Radiation heat transfer in SOFC materials and components

Radiative transport within the electrode and electrolyte layers, as well as surface-to-surface radiation within the fuel and oxygen flow channels, has the potential to dramatically influence temperature fields and overall operating conditions of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). On a larger scale, radiation from the stack to the environment, including heat losses through insulation, must be accounted for in the plant design, and is of critical importance for effective thermal management of the high temperature stack. In this report, we discuss the current state-of-the-art and the challenges that remain in understanding, predicting, and quantifying the effects of radiation in SOFC materials and systems. These phenomena are of great interest and importance not only from a fundamental perspective but also from a systems design point of view. Last, but not the least in importance, the determination of radiative properties of the materials involved – either through experimental methods or predictive models – must be an ongoing effort as new materials are continuously being developed.