Anode-supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Research Articles

Internal temperature prediction and control strategy design of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell for hot start-up process

Anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has a high energy efficiency while suffering from a poor transient performance such as start-up. In this study, a model-based design method is proposed to develop a suitable strategy for the rapid hot start-up of anode-supported SOFC (AS-SOFC). First, a mathematical model is established for a 25-kW SOFC system and the internal temperature is predicted. Subsequently, three different strategies are compared during hot start-up process. The results indicate that the positive-electrolyte-negative (PEN) temperature variation magnitude is 50 K and the response time is 1300 s when the hydrogen and the air flow rates are fixed for the afterburner and the cathode. If a PID controller is employed to regulate the flow rate of H2 to the afterburner, the PEN temperature variation magnitude decreases to 16 K with a shorter response time of 158 s. When increasing the air flow rate synchronously, the PEN temperature variation magnitude is merely 8 K, reduced by 84 % and 50 % compared with the previous strategies. Additionally, the gas temperature exiting from the afterburner declines significantly for the third control strategy. Thus, the lifetime and reliability of AS-SOFC is enhanced. The results provide a reference for the SOFC systems control such as domestic combined heat and power (CHP) and mobile applications.

Cathode-supported SOFCs enabling redox cycling and coking recovery in hydrocarbon fuel utilization

Although cathode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), characterized by significantly thinner anode layers than anode-supported SOFCs, are known to have unique advantages in ensuring stability and reliability against redox operating conditions and carbon deposition, they have received relatively less attention due to their lower performance. Furthermore, there is a lack of in-depth theoretical and experimental studies on their outstanding redox cycle characteristics than the anode-supported cells. Here, applying a sintering aid to the electrolyte considerably reduces the sintering temperature of the electrolyte, with the shrinkage and microstructure of the cathode effectively controlled to lower the diffusion resistance. Consequently, the operating temperature was lowered by more than 100 °C compared to previously reported cathode-supported SOFCs; moreover, at 650 °C, a maximum power density more than twice that reported in previous reports. The redox stability of the cathode-supported cells was demonstrated experimentally and theoretically through a redox cycling test and a 3-D finite element method-based SOFC structure model. Moreover, the outstanding redox cycle property of cathode-supported cells has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time to have the potential to mitigate carbon deposition that occurs when utilizing methane fuel. Hence, this study presents new insights for achieving stable and reliable SOFC operation.

The Impact of Flow-Thermal Characteristics in Ship-Board Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a clean and reliable energy vector for decarbonization in the future. In the marine sector, marine solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that employ hydrogen as an energy source have already been developed. In this study, a multi-channel plate-anode-loaded SOFC was taken as the research object. A three-dimensional steady-state computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for anode-supported SOFC was established, which is based on the mass conservation, energy conservation, momentum conservation, electrochemical reactions, and charge transport equations, including detailed geometric shapes, model boundary condition settings, and the numerical methods employed. The polarization curves calculated from the numerical simulation were compared with experimental results from the literature to verify the model’s accuracy. The curved model was applied by enlarging the flow channels or adding blocks. Numerical calculations were employed to obtain the current density, temperature distribution, and component concentration distribution under the operating conditions of the SOFC. Subsequently, the distribution patterns of various physical parameters during the SOFC operation were analyzed. Compared to the classical model, the temperature of the curved model was reduced by 1.3%, and the velocities of the cathode and anode were increased by 4.9% and 5.0%, respectively, with a 2.42% enhancement in performance. The findings of this study provide robust support for research into and the application of marine SOFCs, and offer they insights into how we may achieving “dual carbon” goals.

Boosting Electrochemical Performance via Extra-Role of La-Doped CeO2-δ Interlayer for "Oxygen Provider" at High-Current SOFC Operation.

