A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been created to model high-temperature steam electrolysis in a planar solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). The model represents a single cell, as it would exist in an electrolysis stack. Details of the model geometry are specific to a stack that was fabricated by Ceramatec, Inc. and tested at the Idaho National Laboratory. Mass, momentum, energy, and species conservation and transport are provided via the core features of the commercial CFD code FLUENT. A solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) model adds the electrochemical reactions and loss mechanisms and computation of the electric field throughout the cell. The FLUENT SOFC user-defined subroutine was modified for this work to allow for operation in the SOEC mode. Model results provide detailed profiles of temperature, Nernst potential, operating potential, anode-side gas composition, cathode-side gas composition, current density and hydrogen production over a range of stack operating conditions. Mean model results are shown to compare favorably with experimental results obtained from an actual ten-cell stack tested at INL.
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ASME 2005 Summer Heat Transfer Conference collocated with the ASME 2005 Pacific Rim Technical Conference and Exhibition on Integration and Packaging of MEMS, NEMS, and Electronic Systems
July 17–22, 2005
San Francisco, California, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Heat Transfer Division and Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division
ISBN:
0-7918-4734-9
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Thermal and Electrochemical Three Dimensional CFD Model of a Planar Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell
Grant Hawkes,
Grant Hawkes
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
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Jim O’Brien,
Jim O’Brien
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
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Carl Stoots,
Carl Stoots
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
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Steve Herring,
Steve Herring
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
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Mehrdad Shahnam
Mehrdad Shahnam
Fluent, Inc.
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Grant Hawkes
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
Jim O’Brien
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
Carl Stoots
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
Steve Herring
Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
Mehrdad Shahnam
Fluent, Inc.
Paper No:
HT2005-72565, pp. 27-36; 10 pages
Published Online:
March 9, 2009
Citation
Hawkes, G, O’Brien, J, Stoots, C, Herring, S, & Shahnam, M. "Thermal and Electrochemical Three Dimensional CFD Model of a Planar Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell." Proceedings of the ASME 2005 Summer Heat Transfer Conference collocated with the ASME 2005 Pacific Rim Technical Conference and Exhibition on Integration and Packaging of MEMS, NEMS, and Electronic Systems. Heat Transfer: Volume 4. San Francisco, California, USA. July 17–22, 2005. pp. 27-36. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/HT2005-72565
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