Modeling of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells

The practical operation of solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) involves complex physicochemical coupling processes between “multi-physics fields” at “multiple scales”. Mathematical simulation and modeling can explain the inherent connections and influencing mechanisms of multi-physics fields at different scales, which are crucial for the study of SOEC’s basic electrochemical characteristics and the development of engineering applications. In this chapter, we mainly summarize different simulation techniques for SOEC from the perspective of spatial scale categories. Models related to single cells and stacks are mainly based on the continuum hypothesis, and the macroscopic characteristics such as the distribution of multi-physics fields, input/output power, and cell efficiency inside single cells/stacks are obtained through traditional computational fluid dynamics using finite volume method or finite element method. This article first introduces the relevant conservation equations and modeling methods of macroscopic models based on the continuum hypothesis. Then, numerical simulation methods for heterogeneous electrode structures at the electrode scale are introduced, including the lattice Boltzmann method, kinetic Monte Carlo method, and phase field method. Finally, we also introduce the application of machine learning methods in SOEC simulation and provide prospects for future research.