SOFC regulation at constant temperature: experimental test and data regression study

The operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cell stack (SOFC) is an important parameter to be controlled, which impacts the SOFC performance and its lifetime. Rapid temperature change implies a significant temperature differences between the surface and the mean body leading to a state of thermal shock. Thermal shock and thermal cycling introduce stress in a material due to temperature differences between the surface and the interior, or between different regions of the cell. In this context, in order to determine a control law that permit to maintain constant the fuel cell temperature varying the electrical load and the infeed fuel mixture, an experimental activity were carried out on a planar SOFC short stack to analyse stack temperature. Specifically, three different anodic inlet gas compositions were tested: pure hydrogen, reformed natural gas with steam to carbon ratio equal to 2 and 2.5. By processing the obtained results, a regression law was defined to regulate the air flow rate to be provided to the fuel cell to maintain constant its operating temperature varying its operating conditions.