Non-isothermal and electrochemical modelling of the multi-cell module performance in the integrated-planar solid oxide fuel cell

Abstract

This article presents a performance analysis of a multi-cell integrated-planar solid oxide fuel cell (IP-SOFC) fuelled by pure hydrogen. A non-isothermal electrochemical model, taking into account the temperature variation produced by electrochemical reactions, air, and fuel flow, is used to predict the characteristics of the multi-cell module. The model results show good agreement with the experimental data obtained from a full-size IP-SOFC module prototype for both a first- and a second-generation hybrid application. In this study, a simulation model of individual cell voltage loss indicates that ohmic and activation losses dominate the performance. Sensitivity analyses of the multi-cell show that decreasing the electrolyte thickness can improve cell performance. An increase in operating temperature causes a decrease in ohmic loss and ameliorates the voltage and power cell. Further, increasing the operating pressure produces a weak increase in cell performance.