Modeling Carbon Monoxide Direct Oxidation in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Abstract

In the present study, the results of the numerical implementation of a mathematical model of a planar anode-supported SOFC are reported. In particular, model results are validated and discussed when the fuel is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, focusing on the importance of simulating direct oxidation of carbon monoxide. The mathematical model is solved in a 3D environment and the key issue is the validation comparing with experimental data, which is made in different operating conditions to establish the reliability of the presented model. The results show the importance of simulating direct oxidation of carbon monoxide and its effect on the fuel cell performance.