Utilizing rare earth doped ceria in solid oxide cells (SOCs) engineering is indeed a strategy aimed at enhancing the electrochemical devices' durability and activity. Particularly, Gd-doped ceria (GDC) is actively used for barrier layer and catalytic additives in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this study, experiments are conducted with La-doped CeO2 (LDC), in which the Ce sites are predominantly occupied by La, to prevent the formation of the Ce-Zr solid solution. This LDC is comparably used as a functional interlayer between the electrolyte and cathode if sintered at lower temperatures to avoid La2Zr2O7 impurity. In addition, the high substitution of La3+ into the ceria lattice improves the oxygen non-stoichiometry of LDC, leading to accelerated electrochemical high performance by the additional role of LDC for oxygen supplier capacitance at high current operation. Thus, it is confirmed that the improved SOFC high performance is achieved at the maximum power density (MPD) of ≈2.15W cm-2 at 800°C when the optimized LDC buffer layer is hired at the anode-supported typed-Samsung's SOFC by lowering the sintering temperature to prevent LDC's impurity reaction.

An Analytical Model for an Anode-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

This study presents a one-dimensional, non-isothermal, steady-state model to analyze performance of an anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The modeling domain encompasses components including a NiO-YSZ support and functional layer forming the anode, a YSZ electrolyte, a GDC interlayer, as well as LSCF+GDC and LSCF constituting the cathode. The model distinguishes different types of electrode polarization resistances using experimental impedance data at various temperatures under open circuit voltage (OCV), employing a detailed equivalent circuit model to determine the temperature and partial pressure dependencies of electrode exchange current densities. Moreover, this approach serves as an efficient method for estimating the conductivity of both the anode and cathode. As a result, activation energies and ohmic overpotentials are derived, considering microstructural and geometrical aspects, which allows for accurate quantification of the ohmic resistance associated with ionic conduction.The model incorporates coupled multi-physics elements, such as mass and charge transport, electrochemical reactions, and heat transfer. A notable feature of the model is its consideration of reaction zone layers near the electrolyte, where electrochemical reactions generate electrons, oxide ions, and water vapor. Enhancing prediction accuracy, the model applies multilayer discretization within the electrode and electrolyte to reflect actual material properties and localized conditions more accurately. The model predicts the performance of a single-cell SOFC using pure hydrogen at the anode and varying oxygen concentrations (100%, 50%, 20%, and 10%) at different operating temperatures (700°C, 660°C, 620°C, and 580°C) and design conditions. Simulated results are compared with experimental data, and the impact of various operating and design parameters on SOFC performance is examined. Findings indicate that kinetic and concentration overpotentials in an anode-supported SOFC are lower than ohmic overpotentials, even at higher current densities. Furthermore, ohmic overpotential is identified as the primary contributor to total cell potential loss, highlighting the need for its minimization to improve cell performance.

Beyond Traditional fuel cells: Development and a comprehensive analysis of mechanically Robust metal mesh-supported solid oxide fuel cell

At elevated operating temperatures, a large temperature gradient can cause irreparable damage to the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) stack, eventually interrupting the durability of the stack. Metal substrate support could be used to overcome this challenge. However, the application of metal substrate support poses various challenges such as different thermal expansion coefficients, pore diameters, and complex fabrication techniques. Therefore, a first-ever novel and mechanically strong ferritic stainless-steel metal mesh-supported SOFC design is developed to mitigate these challenges. The metal mesh of 200 μm thickness is laminated with tape-casted green films of anode-support, anode functional layer (AFL), and electrolyte films of SOFC. The iso-static pressure of 300 MPa exhibits a firm attachment of the green films of SOFC with the metal mesh. Subsequently, the metal mesh-supported planar SOFC exhibits 3.3 times higher flexural strength compared to the conventional commercial anode-supported planar SOFC. The nano-CuO is added to constituent layers as a sintering aid to attain the maximum density at a lower sintering temperature of 1100 °C. The result shows that the practical application of the metal mesh-supported cell technology has a great potential to overwhelm the mechanical durability of SOFCs.

Femtosecond laser ablated trench array for improving performance of commercial solid oxide cell

The performance of electrode-supported solid oxide cells (SOCs) is limited adversely by gas diffusion impedance in thick and porous support. This work focuses on the improvement of gas transport properties of commercial Ni-YSZ anode-supported SOFC by femtosecond laser-based micromachining where micro-holes of identical depth but different hole separations pitches with minimal heated affected zones were imposed. The polarization resistance calculations and DRT analysis revealed that the presence of the micro-holes improves fuel transport in the anode active zone of commercial SOFC. The presence of the micro-holes resulted in up to 20.8 % and up to 17.2 % reduction in polarization resistance for dry H2 and wet H2 gas-fueled SOFC samples, respectively. Moreover, the decrease in intensity of peaks responsible for fuel diffusion with increasing micro-holed density was observed. Therefore, dense and sparse cells exhibited a performance augmentation of 25 % and 11 % in dry H2 and enhancement of 16 % and 15.6 % in wet H2, respectively. Fs-laser ablation appeared as a unique capability for the post-processing of SOFC elements via imposing different gas channel geometries.

