Analysis of processes in planar solid oxide fuel cells

In this paper, a platform for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) simulation has been developed and the corresponding algorithms are presented. The platform is capable of dealing with fully coupled multiphysical processes and simulating the behaviors of three flow configurations. “Border effects” were revealed and it is important to understand the scale-up topic in SOFC development. The determining steps in cell performance are proposed and respective schemes are provided to enhance cell performance according to the determining steps. The characteristics of the three flow configurations were analyzed and compared. The cross-flow configuration was given negative recommendations for its unsatisfactory performance in uniformly distributing cell temperature and current density. The co-flow configuration could intrinsically obtain a uniform current density distribution with the disadvantage of steadily increasing cell temperature from fuel inlet to outlet. The counter-flow configuration had “localized enhancement effects” near the fuel inlet and cell performance substantially benefited from these effects. But the operating conditions of the counter-flow configuration should be deliberately adjusted to avoid an excessively high cell temperature.