international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436

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Numerical modelling and experimental validation

of a planar type pre-reformer in SOFC technology

Murat Peksen*, Roland Peters, Ludger Blum, Detlef Stolten

Institute of Energy Research-Fuel Cells (IEF-3), Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH, D-52425, Julich, Germany

article info abstract

Article history: A computational model of the Julich type pre-reformer and its experimental validation
Received 6 April 2009 used in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is introduced. A continuum modelling approach has
Received in revised form been attended and its feasibility verified. The fluid flow, heat transfer and chemical
8 June 2009 reacting species transport within the pre-reformer are numerically solved using 3D
Accepted 8 June 2009 computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based on the finite volume method. The model
Available online 2 July 2009 considers the typical sub-components of the pre-reformer including the solid frame, air
channels, catalyst and the wire mesh structures. Experimental measurements are used to
Keywords: supply appropriate boundary conditions for the simulations. The predicted results of the
CFD simulations are experimentally validated using thermocouples and gas chromatography.
SOFC The results show good agreement, implying that the proposed model is an invaluable tool
Pre-reformer that can be used to reduce costly experiments in the design and process optimisation of the
Methane-steam reforming pre-reformer.
Continuum model 2009 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights
Conjugate heat transfer reserved.

1. Introduction Studies concerning SOFC modelling are mostly related to the

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology presents great
economical and environmental potential for the next gener-
ation power systems due to its energy efficiency and reduced
emission compared to the conventional power generation
systems [1,2]. The SOFC operates at temperatures between
600  C and 1000  C using hydrogen containing gases as the
fuel. Hydrogen can be produced from a wide variety of
resources, including renewable ones, nuclear energy and
fossil fuels. There are about 90 hydrogen production routes
reported [3]. The major hydrogen source for SOFC systems
used for stationary applications is natural gas, particularly
consisting of methane.
The literature in the field of SOFC is mainly devoted to the
cell stack and the related physicochemical phenomena.
fuel cell stack, and the associated process parameters, rather
than the design and optimisation of individual SOFC system
components. Various researchers have focused on the reac-
tion kinetics, particularly of steam-methane reforming [415].
An extensive review of the general modelling techniques and
articles comprising the fluid flow, heat transfer and electro-
chemistry in planar type SOFCs is reviewed in detail by Col-
pan et al. [16]. Ma [17] reviewed numerous articles concerning
computational fluid dynamics modelling of fuel cells.
Reviewed articles comprised many approaches ranging from
1D to 3D modelling. Recently, authors like Recknagle [18]
presented a 3D modelling of SOFC stacks.
A detailed 3D simulation for an integrated SOFC stack is
also given by Haberman [19] investigating the stack perfor-
mance based on process parameters. Boddu [20] introduced

* Corresponding author. Tel.: 49 2461 61 8732; fax: 49 2461 61 6695.