Redox Stability Optimization in Anode-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

For Ni-YSZ anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), the main drawback is that they are susceptible to reducing and oxidizing atmosphere changes because of the Ni/NiO volume variation. The anode expansion upon oxidation can cause significant stresses in the cell, eventually leading to failure. In order to improve the redox stability, an analytical model is developed to study the effect of anode structure on redox stability. Compared with the SOFC without AFL, the tensile stresses in the electrolyte and cathode of SOFC with an anode functional layer (AFL) after anode oxidation are increased by 27.07% and 20.77%, respectively. The thickness of the anode structure has a great influence on the structure's stability. Therefore, the influence of anode thickness and AFL thickness on the stress in these two structures after oxidation is also discussed. The thickness of the anode substrate plays a more important role in the SOFC without AFL than in the SOFC with AFL. By increasing the thickness of the anode substrate, the stresses in the electrolyte and cathode decrease. This method provides a theoretical basis for the design of a reliable SOFC in the redox condition and will be more reliable with more experimental proofs in the future.

Enhancing multi-channel electrode structures in ceramic fuel cells: Influence of channel geometry on mass transport and electrochemical performance

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a promising electrochemical power generation technology that contributes to the decarbonization of the energy field. The electrode-supported design enables the use of thinner electrolytes, but inevitably brings additional gas diffusion resistance, which in turn leads to higher anodic concentration polarization. Therefore, additional structural design of the electrodes is necessary to ensure efficient operation and mass transport resistance minimization. In this study, anode-supported micro-tubular SOFCs with different multi-channel geometries have been attempted, during which samples with 4 channels exhibit unique elliptical structure due to meticulous manipulation. In addition, the 4-channel samples have been compared to the single-channel and 7-channel counterparts, exploring the influential mechanism of the anode micro-structure on gas transfer and electrochemical performances. The study found that the 4-channel cell has the best geometric controllability, with its minimum gas diffusion path reduced to below 50 μm, such thin electrochemical active region (EAR) accounts for >50 % of the entire external surface. Efficient utilization of the geometric surface area considerably facilitates the fuel transport to reach anode/electrolyte interface. By enhancing the mass transport efficiency, the maximum power density of the 4-channel cell reached 1.40 W cm−2 (750 °C), which is 22.8 % and 102.9 % higher than that of the 7-channel and single-channel cells under the same conditions. The highly efficient anode design additionally exhibited exceptional structural integrity and mechanical robustness, thereby ensuring the steady operation of the cell.

Durability and kinetic effects of CO2-rich oxidizing streams on LSCF-based solid oxide fuel cells

In the SOS–CO2 cycle, a novel hybrid cycle for blue power production, the solid oxide fuel cell's (SOFC) cathode is supplied with a CO2-rich oxidizing stream (e.g., 21 % O2 79 % CO2 vol.). The durability of state-of-the-art anode-supported SOFCs (25 cm2, SolydEra) with LSCF-GDC/LSC (La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ-Gd0.1Ce0.9O3+δ/La0.6Sr0.4CoO3+δ) cathodes was tested at atmospheric pressure for 1090 h with 7 % humidified H2 and reformate, at 700 °C and 0.85 V. The SOFC performance was investigated with periodic I/V curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The results highlighted a 24 % power density loss when air was replaced with the O2/CO2 mixture (672 mW/cm2 in air vs. 508 mW/cm2 in O2/CO2 with humidified H2). A stable power output was observed, and complete reversibility was found when the air supply was restored. A distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis of the EIS spectra allowed to extract an anodic rate equation for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) and evaluate the frequency region affected by cathodic CO2. The kinetic effect of CO2 was also studied via EIS on symmetric button cells at varying O2 and CO2 amounts, and a power-law rate equation was derived. The results verify the feasibility of the SOS–CO2 cycle feed conditions at 700 °C and atmospheric pressure.

