Analysis of performance optimization of high‐temperature solid oxide electrolytic cell based on the coupling of flow, heat, and mass transfer and electrochemistry

Abstract

AbstractA three‐dimensional (3D) model simulating the flow, heat, and mass transfer characteristics of a high‐temperature solid oxide electrolytic cell (SOEC) is developed based on the coupling of gas flow in channels, the electrochemical reaction in the triple‐phase boundary of electrodes and component diffusion in the porous media in electrodes. The model comprises several equations such as mass equation, momentum equation, energy equation, mass transport equation, and electrochemical reaction equation. The computational fluid dynamics method is adopted to simulate the operating performance (current density distribution, temperature distribution, and gas component distribution) of the 3D electrolytic cell model under different operating conditions (electrolytic voltage, gas temperature at the inlet, flow rate and flow pattern). The simulation results show that gas temperature at the inlet obviously influences electrolytic hydrogen production by SOEC. In the case of lower voltage, a higher temperature can be selected to effectively increase the current density. When the current density is high enough, the supply flow of water vapor needs to be increased to prevent the inhibition reaction of low‐concentration reactants, but this may lead to the reduction of water vapor conversion. In practical operation, a lower voltage and higher gas temperature should be selected, and the flow rate of water vapor appropriately increased to ensure hydrogen production and improve operating efficiency.