A distributed resistance analogy for solid oxide fuel cells

The method of distributed resistances is outlined for performance calculations in solid oxide fuel cells. The domain is discretized using a multiply shared space method. Both potentiostatic and galvanostatic conditions are considered. Mass transfer effects on the heat transfer coefficients and the Nernst potential are taken into consideration. Calculations, for one cell and for a 10-cell stack, are compared to those obtained using a detailed numerical method. Agreement is very good. It is concluded that the distributed resistance analogy may be used to predict transport phenomena in fuel cell stacks at a fraction of the computational cost required for conventional means.