Performance Evaluation of an Anode-Supported SOFC Short-Stack Operating with Different Fuel Blends as Stationary-CHP System

Abstract In the perspective of the transition of gas grids towards hydrogen/natural gas blends or even pure hydrogen, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells “SOFC” could play a crucial role as efficient and clean stationary Combined Heat and Power systems, flexibly operating on different feedstocks. A solid oxide fuel cell short stack is analyzed experimentally under different fuel gas compositions which emulate different gas grid transition scenarios. The testing campaign is defined with the aid of a preliminary system-level simulation which assesses system architecture and operating strategy (off-gas recirculation, external reforming, etc.). Experimental tests (polarization curves and performance/efficiency maps) are run in different operating conditions in terms of fuel utilization and temperature in three gas composition scenarios. 
To assess the efficiency of the SOFC unit under the different feedstock operation, different formulations of stack and system efficiencies are proposed and analyzed, based on the boundary conditions considered for the input/output energy streams. 
Experimental results were key to evaluate the different efficiency definitions proposed; albeit the highest voltage/power is obtained with the 100% H2 scenario, the efficiency may be higher with 100% NG and blend scenarios, due to the lower energy content of the input fuel.

Modeling and characterization of sintered YSZ/NiO porous electrode structural properties using coarse-graining molecular dynamics method

In solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), sintering of YSZ and NiO powders into porous anode plays a crucial role in determining its overall performance. In this study, a coarse-graining (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) model is developed to capture sintered half-cell composed of porous functional layer with NiO/YSZ particles and dense YSZ ceramic electrolyte layer with applied in anode-supported SOFC. The sintering process is simulated in two stages, i.e., heating process followed by temperature-holding process. This study also explores effects of sintering parameters (e.g., temperature, powder size and material compositions) on structural characteristics, including distribution of sintered triple-phase boundary (TPB) length, porosity, and pore size. It is found that structural properties vary mainly during the heating stage of sintering, while a higher sintering temperature leads to a larger TPB length and a lower porosity, while increasing in diameter ratio of the NiO powders to YSZ powders is advantageous for increasing TPB length, porosity and size pores for promoting electrode electrochemical activity. This work provides a bottom-up approach for potential optimization of SOFC fabrication condition and parameters.

Ru-Ce0.7Zr0.3O2-δ as an Anode Catalyst for the Internal Reforming of Dimethyl Ether in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

The development of direct dimethyl ether (DME) solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) has several drawbacks, due to the low catalytic activity and carbon deposition of conventional Ni-zirconia-based anodes. In the present study, the insertion of 2.0 wt.% Ru-Ce0.7Zr0.3O2-δ (ruthenium-zirconium-doped ceria, Ru-CZO) as an anode catalyst layer (ACL) is proposed to be a promising solution. For this purpose, the CZO powder was prepared by the sol-gel synthesis method, and subsequently, nanoparticles of Ru (1.0-2.0 wt.%) were synthesized by the impregnation method and calcination. The catalyst powder was characterized by BET-specific surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive spectroscopy detector (FESEM-EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Afterward, the catalytic activity of Ru-CZO catalyst was studied using DME partial oxidation. Finally, button anode-supported SOFCs with Ru-CZO ACL were prepared, depositing Ru-CZO onto the anode support and using an annealing process. The effect of ACL on the electrochemical performance of cells was investigated under a DME and air mixture at 750 °C. The results showed a high dispersion of Ru in the CZO solid solution, which provided a complete DME conversion and high yields of H2 and CO at 750 °C. As a result, 2.0 wt.% Ru-CZO ACL enhanced the cell performance by more than 20% at 750 °C. The post-test analysis of cells with ACL proved a remarkable resistance of Ru-CZO ACL to carbon deposition compared to the reference cell, evidencing the potential application of Ru-CZO as a catalyst as well as an ACL for direct DME SOFCs.