E-mail address: m.peksen@fz-juelich.de (M. Peksen).
0360-3199/$ see front matter 2009 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2009.06.017
6426 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436
Nomenclature
c specific heat capacity, J/kg K
Dp mean particle diameter, m
h enthalpy, J/kg
k permeability, m2
p static pressure, Pa
T temperature, K
x, y, z cartesian coordinates, m
!u velocity magnitude m/s
!
u1 ; !
u2 and !
u3 components of the velocity
magnitude, m/s
f body force, N
Dn porous layer thickness, m
keff effective thermal conductivity, W/mK
a study on an alternative channel design for the fuel cell stack
performance. Among a wide range of published research,
however, little attention is shown to the design modelling of
SOFC components. For the total system development, cost
and unscheduled outages, it is not sufficient to optimise the
fuel cell stack and then construct the plant around it [21]. The
design, performance and allocation of each component play
a crucial role in the design of the entire multi-component
system, in order to maximise the desired output and reduce
efficiency losses.
At the Research Centre of Julich, a multi-component SOFC
design based on planar stacks has been developed. The
system components are integrated into a single package that
enables the operation in self-sustaining mode. Details of the
layout and the operation principle of the system were eluci-
dated by Blum et al. [22]. To study and optimise the SOFC
system, it is necessary to investigate the effects of the design
and operating parameters on the system components. In
order to test the sensitivity of the parameters, one can
perform a series of experiments with varying process
parameters, construct prototype components, or develop and
employ a model in an attempt to simulate the process and
system behaviour of the components. Experimental
measurements during the process of SOFC are prohibitive due
to the complexity of the processes and the design of the
components. To meet this challenge, computational model-
ling is becoming more sophisticated and the detailed
descriptions of the flow, thermal, chemical and electro-
chemical processes have been increased in recent years.
One of the SOFC system components developed and tested
at the Research Centre Julich is a special designed plate type
pre-reformer module using a plate type reformer catalyst. The
reformer is designed for both heated and adiabatic operation.
It plays a major role in the SOFC system operation by heating
up the fuel gas to the fuel cell stack inlet temperature, and by
reforming part of the fuel gas. This avoids excessive temper-
ature gradients at the fuel cell stack inlet. Furthermore, it
converts the higher hydrocarbons that otherwise may lead to
soot formation. The complete reformer consists of 10 stack
units and includes four major sub-components, namely the
air channels, wire mesh, the catalyst and the solid frame. A
cover plate is also provided on top of the pre-reformer stack.
Greek symbols
4 porosity,
m viscosity, kg/m s
r density, kg/m3
b inertial resistance coefficient,
Abbreviations
CFD computational fluid dynamics
SOFC solid oxide fuel cell
HCR heterogeneous chemical kinetics of reforming
GC gas chromatograph
Subscript
f fluid
s solid
eff effective
The plates with the air channels separate the air flow side
from the fuel gas side to avoid any gas mixing. Hot air flows
through the air channels, which is the main heating source of
the pre-reformer; therefore, the most important function of
the air channels is to provide a uniform temperature distri-
bution associated with the air flow. Two wire mesh structures
are placed between the air channel plates. The main purpose
of employing a wire mesh is to reduce the components
manufacturing effort by avoiding the use of a channel design
on the fuel gas side. Hence, it should substitute the air chan-
nels by distributing the fuel gas uniformly. The catalyst,
where the chemical reaction occurs, is sandwiched between
the wire mesh structures.
The pre-reformer operates such that hot air flows through
the air channels, by heating up the component. Using the
counter flow principle, methane containing fuel gas at speci-
fied temperature and gas composition is released into the pre-
reformer. As the fuel gas gets in contact with the catalyst,
reforming starts. During the chemically reacting species
transport of the fuel gas, methane is converted into H2 and CO,
and the gas mixture enters the fuel cell with the desired
composition and temperature. Fig. 1 illustrates the typical
component layout, and the counter flow operating principle of
the pre-reformer.
Numerical methods, such as the finite element or finite
volume method, enable modelling complicated geometry in
a relatively short time while providing a solution sufficiently
accurate for engineering purposes. The numerical approaches
of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have, in most cases,
proven to be a powerful tool to aid in reduced physical
prototype costs and product development time. In addition,
they provide qualitative benefits such as the ability to consider
more designs, efficiency gains, enhanced capacity, and the
availability of valuable information early in the process [23].
There are many key parameters including the catalyst
type, operating conditions, reformer design features, and
physical, chemical phenomena occurring in the reforming
process that can influence the performance of the pre-former.
Therefore, to acquire a better understanding of the pre-
reformer performance, and to improve the pre-reformer
design, an extended knowledge of the processes, in particular
the optimum fluid flow, heat transfer, chemical reactions
 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436
Fig. 1 Component layout and counter flow illustration of the pre-reformer.
along with the attendant species transport taking place within
the pre-reformer is required. Thus, without computational
fluid dynamics, detailed flow and heat transport characteris-
tics essential to improving the pre-reformer design and
understanding of the pre-reforming process cannot be calcu-
lated. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the number of
experimental tests by using CFD, since only a relatively small
number of experiments are required to validate the accuracy
of the numerical results [24].
In the present study, a 3D computational model of the
planar type pre-reformer and its experimental validation is
introduced. The model considers the typical sub-components
of the pre-reformer including the air channels, solid frame,
catalyst and the wire mesh structures. A continuum model-
ling approach based on the porous media theory is tested, and
its feasibility verified using micro modelling of the wire mesh
structure. Various material properties and process parameters
used in the modelling approach are supplied from the
measurements performed in Julich. In order to validate the
predicted CFD results, thermocouples located in the solid
frame of the reformer, and a micro gas chromatograph is used
to determine the temperature distribution of the pre-reformer
and the gas composition of the species respectively.
2. Mathematical modelling
In order to make detailed and accurate predictions of the
planar type SOFC pre-reformer with air and fuel gas supply,
several physicochemical processes have to be modelled. The
mathematical formulation of the thermo fluid flow through
the pre-reformer accompanied with species transport and
chemical reaction is given in this section. The 3D non-linear
equations are applied such that the physical values of the
reformer sub-layers are locally averaged over a representative
elementary volume [25].
6427
2.1. Conservation of mass
The used equations are derived based on a continuum
approach, thus they are formulated in terms of the fluid
volume which is the porosity 4. The conservation of mass can
be expressed using the divergence operator as:
 
