Three-dimensional numerical and experimental investigation of an industrial-sized SOFC fueled by diesel reformat – Part I: Creation of a base model for further carbon deposition modeling

Hydrogen and methane are widely used as fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and have been extensively researched. The usage of high-temperature SOFCs for mobile applications such as auxiliary power units will be a seminal field of application. The biggest advantage of currently used liquid fuels for combustion engines is their high volumetric energy density. Diesel can be used as fuel for SOFCs when it is reformed. In this study a CFD simulation model of a planar industrial-sized 100 × 100  mm2 SOFC fed with diesel reformat was examined. Its size and geometry as well as the fuel are suitable for future applications and therefore investigation is of special interest. The electrochemical and thermal performance was investigated and validated with in-house experimentally determined data. In order to identify the influence of radiative heat transfer, the Surface-to-Surface and the Discrete Ordinates Model were used for radiation modeling. A very high degree of consensus of simulated and experimentally designated data was reached for the entire temperature range and different fuel compositions. The created CFD model will be used as a base model for future simulations of carbon deposition on the cellʹs anode.