Application of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (8YSZ) and NiO Precursors for Fabrication of Composite Material for Anode-Supported SOFCs

Application of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (8YSZ) and NiO Precursors for Fabrication of Composite Material for Anode-Supported SOFCs

Phase Transformation of YSZ Electrolyte in Anode-Supported SOFCs

Cubic-stabilized zirconia doped with 8 mol% Y2O3 (8YSZ) is a highly popular electrolyte material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) due to its exceptional oxide ionic conductivity, which remains consistent across a broad range of oxygen partial pressures. However, previous studies [1,2] have shown that the addition of nickel oxide (NiO) to 8YSZ can expedite the phase transformation process (from cubic to tetragonal) when exposed to a reducing atmosphere at relatively high temperature as 900℃. This phase transformation is closely related to the degradation of 8YSZ's conductivity. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate whether NiO, which should dissolve into the YSZ electrolyte during the co-sintering process with the NiO-YSZ anode at high temperatures, can lead to a similar phenomenon in anode-supported cells (ASCs). Hence, investigating the NiO solid solution phenomenon and its effect on the phase transformation in the YSZ electrolyte of ASCs can offer insights into its degradation behavior.In this study, NiO-YSZ anode support and YSZ electrolyte were co-sintered at 1370℃, 1450℃, and 1550℃, respectively, for 2 hours to fabricate the half-cell samples. Subsequently, these samples were reduced at 900℃ and 700℃, respectively, with a flow of 50ccm dry H2. High-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to detect the presence of NiO in YSZ, and Raman spectroscopy was used to detect the phase transformation (cubic to tetragonal) occurring in the YSZ.The SIMS results showed that the amount of NiO in the YSZ electrolyte increased with higher sintering temperatures. Moreover, after reducing the cells at 900℃, phase transformation was detected in all samples. However, there was no significant difference among those cells in terms of the degree of phase transformation, which indicated that phase transformation was not accelerated by the increase of dissolved NiO in YSZ. On the other hand, no phase transformation was observed for the cells reduced at 700℃. The mechanism of phase transformation of YSZ in anode-supported SOFCs and its related conductivity degradation will be discussed in the presentation.

Exploring B-site high-entropy configuration of spinel oxides for improved cathode performance in solid oxide fuel cells

High-entropy engineering is an emerging strategy to enhance material properties beyond their individual components. In this study, we synthesized a high-entropy spinel oxide cathode material, Ni(Fe0.2Mn0.2Co0.2Cr0.2Ni0.2)2O4, for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) using a solution combustion method. The material exhibits a spinel structure with diverse surface metal valence states and a high concentration of oxygen vacancies. Density functional theory calculations reveal the B-site high-entropy design can significantly improve the oxygen adsorption capability. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that Ni(Fe0.2Mn0.2Co0.2Cr0.2Ni0.2)2O4 has superior conductivity and oxygen reduction activity compared to binary spinel oxides. An anode-supported SOFC with Ni(Fe0.2Mn0.2Co0.2Cr0.2Ni0.2)2O4 cathode achieved a peak power density of 583 mW cm-2 at 800 °C. Impedance and relaxation time distribution (DRT) analyses indicate that the oxygen molecular dissociation and oxygen atom diffusion dominates the cathode polarization. This study demonstrates that high-entropy engineering of the B-site in spinel oxides is a promising strategy to optimize cathode performance for SOFCs.

Facile preparation of patterned anode substrate for solid oxide fuel cells by direct-writing 3D printing technology

3D printing has revolutionized solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) by introducing complicated structure and new functionalities that cannot be realized using traditional preparation process. This work provides guide and insights into the application of direct-writing 3D printing to fabricate the patterned electrolyte|electrode interface for the anode-supported SOFC using 3 mol % yttria-stabilized zirconia-nickel oxide (3YSZ-NiO) as the anode substrate material. The parameters that affected the shaping and performance of SOFC including the rheological properties of 3YSZ-NiO anode paste, the printing parameters, and the heat treatment process of the pre-sintered anode substrate were evaluated. The prepared 3YSZ-NiO paste exhibited a typical shear-thinning characteristic, “yielding” solid-like behavior, and time- and temperature-independent stability performance, which ensured the paste suitable for extrusion while allowing the shape of the printed body to be maintained after extrusion during the direct-writing printing process. The as-prepared anode paste, combined with the obtained values of 0.1 MPa, 100 mm s−1, 100 rpm, and 0.3 mm for printing parameters of the extrusion pressure, the printing speed, the screw speed, and the nozzle diameter, respectively, as well as the devised heat treatment program for the pre-sintered 3YSZ-NiO anode substrate, successfully produced defect-free corrugated anode substrates. The cell made from the as-mentioned anode substrate showed an open circuit voltage of 1.02 V and a maximum power density of 619.44 mW cm−2 at 850 °C, which was comparable to the other identical cells fabricated by traditional and other 3D printing processes. Using the 3D printing process shown here, the preparation time of patterned anode substrate can be reduced and simplified.