v frf   !
V$ rf !
u V$ Ji fSm (1)
vt
where Sm refers to the rate of species produced due to the
!
chemical reaction. Ji is the mass diffusion flux of species i.
Equations solved within the gas channels consider the
porosity as unity.
2.2. Momentum equation
To describe the flow behaviour of the pre-reformer, in addi-
tion to the standard field equations, constitutive equations are
needed. In the solution of the momentum equation, the
porous media is modelled by the addition of a momentum
source term to the NavierStokes equations. The source term
existing due to the porosity of the medium has been essen-
tially described by Darcys Law and is well established for flow
through porous media [2628]. Air permeability measurement
results obtained from previous studies showed clearly that the
flow through the used wire mesh structure is non-linear [29].
This proposes that the flow through the investigated
reformer system comprises not only the effect of viscous
resistance in terms of Darcys law, but is also characterised
macroscopically considering the effect of inertia on flow
through the porous layers. The non-linear Forchheimer term
[30], describing the kinetic effect of the fluid, is included to the
NavierStokes equations. The departure of measurement
results from the predictions calculated by Darcys law is due to
this term.
6428 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436

The used source term in the modelling approach is Yi in Eq. (6) is the mass fraction of species i, and the partial
composed of two parts: a viscous loss term and an inertial loss enthaply hi of the i-th species is formulated as:
term: Z T
 
m brf ! ! hi Cpi TdT hfi (7)
Si  juj u (2) Tref
k 2
hfi denotes the specific enthalpy of formation of the species in
This momentum sink Si contributes to the pressure gradient
the fluid mixture at Tref . Any enthalpy change due to chemical
in the porous cell, creating a pressure drop for a specified
reaction is included to the energy conservation because of this
thickness of the porous layer. The first part of the right-hand
term. Tref is assumed to be as 298.15 K. The effective thermal
side of Eq. (2) describes the viscous loss term where k is the
conductivity keff is calculated using the continuum theory of
fluid permeability, m the dynamic viscosity, and ! u the velocity
mixtures considering the volume fraction of solid and fluid
vector. The reciprocal value of k is the constant viscous
regions, and can be expressed as:
resistance factor. The Forchheimer regime is presented as
inertial effects, in the second term of the momentum source. keff fkf 1  ffks (8)
b and rf present the inertial resistance coefficient and the fluid
density, respectively. Details of how to derive the constants The mass diffusion flux of the species is due to the thermal
are elucidated by Peksen et al. [31]. and species concentration gradients. Diffusion of pore level is
Hence the momentum equation describing the system is neglected, and the mass diffusion is described using macro-
expressed as: scopic equations for isotropic, continuous media. To calculate
the mass diffusion within the pre-reformer, a non-dilute
 
vf!u m brf ! ! mixture in laminar flow approach is considered. The Maxwell
rf rf f!
u $V!
u fVP mV2 f!
u juj u (3)
vt k 2 Stefan equation for multi-component species transport is
In order to present the viscous and inertial loss coefficients employed. The mass diffusive flux is calculated as:
in the air channels, a correction factor of 0.8892 is used [32] to
! X
N1
VT
present the rectangular shape. Ji  rDij VYj  DT;i (9)
j1
T

