Thermal stress analysis and performance characterization of direct flame fuel cell

A two-dimensional model of direct flame fuel cell (DFFC) using the finite element method was developed to analyze the thermal stress brought about by the non-uniformity of the flame temperature. The failure probability of the fuel cell was defined and estimated by employing the Weibull statistic. The results reveal that the uniformity of the flame temperature is vital in the DFFC system since the non-uniform distribution of the flame temperature greatly increases the failure probability. A direct flame fuel cell setup was designed and built in this study based on the Henckentype flat flame burner which provided steady and uniform fuel-rich multi-element diffusion flame. Direct flame fuel cell experiments were performed for different flow rates using methane as fuel. The cell performance reached maximum power density of 400 W/m².