Dynamic-temperature operation of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells

A dynamic-temperature operation strategy is proposed for SOFC systems, in which the cell temperature varies rapidly to match the SOFC stack power output to a dynamic load requirement. It is anticipated that this operation strategy may have benefits for system efficiency, size, and cost for applications with dynamic power load. Metal-supported SOFCs (MS-SOFCs) are operated continuously at 0.7 V while the temperature is varied rapidly between 675 and 800 °C or 670 and 720 °C. During the initial thermal excursion, the current density increases from 0.82 to 1.95 A cm⁻² in 6.6 min for 675–800 °C, and from 1.0 to 1.63 A cm⁻² in 5.4 min for 670–720 °C. Cells are subjected to continuous dynamic temperature operation for more than 100 cycles.