Multidimensional Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Modeling for Embedded Applications

This paper presents a multiphysical modeling of a two-dimensional (2-D) reversible tubular solid oxide cell. The developed model can represent both a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operations. By taking into account of the electrochemical, fluidic, and thermal physical phenomena, the presented model can accurately describe the multiphysical effects inside a cell for both fuel cell and electrolysis cell operation under entire working range of cell current and temperature. In addition, an iterative solver is proposed which is used to solve the 2-D distribution of physical quantities along the tubular cell. The proposed model is suitable for embedded applications, such as real-time simulation or online diagnostic control. The reversible solid oxide cell model is then validated experimentally in both SOEC and SOFC configurations under different species partial pressures, operating temperatures, and current densities conditions.