Development of a Segmented Single SOFC Test Equipment to Simulate Stack-Like Operating Conditions

This work presents a new single cell test equipment based on a segmented single SOFC to perform cell tests under stack like conditions. The setup provides comprehensive data about temperature distribution, cell voltage distribution and local gas compositions to be used for the calibration of a commercial CFD code (1). Results from experiments will be compared with CFD simulations for operating temperatures at 700, 750 and 800 °C using H2/N2 or CH4/H2O as fuel, respectively. The CFD simulation meets the measured temperature profiles within 10 K. The simulation also includes steam reforming and shift reactions along the complete anode flow path. For both gas feeds, a fitting of the CV curve within the CFD model was carried out. It has been proven that this kind of test equipment is a very powerful tool to calibrate the CFD simulation models as a basis for further full scale stack simulations.