Hierarchic design of SOFC system

Overview Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system is expected to be a promising power generation system with its high generation efficiency, adaptability to various hydrocarbon fuels, capability of exergy recovery by heat engine or internal reforming. For successful implementation of SOFC, hierarchic design methodology composed of total system level design, module level design and electrolyte/electrode level design must be developed. Currently, both experimental and numerical approaches for designing more reliable and efficient SOFC are ongoing, which enables us to predict and control large spatiotemporal phenomena from power-generation system to electrode micro reaction. Particularly, the effects of electrode microstructure on cell polarization characteristics are investigated intensively. Micro-tubular anode support SOFCs and button cells are fabricated, and I-V as well as impedance spectroscopy measurements have been carried out. Detailed Lattice Boltzmann simulation of the electrochemical reaction in micro porous electrodes based on actual electrode microstructures obtained by FIB-SEM has been carried out. Furthermore, a novel design concept of a self-sustained ultra small power system is proposed, and its macroscopic modeling as well as experimental demonstration are in progress.
Micro tubular anode support SOFC
3D LBM simulation of anode microstructure obtained by FIB-SEM
Experimental and predicted I-V curves

Recent Reports

• Kimijima S. and Kasagi N.,
  "Cycle analysis of micro gas turbine-molten carbonate fuel cell hybrid system,"
  JSME Int. J. Ser. B, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 65-74 (2005).
  ( PDF (J-STAGE))

• Uechi, H., Kimijima, S., Kasagi, N.,
  "Cycle Analysis of Gas Turbine--Fuel Cell Cycle Hybrid Micro Generation System,"
  J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power Vol. 126, pp. 755-762 (2004).
  (doi: 10.1115/1.1787505)

• Suzue, Y., Shikazono, N., and Kasagi, N.
  "Modeling of SOFC Anodes Based on the Stochastic Reconstruction Scheme"
  10th International Symposium on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC-X), Nara, June 3-8, 2007, to be presented.
  Also published in "ECS Transactions - Solid Oxide Fuel Cells" Volume 7, to be published (2007)
  

• Suzuki, M, Shikazono, N., Fukagata, K., and Kasagi, N.,
  "Numerical analysis of heat/mass transfer and electrochemical reaction in an anode-supported flat-tube solid oxide fuel cell"
  Proc. 4th Int. Conf. Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology (FUELCELL2006), Irvine, California, June 19-21, 2006, Paper No. FUELCELL2006-97112, 9 pp.
  (PDF795 kbytes)

• Suzuki, M., Fukagata, K., Shikazono, N., and Kasagi, N.,
  "Numerical analysis of temperature and potential distributions in planar-type SOFC,"
  Proc. 6th KSME-JSME Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference, March 20-23, 2005, Jeju, Korea (CD-ROM), Paper KJ.01, 4 pp.
  (PDF565 kbytes).

Last update: 2007-12-20