Highly dense and ultrathin gadolinia-doped ceria interlayer for enhanced performance of large-area anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell

The fabrication of a highly dense and ultrathin Gd doped ceria (GDC) interlayer on a large-area, porous electrolyte-coated planar anode support using vacuum slurry coating is studied for application in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The electrolyte-coated planar anode support body is fabricated by tape casting and pre-sintering is performed at 1100, 1150, and 1200 ​°C. The GDC interlayer is coated onto the pre-sintered electrolyte-coated anode support using a vacuum slurry coating process with different immersion times (30–60 ​s). A highly dense and ultrathin GDC interlayer with a thickness of 1.48 ​μm is produced after co-sintering at 1400 ​°C. The 1200 ​°C pre-sintered electrolyte-coated anode support showed a thin and highly dense GDC interlayer which is attributed to a lower shrinkage difference between the coated GDC interlayer and pre-sintered body. The electrochemical performance of a vacuum slurry-coated GDC interlayer cell is 38 ​% higher compared to that of the screen-printed GDC-coated cell at 700 ​°C due to the greatly reduced Ohmic and electrode polarization resistances. The considerable improvement in the performance is attributed to the ultrahigh GDC density which has prevented the secondary phase formation between the cathode and electrolyte. This study presents the economical, scalable, and reproducible process for the fabrication of highly robust GDC interlayer for the large-area planar anode-supported SOFCs.

Phase Transformation of YSZ Electrolyte in Anode-Supported SOFCs

The addition of nickel oxide (NiO) to 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) accelerates the phase transformation from cubic phase to tetragonal phase when exposed to a reducing atmosphere at relatively high temperatures such as 900 ℃, resulting in the degradation of oxide ion conductivity.In this study, NiO-related phase transformation of 8YSZ electrolyte is investigated for anode-supported cells (ASCs). 8YSZ electrolyte co-sintered with NiO-YSZ anode at high temperatures exhibited NiO dissolution into the 8YSZ electrolyte during the sintering process and the amount of dissolved NiO increased with increased sintering temperatures. After reducing the cells at 900 ℃, phase transformation is observed in the 8YSZ electrolyte and resulted in a decrease of the oxide ion diffusion coefficient (D*). On the other hand, no phase transformation is observed for the cells reduced at 700 ℃for 5 hours.

Modeling and microstructural study of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells: Experimental and thermodynamic analyses

Developing novel solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with high stability running at low temperatures is an important objective in SOFC science. In the current paper, a comprehensive physics-based microstructure modeling using scanning electron microscope (SEM) image analysis was performed on several anode-support SOFCs operating at low temperatures with high stability. To bridge the gap in the literature regarding an accurate and realistic modeling, a new model was developed based on the variable fuel and air utilization factors and updated microstructure values (e.g., tortuosity, porosity, pore size, grain size). The model accuracy was verified by a thorough point-to-point validation for eight different cells with the configuration of Ni-YSZ (anode), YSZ (electrolyte), and GDC/PNO (cathode). Different temperatures, hydrogen, and air mass flow rates were used, for which an average error of less than 3% in the I-V curves was achieved. The microstructure of the cells, including cathode thickness (15–26 μm), anode-support thickness (350–460 μm), porosity (39 and 43%), grain size (1.1–1.4 μm), and pore radius (0.9–1.1 μm) were varied. Moreover, the effects of the critical operational and design parameters on the overpotential losses and cell performance were studied. The results show that a hydrogen flow rate of 43 sccm was ideal when the cell operated at 0.9 A/cm2 and 700 °C. Moreover, an average anode-support pore radius of 1.75 μm resulted in the best cell performance. It was also concluded that the electrolyte thickness has a higher effect on the cell performance compared to the cathode thickness.