Analysis of Porosity and Tortuosity in a 2D Selected Region of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathode Using the Lattice Boltzmann Method

Abstract

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is one of the most promising devices for getting electrical energy. There are a lot of advantages in the use of SOFCs such as their efficiency, higher electrical and thermal power production and reduction of the emission of polluting gases. Modeling the SOFC at downscale is one of the most important challenges in fuel cell (FC) research. Knowing the behavior of materials to this scale is a helpful tool to predict the physical and chemical phenomena within the FCs, improve their efficiency and reduce material costs. At micro- and mesoscale, Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) appears as a powerful tool for modeling fuel cells. LBM has been proven suitable for solving several physical phenomena in complex geometries such as porous media. Using the D2Q9 LBM scheme, the velocity field for a selected section of an SOFC cathode is determined. This velocity field is shown in 2D and 3D graphics. The porosity and tortuosity for this selected region are calculated and compared with previous results.