2.3. Energy equation
The energy equation for the porous area and the solid region
(the wall of the pre-reformer) is differently solved. In porous
media regions, the energy conservation equation is solved
with modifications to the heat conduction flux and the tran-
sient terms. The heat conduction flux uses an effective
thermal conductivity and the transient term includes the
thermal inertia of the solid region on the medium. In the solid
regions, specific energy is conserved, internal heat generation
is omitted, and the pressure terms drop. The general form of
the energy equation for the coupled conjugate heat transfer
problem can be expressed as follows:
v    
frf Ef 1  frs Es V$ ! u rf Ef p
vt
" ! # crucial for the mixture gases, particular for the reacting gases.
X !
V$ keff DT  hi Ji s$ u Se (4)
i
where Ef is the total fluid energy, Es, the total solid region
energy, f the porosity of the medium. keff, refers to the
effective thermal conductivity of the medium, and Se is the
!
fluid enthalpy source term. The term Ji is the mass diffusion
flux of species i. The first three terms on the right-hand side of
Eq. (4) represent energy transfer due to heat conduction,
species diffusion, and viscous dissipation, respectively.
The total energy E of the components, i.e. fluid or solid
region is in Eq. (4) defined as:
p u2
Eh (5)
r 2
Dij is the binary mass diffusion coefficient of component i in
component j. Yj refers to the mass fraction of species j. The
thermal diffusion coefficient of constituent i is denoted as DT;i .
Merk [33] showed that by assuming same external forces on
all components, and by neglecting the pressure diffusion, the
diffusion coefficients for binary systems are the same as the
diffusion coefficients for a multi-component system. This
result is adopted to employ the binary diffusion coefficients in
the multi-component system. The mass diffusion coefficients
in the mixture are expressed as:
1  Xi
Di;m P  X  (10)
j
Dij
j;jsi
The physical and chemical properties of the gas species are
For the SOFC applications, the gas mixtures can be assumed as
ideal gases due to the high temperatures and low pressures
that occur during processing. The thermophysical properties
of the used gases are defined by comparing the studies of
Knacke et al. [34], Todd and Young [21], and Kostka [35].
2.4. Chemical reaction
Experiments performed by Drescher [36] showed clearly that
for the employed catalyst and temperature range, two major
chemical reactions occur during the methane reformation.
Thus, the reaction scheme for the present study covers the
methane-steam reforming, expressed as:

where sensible enthalpy h is defined for incompressible flows CH4 H2 O%CO 3H2 DRH0298 K 206 kJ=mol (11)
as
X and the water-gas shift reaction, defined as:
p
h Yi hi (6)
i
r CO H2 O%CO2 H2 DRH0298 K 41:2 kJ=mol (12)
 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436 6429

It should be noted that the reforming reaction is endo- 1

r CH4 H2 O  COH2 3 (16)
thermic and the overall reaction balance needs heat to kx
proceed. The required heat is provided by the air flow through where kx can be expressed as:
the channels, which are also modelled, rather than applying
a constant heat flux, or constant temperature on the bound- XN
  00 0
aries. Experiments performed at steam to carbon ratios above hfi TDS0 P i 1 ni r  ni r

