Experimental and Analytical Study of an Anode-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

A zero-dimensional, non-isothermal analytical framework was developed to assess solid
oxide fuel cell (SOFC) performance across a broad range of operating conditions. The model
integrates the anode, electrolyte, interlayers, and cathode, while resolving the distinct
physicochemical processes within each layer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
(EIS), followed by distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis, was implemented to
probe relevant cell polarization resistances under open-circuit and load conditions. The
modeling framework couples mass and charge transport, electrochemical reactions, and
non-isothermal heat transfer, with multilayer discretization applied to capture localized
material properties and operating conditions. It enables the estimation of electrolyte ionic
conductivity and total ohmic resistance by accounting for microstructural and geometric
parameters, while also quantifying activation energies, exchange current densities, and
gas-diffusion-related polarization resistances. Simulations were conducted for an SOFC
operating on pure hydrogen with varying oxygen concentrations at 700 °C, 660 °C, 620 °C,
and 580 °C. The results were validated against experimental data. The analysis revealed that
ohmic overpotential dominates total cell losses, even at high current densities, underscoring
the importance of minimizing ionic resistance to improve overall SOFC performance.