Influence of heat transfer on thermal stress development in solid oxide fuel cells: A review

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) directly convert chemical energy into electrical power with minimal carbon emission. However, maintaining consistently stable electrical power generation can be challenging for SOFCs that operate at high temperatures ranging from 600°C-1000°C. Furthermore, the rigid SOFC assembly stack is prone to the development of thermal stress that leads to mechanical deformation, which subsequently shortens the lifetime of the SOFC system. Hence, identifying a uniform temperature gradient across the stack can minimize the thermal stress distribution across the stack and help prolong the service life of an SOFC system. This paper discusses the sourceof generated heat, the heat transfer mechanism, and their relationwith the temperature gradient and thermal stress distribution.