Modares Mechanical Engineering

Modares Mechanical Engineering

Comparison of Hydrogen and Methane as Heating Gases in the Anode Channel during the Dual-Channel Heating Process of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Masoud Hami
javad mahmoudimehr
Thermo-fluid Department, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
10.48311/mme.2025.96887.0
Abstract
Dual-channel heating, where air and fuel are injected into the cathode and anode channels, respectively, is a common method for increasing the temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). However, the effects of heating gases in the anode channel on the thermal performance of SOFCs have not been investigated. In this study, the heating process of an SOFC is simulated using two combinations of air–hydrogen and air–methane through a transient model based on the finite volume method. The study aims to evaluate the performance of these gas combinations in terms of heating duration and temperature gradient, under various inlet velocities and gas heating rates. The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) multi-criteria decision-making method is then used to identify the optimal solution. The results indicate that hydrogen transfers heat to the cell structure more rapidly within a short distance after entering the channel. In contrast, air and methane distribute heat transfer over a longer flow path. Moreover, the maximum temperature gradient predominantly occurs near the gas inlet regions. In addition, the heating duration with the air–methane combination is shorter than that of air–hydrogen, with the difference becoming more pronounced at lower inlet velocities. Conversely, the effect of the heating gas type on the temperature gradient depends on the gas inlet velocity.  Ultimately, the air–hydrogen combination, which results in a heating duration of 1290 s and a maximum temperature gradient of 211 K cm-1, is identified as the optimal choice according to the TOPSIS method
Keywords
Heating Gases
Heat-up Process
Numerical Simulation
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
Temperature Gradient
Time Duration

Subjects

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Modares Mechanical Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 10
October 2025
Pages 653-666