FURI | Fall 2019

Metal-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for Rapid Thermal Cycling

The objective of current research is to improve rapid thermal cycling and mechanical ruggedness of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) by investigating various fuel cell geometries and supports. For this investigation, a flame-assisted fuel cell (FFC) configuration utilizing metal-supported cells (MSC) is tested using the current-voltage method to analyze the electrical efficiency, power density, polarization, and rapid thermal cycling of the SOFCs. From recent FLUENT simulation results, the geometry of the reactor chamber has been modified to incorporate fins to allow better thermal energy transfer between the exhaust gasses and air going to the cathode.