3D Simulation of Effect of Geometry and Temperature Distribution on SOFC Performance

rapid population growth will increase the need for renewable energy resources. On the other hand, the extent of pollution from fossil fuels has made life on Earth difficult. However, the need to choose a suitable, cheap and clean alternative to fossil fuels is obvious. One of the proposed energy sources is electrical energy generated by fuel cells, which are currently a suitable solution due to high efficiency, non-pollution of the environment and the use of hydrogen as fuel. In this research, a solid oxide fuel cell with two different geometries is simulated in three dimensions. The equations governing the performance of the fuel cell, including electrochemical, momentum, mass transfer, and energy, are coupled using a finite element code defined, solved, and investigated. The results showed that the tubular geometry with the same dimensions and mechanical characteristics has a better performance than the planar type. It was shown that solving the energy equation and non-uniform temperature distribution reduces the power density of the fuel cell by about 7%. It was also found that cathodic pressure changes have a greater effect on fuel cell performance than anodic pressure changes. In the end, the results showed that increasing the thickness of the anode has a significant effect on increasing its performance compared to increasing the thickness of other fuel cell components.