-heat-electrochemistry distribution characteristics within solid oxide fuel cell stack with complex inter-digital fuel channels. Ionics 26(9):4567–4578

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Lin B, Shi Y, Ni M, Cai N (2015) Numerical investigation on impacts on fuel velocity distribution nonuniformity among solid oxide fuel cell unit channels. Int J Hydrogen Energy 40(7):3035–3047

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (CU03-10), Jiangsu ‘333’ High Level Talents Project and Jiangsu Education Department (1154702001-1).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy and Power, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212003, China

    J. Q. Dai, Z. M. Yang, W. S. Wang, J. P. Liu, Y. D. Akenteng & D. F. Chen

Authors
  1. J. Q. Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Z. M. Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. W. S. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. P. Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Y. D. Akenteng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. D. F. Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. F. Chen.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dai, J.Q., Yang, Z.M., Wang, W.S. et al. Study the flow and species distribution characteristics in a typical 25-cell proton ceramic fuel cell stack by 3D large-scale modeling. Ionics 28, 1863–1872 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-022-04465-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-022-04465-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation