Dynamic modelling of SOFC stack
Semester project or Master thesis.
Objectives
In order to understand the impact of temperature, pressure and feed composition on the SOFC stack, a dynamic model will be developed in gPROMS software. This model will consider the cell geometry and dimension similar to SOFC stack that will be used for experimental studies. The dynamic model will need properties of material used, and they can be obtained ideally from stack supplier or from literature. The SOFC cell model will provide temperature, pressure and composition profiles inside the cell, for different pressure levels between 1 and 5 bar. Subsequently, a SOFC stack model can be developed to obtain the temperature and composition in different parts of the stack.
Profile
- Interest in process flowsheeting and energy integration
- Experience with process simulation (e.g. Aspen Plus, Gproms)
- Knowledge on programming using R, Python and Lua is desirable.
- Understanding of energy integration and process optimization.
- Results interpretation and report writing.
Project plan
The study includes:
- literature review in SOFC dynamic systems,
- process simulation in flowsheeting software,
- energy integration and heat exchange network optimization,
- analysis of the techno-economic and environmental impact of the proposed systems,
- opportunities for optimising the use of resources.
Supervisors
Meire Domingos, meire.ribeirodomingos@epfl.ch, François Maréchal, francois.marechal@epfl.ch