Verification of CFD Modeling for 5kW class MCFC Stack Composed of 7 Unit Cells with 7,500cm{sup}2 in Effective Electrode Area

摘要

A 5kW class MCFC short-stack composed of 7 unit cells was fabricated using the separator with the effective electrode area of 7,500cm{sup}2, and the electric performances as well as temperature distributions and pressure differences at various operational conditions were observed. To improve its flatness, the separators were designed employing new concepts such as 3-piece architecture, simple channel structure, and flat mask plate. The current density, air and fuel utilization, and gas pressure were selected as the operational parameters for stack operation. The numerical analysis for the stack using in-house made CFD module for MCFC was also carried out. The temperature distributions, pressure differences, and current density distributions of the unit cells were calculated at various fuel utilizations. To evaluate the effectiveness of the CFD model, finally, the results of the stack operation tests were compared with the prediction of numerical analysis.