Entropy Generation Minimization for the Optimal Design of the Fluid Distribution System in a Circular MCFC

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 14.05pt 0pt 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">In this paper, the prototype of a circular Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) built in the laboratories of Fabbricazioni Nucleari (FN) is analyzed using a tridimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model. This model considers heat, mass and current transfer as well as chemical and electrochemical reactions. The results show that some inhomogeneous distributions in the reactants, causing non optimal use of the reactant surfaces, take place. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 14.05pt 0pt 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">An effective way to improve the distribution in current density consists in tracing tree shaped channels on the surface onto the distribution porous medium. A preliminary study on the effectiveness of such technical solution is investigated considering a network model of the fluid flow in the porous medium and the channels. Then the optimal shape of distribution channels is investigated considering some geometrical parameters identifying their topology and length as the independent design variables. Minimum entropy generation is considered as the objective function.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 14.05pt 0pt 14.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The results show that significant improvements in the current density can be achieved.</span></span></p>