Numerical Analysis of Use of Syngas for Combustion Systems and in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

As the world energy demand and environmental concern continue to grow, there is increasing interest in developing renewable and cleaner energy sources. Syngas is a green fuel which can be produced from a variety of sources. It mainly consists of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, with small amounts of carbon dioxide and small traces of other species. These fuels present better characteristics than the elements they are obtained from, such as coal, biomass and municipal solid waste. This study is divided into two parts analyzing two di erent applications. In the rst part a detailed numerical analysis of syngas combustion and emissions in di erent con gurations has been performed, which include laminar premixed ames and laminar di usion ames. Several studies can be found on combustion of syngas but in this thesis their use on solid oxide fuel cells has been investigated too. In particular, in the second part of this work a detailed numerical model has been developed and validated in order to evaluate the anode chemistry of a solid oxide fuel cell and use it for the optimal design of the cell. This can be a powerful tool for numerical investigation on the use of solid oxide fuel cells. The e ects of syngas composition and other parameters have been investigated. At the end a comparison analysis of the two ways of producing energy has been performed.