A numerical analysis of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell with a focus on temperature field

Metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell (MS-SOFC) is very promising for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) due to better mechanical strength, low materials cost, and simplified stack assembling. However, the effects of metal support on the performance and temperature field of MS-SOFC is still necessary for further study. In this study, a three-dimensional multi-physical model is developed to investigate how the use of metal support influence the electrochemical performance and the temperature field of MS-SOFC with a ceria-based electrolyte. The multi-physical model fully considers the conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy that are coupled with mass transport and electrochemical reactions. The wall temperature in the radiation model is calculated using a discrete method. It is found that the radiation heat flux accounts for 3.13 % of the total heat flux. More importantly, the temperature difference of MS-SOFC is 3.61 % lower than that of conventional anode-supported SOFC, leading to improved temperature uniformity and cell durability.