Enhancing Thermo-Electrical Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells through Multi-Channel Cooling System Analysis

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

Abstract

Thermal stresses in solid oxide fuel cells, caused by differential expansion during thermal cycling and coefficient of thermal expansion mismatches, lead to material degradation, cracking, voltage instability, and reduced reliability, hindering commercial viability. This study introduces a novel six-channel active cooling system for solid oxide fuel cells, aimed at lowering peak temperatures, improving thermal uniformity, and stabilizing voltage output. Using 3D numerical simulations with hydrogen/water vapor and oxygen/nitrogen as reactants, it systematically examines how cooling parameters such as flow rate, temperature, and flow configuration affect electrochemical performance. Key results demonstrate that co-current cooling (600 K, 1×10⁻⁶ kg/s) reduces peak temperature by 9% (to 1387 K) but at the cost of a 133% increase in temperature non-uniformity and a 55% voltage drop due to elevated overpotentials. Conversely, counter-current cooling (1000 K, same flow rate) achieves a more balanced performance, lowering peak temperature by 6% (to 1389.11 K) while reducing non-uniformity by 21.5% and increasing output voltage by 5.5% (0.2933 V). A critical finding is that excessive cooling (1×10⁻⁵ kg/s) leads to premature voltage collapse, with co-current flows failing at lower current densities (e.g., 9800 A/m² at 600 K) compared to counter-current configurations. This study pioneers an active cooling optimization framework for solid oxide fuel cells, demonstrating how precisely adjusted cooling parameters balance thermal control with electrochemical efficiency.

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AUT Journal of Mechanical Engineering

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 July 2025

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