Solid Fuel-Cell Design and Performance Using Biofuel Waste Production

Abstract

This work explores the utilization of glycerol, a by-product of biodiesel production, as a fuel source for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) through internal reforming in the anode compartment. The study develops and validates SOFC models using hydrogen fuel and analyzes fuel cell performance under different operating conditions. By introducing surface chemistry physics model for internal reforming and optimizing fuel cell parameters, the study aims to enhance electrochemical performance. A factorial study using Design Expert software is carried out to pinpoint the optimal operating conditions for each scenario. It is found that those differ depending on the geometry and operating conditions. After optimization, the study demonstrates a significant improvement in the performance, with up to 35.3% enhancement at an operating voltage 0.6V. The numerical optimization accounts for various factors, including mass flow rate, and indicates that moderate mass flow rate leads to the maximum current density. For tubular SOFC fed with glycerol it was found that investing in technologies that might reduce electrolyte thickness is inadequate because the solution is completely insensitive to it. The same can be said for reactant velocity. The enhanced performance curve shows that at an operating voltage of 0.7V, the enhancement in performance is up to 21.3%. Moreover, comparing the optimization curve with the original curve for button cell SOFC fed with glycerol yields that at 0.6 operating voltage the percentage improvement is up to 33%. The findings of this study contribute to the advancement of SOFC technology, enhancing energy efficiency, reducing negative environmental impacts, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Date of Award	20 Dec 2023
Original language	American English
Supervisor	MOHAMED Ali (Supervisor)