Abstract
The present paper discusses the dynamic behavior of a tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The paper focuses on the transient response of voltage to the current change assuming load-following operation. The simulation models of the mass transfer in the gas flow channel and the porous electrodes of the single tubular cell were developed. It was assumed that hydrogen, nitrogen and steam mixture was supplied to the anode channel and air was supplied to the cathode channel. The unsteady diffusion equations were solved under isothermal condition. The steady-state performance of the cell was evaluated, and the good agreement between the simulation results and the previously reported experimental data was found. Based on the transient responses of the voltage to the current change, it was found that the transient time of the diffusion in the electrode was negligible contrary to the diffusion in the gas flow channel. In addition, it was found that the presented results on the dynamic behavior agreed qualitatively with the experimental data.