1.6 and within the temperature range the pre-reformer oper- kx e RT RT (17)
ates, showed that a carbon deposition is negligible low; hence
With an equilibrium constant described in terms of partial
the use of a multi step heteregenous reaction kinetics
pressures of the species, and converting the present expres-
considering the carbon coverage is not required. Hofmann
sion in an Arrhenius form yields to:
et al. [37] compares a global kinetic approach with the HCR
 
method, considering the reforming behaviour of methane, PCO P3H2 Ea
and the solid region temperature profiles. Discrepancies of r kr PCH4 PH2 O  e RT (18)
kp p20
methane conversion rates and flatter temperature profiles are
Using the equation of state for ideal gases, all the pressures
elucidated, obtained by the used HCR method. Sensitivity
are then expressed in terms of concentration. Measurements
analyses are performed to predict similar results as the global
of the anode gas composition showed clearly that the CO gas
kinetic approach. In fact, the choice of the model employed
concentration within the investigated temperature range was
should be based on experimental investigations. Considering
higher than the calculated values for the thermodynamic
the in-house measured temperature profiles and methane
equilibrium composition [12]. This suggests that the shift
conversion rates, a differential rate law relating the rate of
reaction is not in equilibrium; therefore, the kinetic plays also
reaction to the rate of change in concentrations of the species
a rate limiting role during the water-gas shift reaction, thus
is used. Generally the chemical reaction kinetics can be
a similar model was used to consider the kinetic limiting role
expressed as:
of the water-gas shift reaction as well. The required parame-
ters such as the pre-exponential factor kr and the activation
Y
NR Y
NR
ri kf Cj h0  kb Cj h00 (13) energy Ea defined in the Arrhenius equation are determined
j1 j1 from the experimental data performed on an anode cermet
Where NR is the number of the chemical species in the reac- consisting of Ni-8YSZ substrate with a standard composition
tion, Cj the molar concentration of each reactant and product, of 50 % Ni [12]. Results of the data fit using a Levensberg
h0 is the forward rate exponent of each reactant and product Marquardt algorithm provided the required input data used in
species, and h00 is the backward rate exponent. According to the numerical calculations. Further assessment of the physics
the general description, the reforming rate can be described and parameters considered in the study are in progress.
as:

r kf CH4 H2 O  kb COH2 3 (14)

3. Computational modelling
kb
r CH4 H2 O  COH2 3 (15) The mathematical model for the solution of the fluid flow,
kf
heat transfer and chemically reacting species transport is
The equilibrium constants kf (forward) and kb (backward) solved using computational fluid dynamics, based on a finite
can be expressed as a concentration equilibrium constant kx, volume approximation. CFD analyses have to be very carefully
so that the reaction kinetics are only functions of the forward planned and executed, which will contribute significantly to
reaction. This yields to the reaction: the success of the modelling effort; therefore, in this section,

Fig. 2 Temperature contour plot results of (a) discrete approach and (b) continuum approach.
6430 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436

Fig. 3 Pressure contour plot results of (a) discrete approach and (b) continuum approach.

a 3D feasibility study of the continuum approach compared to
a discrete approach is introduced.
3.1. Feasibility study
A thorough understanding of the pre-reformer requires
a careful modelling strategy. The wire mesh structures sand-
wiching the catalyst is the sub-component showing the most
complicated geometry within the pre-reformer, due to its
wavy structure. This increases the computational effort
tremendously. To exploit its geometrical exact affect on the
pre-reformer performance, a continuum modelling approach
is verified using the discrete model of the wire mesh repre-
senting its micro geometry. The idea is to replace the micro
geometry with a hypothetical homogeneous macro one,
which considers the distributed mass of the solid body and the
fluid over the total control space. The distribution is achieved
using the porosity of the continua. The substitute continua
occurring with reduced material properties for the solid and
fluid phases can be treated with the mixture theory, because
the individual parts of the mixture cover the total control
space [31]. The analysis of the complex woven structure of the
wire mesh will not only provide an understanding of the
complex geometry, but will give an insight in interpreting the
results for showing the limits of a continuum model
compared to a discrete model. Furthermore, the feasibility of
a continuum approach will also ensure that the CFD analyses
remain in the frame of the allocated computational memory.
The woven structure is characterised by the orthogonal
interlacing of two sets of metal threads running perpendicular
to the direction of the other. Where, each thread is undulated
and passes over or under another thread. A conjugate heat
transfer analysis using the CFD technique is performed. The
thermo fluid flow behaviour of the wire mesh without chem-
ically reacting flow is investigated to understand the differ-
ences between the attended two approaches. The benefit of

