Simulation study to select optimal solid oxide fuel cells heat-up pattern from single, dual co-flow, and dual counter-flow alternatives

Abstract

ABSTRACT To facilitate power generation, it is necessary to subject solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to a heating process. The introduction of hot gases into the gas flow channels of fuel cells is a widely employed technique for heating purposes. Hot gases can be introduced into one channel (single-channel heating) or two channels (dual-channel heating). Dual-channel heating can have co- and counter-flow patterns. Despite the existence of several heating patterns in the literature, a comparative analysis of these patterns has not been conducted. This study uses a numerical approach to compare various heating patterns, focusing on the objectives of heat-up time, temperature gradient, and energy consumption. The findings indicate that the co-flow pattern demonstrates superior performance in terms of temperature gradient and heat-up time. However, the counter-flow pattern is more favorable in terms of energy consumption. Upon considering all the objectives concurrently through a multi-objective planning approach, the co-flow pattern, characterized by a temperature increase rate of 1 K s−1 and a gas velocity of 10 m s−1, emerges as the most optimal heat-up plan. This particular plan results in a heat-up time of 685 s, a temperature gradient of 337 K cm−1, and an energy consumption of 3856 J.