Lattice Boltzmann modelling of multi-component gas transport in a SOFC electrodes layer

A two-dimensional coupled Lattice Boltzmann (LB) model composed of a multi-component model based on kinetic theory for gas mixtures and an algorithm based on the Brinkman equation for flows in porous media at representative elementary volume (REV) scale is established to study the gas transport in the porous anode and cathode of SOFC. The molar fraction distribution of each species simulated using the present model is consistent with that obtained by Stefan-Maxwell equation for the equi-molar counter-diffusion including three components with the inert gas. Moreover, the concentration overpotential of SOFC calculated by the LB model agrees much better with the experimental results compared with that predicted by the extended Fick's Model (FM), the Dusty Gas Model (DGM), and the Stefan Maxwell Model (SMM).