Fig. 4 Computational model of the pre-reformer: (a) discrete and continuum model of the pre-reformer; and (b) symmetrical
CFD model using the continuum approach.
 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436 6431

Fig. 5 Pre-reformer stack, and the specified thermocouple locations on the plate.

a conjugate analysis compared to an isothermal analysis is,
that it enables solving within the solid region simultaneously
with the fluid flow, thus the temperature distribution within
the structure can be thoroughly investigated.
3.1.1. Temperature field analysis
Fig. 2 shows the temperature contour plot results of the 3D
wire mesh structure obtained from the discrete model anal-
ysis, and the continuum modelling approach with the same
constituents dimensions including the wire diameter,
porosity and position in the computational fluid domain. The
continuum model required over 44,000 cells, whereas the
discrete model occupied over 77,000 cells. The same boundary
conditions are applied in both approaches. The inlet and
outlet distances are set to the exact positions within the fluid
domain. Hence the results are on the same scale to perform an
exact comparison.
The contour plots illustrate the wire mesh structure and
a surface plane of the fluid domain passing through the wire
mesh. The temperature profile of the predicted results reveals
that in steady state the temperature value of the wire mesh
reaches the same value in both approaches. Furthermore, the
comparison of the developing temperature profile of the fluid
illustrated in the surface plane shows very good agreement.
Thermal gradients within the wire mesh are not visible, which
is expected due to the large thermal conductivity differences
between the solid region and the fluid domain. The wire mesh
material is more conductive than the fluid thermal conduc-
tivity, which results in a uniform temperature distribution
within the metal threads. The thermal resistance remains
exclusively outside the thread.
3.1.2. Pressure field analysis
Fig. 3 illustrates the pressure contour plots of the performed
analyses. The continuum model includes the experimentally
determined pressure drop of the wire mesh. Pressure values
present the gauge pressure values, thus the negative values.
Due to the wavy structure, the wire mesh is subjected to
drag reduction and fluctuating lift coefficients. The pressure is
positive upstream whereas it becomes negative downstream
from the wavy surface. The predicted results of the
continuum approach are in very good agreement with the
discrete approach providing the same pressure distribution.
The pressure difference in the upstream and downstream
regions on each side of the threads is accurately captured by
the continuum approach. The results of both the thermal

Fig. 6 Gas chromatograph facility used to determine the fuel gas composition.
6432 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436

material properties. Performing a 3D analysis in design

Table 1 Process conditions for pre-reformer stack.
purposes is essential, hence a 2D approach which was tested
H2O/CH4 T_Air T_Fuel Air_Mass Fuel_Mass is not considered in this study. The modelled pre-reformer
[ C] [ C] flow rate flow rate
shows both flow and geometrical symmetry; therefore, to fit
[kg/h] [kg/h]
the problem within the memory constraints of the computer,
Case_A 2.4 723 155 30 2.55 half section of the system is considered. Fig. 4 illustrates the
Case_B 2.5 699 154 15 2.56 discretely modelled pre-reformer and the substitute
Case_C 2.5 641 153 7 2.57
continuum model (a), and the CFD model together with the
applied boundary conditions and sub-components (b).
The fluid inlet regions for air and fuel gases are specified as
behaviour and the pressure distribution show that the use of mass flow rates and temperatures together with species
the continuum modelling approach is feasible and provides concentrations that are provided from experimental data.
sufficient accurate results to be employed in the CFD analysis Considering the low fluid flow velocities associated with low
of the pre-reformer component. Moreover the discrete model Reynolds numbers enables the physical modelling approach
requires approximately twice more cells as it is the case for as to be laminar flow. The analyses are performed in steady
the continuum model. It should be noted that a much coarser state combined with heat transfer, species transport and
mesh can be used for the continuum model investigated, chemical reaction. The model may also be used in transient
whereas due to the wavy structure this cannot be performed simulations. No-slip conditions are applied at wall boundaries
for the discrete model. The difference of cell number used will (u v w 0). Zero heat flux is specified on top and bottom of
increase when the whole wire mesh would be considered, the model. The fluid mixtures within each modelling zone are
because the cell size difference between the employed cells considered to be incompressible-ideal gases, i.e. for air heat-
should not be too much to avoid numerical errors; therefore, ing and the fuel gas. The calculation of the pressure value is
the tiny cells used in the discrete geometry must be compat- achieved from the continuity equation. For this purpose
ible with the fluid domain around it, thus the cell number a velocity pressure coupling is applied using the SIMPLE
increases. The continuum model has no complicated geom- (Semi-Implicit Pressure Linked Equations) algorithm. For
etry; therefore, the grid size can be much more tolerable, details of the method, refer to Veersteg and Malalasekera [38].
which enables the use of less cells. Hence the computational The numerical accuracy is assessed by investigating the grid
modelling of the pre-reformer is carried out using the resolution and criteria for iterative calculations. Furthermore,
continuum modelling approach. the solution is validated using experimental measurements.

