Internal Reforming Kinetics in SOFC-Anodes

摘要

The internal reforming of methane in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has been modeled for operation conditions relevant to both stationary and auxiliary power unit (APU) applications. A 2D-FEM model was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics. Aim of this model is the space-resolved prediction of the gas composition in the anode side of planar anode supported single cells. The isothermal model accounts for the mass transport phenomena in the fuel-gas channel and the anode substrate. A global rate expression is applied to model the gas conversion caused by the internal reforming reactions. The kinetic parameters were fitted to experimental data. In the investigated parameter range, the model shows good correlation with experimental data. As the model is capable to coherently calculate the complex species transport phenomena and the kinetics of the chemical reactions, the limitation of pore transport on the effective chemical reaction kinetics can be reproduced with the model.