Dynamic Processes of Mode Switching in Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Publication: Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 143, Issue 6
Abstract
With the development of distributed energy systems (DES), energy storage has attracted much attention in the research world. Reversible solid oxide fuel cells (RSOFCs) have shown potential as a promising means of electrical storage with high efficiency, especially for multienergy distributed systems coupling electricity and gas. RSOFCs have both a generation mode and a storage mode with a high fuel flexibility and in order to implement the frequent switch of generation and storage, a detailed dynamic behavior is needed in both the single mode and transitional process. However, few studies have been conducted investigating the complex dynamic processes of RSOFCs. In this study, a one-dimensional model is established to study the basic dynamic processes of RSOFCs, especially those involved in mode switching. The model is based on rich SOFC models and is first validated with experimental data and then employed to study the response of the primary characteristics of the cell, including current density, temperature, power density, and mole fraction of the voltage step input. The calculation results show that both the electrochemical and heat transfer greatly influence the transient process, but on different time scales. The reaction dynamics is another primary factor that determines the gas mole fraction. Furthermore, especially regarding the complex mode switching, three different modes are proposed and investigated to study the different switch processes and ultimately to provide a basic guide to control the RSOFC stacks.
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Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the National Basic Research Program of China through the No. 2014CB249200 project titled “Basic research on distributed energy network system based on the integration of renewable energy and natural gas” (973 program).
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Energy Engineering
Volume 143 • Issue 6 • December 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 7, 2016
Accepted: Apr 27, 2017
Published online: Aug 28, 2017
Published in print: Dec 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Jan 28, 2018
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