3.2. Continuum modelling using 3D CFD

The 3D continuum model is developed to substitute the 4. Experimental measurements

discrete model. It includes the typical sub-components of the
pre-reformer system, i.e., the air channels, wire mesh struc-
tures, solid frame and the catalyst. Apart of the solid frame,
each component of the system is treated as a porous zone,
which is modelled as a continuum phase considering effective
4.1. Reformer surface temperature measurements
To characterise the thermal behaviour of the pre-reformer,
the temperature distribution is an important parameter. The

Fig. 7 CFD simulations and experimental validation: (a) pre-reformer temperature distribution; and (b) fuel gas species
composition.
 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436 6433

Fig. 8 Temperature and methane distribution along the catalyst: (a) Case_A; (b) Case_B and (c) Case_C.

reforming rate is set by the reformer operating temperature,
controlled by the amount of hot gas released into the
reformer. The reformer air inlet is fed directly with the SOFC
stack cathode outlet gas. Therefore, the air inlet temperature
of the reformer is determined by the SOFC operation. The
chemical reaction kinetics is temperature dependant and
governs the maximum methane conversion rate that is ach-
ieved when chemical equilibrium is reached within the fuel
gas region. Therefore, controlling the reformer temperature
ensures the desired catalyst temperature that is associated
with the reformer performance. To measure the surface
temperature of the pre-reformer, experiments are conducted
using K type thermocouples, which are housed well into the
reformer frame. This permits real surface contact whilst
attached to the solid wall. The temperature of the reformer is
measured at specified locations, enabling a distribution along
the plate (Fig. 5). The results of the measurements will be used
for the validation of the numerically predicted computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses.
4.2. Fuel gas composition measurements
To determine the fuel gas composition at the entrance and
exit of the pre-reformer, a micro gas chromatograph (GC)
6434 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436
Fig. 9 Velocity distribution and pathlines along the wire mesh layer and manifolds: (a) Case_A; (b) Case_B and (c) Case_C.
produced by Varian, Inc. is used. The gas mixture is dried
before being sent to the GC. Argon is used as the carrier gas.
Both steam and argon cannot be detected; therefore, the
measured results are assumed to be balanced by argon.
The inlet gas composition is determined at the beginning of
the test sequence, whereas the gas composition values at the
outlet are resolved after the process has reached steady state.
A complete analysis is achieved without using conventional
multi-column or multi-valves. Fig. 6 illustrates the gas chro-
matograph facility.
4.3. CFD results and experimental validation
The proposed 3D model is validated using the pre-reformer
surface temperature measurements and species gas compo-
sitions. CFD simulations were performed for three different
cases presented as A, B and C. The inlet process conditions for
the simulated sets are given in Table 1.
Fig. 7 illustrates the temperature distribution (a) and the
fuel gas outlet composition (b) of the pre-reformer together
with the experimentally determined values. Measurement
results present the solid body temperature.
The temperature distribution curve of the pre-reformer
shows at high temperatures a steeper behaviour, and tends to
be declining at low temperature ranges. This is attributed to
the high methane conversion rates at high temperatures (59%)
and the associated rate constants. The species mole fraction
bars indicate that operating at high temperatures leads to
reversed reaction rates according to the Arrhenius equation,
and the carbon concentration will decrease as a result. The
Fig. 10 Velocity distribution and pathlines along the air channels and manifolds: (a) Case_A; (b) Case_B and (c) Case_C.
temperature profiles also imply that the process is sensitive to
pressure, as expected. Higher partial pressures (associated
with mole fractions) not only enhance the forward reactions,
but also the backward reactions. Thus, higher temperatures
leading to lower methane and steam partial pressures result
at the same time in higher partial pressures of the reaction
products. Fig. 8 illustrates the detailed temperature distribu-
tion and methane mass fraction results of the fuel gas over the
catalyst.
The presented results show that higher process temperatures
lead to higher thermal gradients within the catalyst (Case_A),
whereas these reduce when low temperatures are applied
(Case_C). The conjugate heat transfer resulting from the air
channels to the wire mesh and catalyst leads to hotter zones at
the vicinity of the air channel inlet side, whereas the cooler zones
are due to the colder convective fuel gas flow, which the catalyst
is directly subjected to. The methane mass fraction distribution
clearly demonstrates the fact that due to higher temperatures,
less methane is retaining at the outlet region, thus more heat is
absorbed from the pre-reformer. The main purpose of the wire
mesh layer is to provide a uniform flow distribution. Therefore, it
is important to get a better understanding of the flow behaviour of
the wire mesh. Fig. 9 illustrates the velocity distribution results
for the three sample cases.
The predicted results show that the fuel gas flows uniformly
through the wire mesh structure as it is desired. The different
contour values of each case are due to the different mass flow
rates, which are expected. As the thermo fluid flow through the
air channels is the main heating source of the pre-reformer,
particular importance is given to the flow behaviour of the air
 international journal of hydrogen energy 34 (2009) 64256436
channel side. Fig. 10 illustrates the flow behaviour of the air
channels, manifolds together with the solid frame.
The predicted results show the maximum and minimum
values within each analysis to observe the flow regions such
that within each process interval a better understanding of
the component flow behaviour can be achieved. Visible is, that
in addition to the frame regions, also the manifold regions on
the left side of the air inlet show dead zones. Higher mass flow
rates associated with higher flow velocities lead to increased
nonuniformities in the vicinity of the inlet manifold. This
suggests that the manifolds require an improvement in order
to provide a more uniform flow distribution. Furthermore,
within the channel region a uniform flow distribution
compared to the manifold regions is attained. Similar mass
flow rate effects are noticeable within the channels as well;
resulting in minor nonuniformities along the channels
compared to decreased mass flow rates. An improvement in
the channel region can be performed as to assist a more
uniform fluid flow released over the manifold region.
5. Conclusions
A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the Julich type
pre-reformer has been developed and experimentally vali-
dated. A continuum modelling approach was attended, and its
feasibility was verified. The pre-reformer design and the
properties of all sub-layers comprising the air channels, solid
frame, wire mesh structures, as well as the catalyst, were
accurately represented in the model. Properties, such as
permeability, porosity, mass flow rate, temperatures of air and
fuel gas, as well as chemical reaction data were determined
from experimental measurements performed in Julich. The
3D model was validated by using experimentally determined
temperature profiles of the pre-reformer, and gas chroma-
tography to determine the fuel gas composition. The model
accurately predicts how the temperature and flow is distrib-
uted along the air channels, manifolds, wire mesh structures,
and the catalyst. The fuel gas distribution and composition
within the reformer can be investigated. The model could be
used as an economical tool to optimise the processes occur-
ring within the reformer instead of costly and prohibitive
experiments. Moreover it will be employed in the develop-
ment of an efficient new reformer design.
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