Design and modelling an innovative SOEC stack

The present work is focused on the design of a solid oxide cell stack that mainly works in electrolysis mode. The framework of the activity is the energetic issue related to the renewable sources management and storage capabilities. The analysis starts observing the energetic issue from an alternative standpoint that emphasizes the ethical aspects and instills in the reader the secondary importance of the efficiency respect to the feasibility and the robustness of the devices. In order to predict the stack performance, a new numerical solver has been developed based on open source tool. This multi-physic solver can handle complete SOC stack both in fuel cell mode and in electrolysis mode. As a part of this activity an insight concerning SOC Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy physical simulation has been done. This part of the solver can be coupled with additional plugins and provides the basis for the impedance analysis of the low frequency part of the SOC spectrum. Basing on pragmatic approach a new stack design was proposed and technical drawings have been released. The stack is based on tubular cells considering some peculiarity of the planar configuration especially concerning charge transfer between electrodes and external current takes. Some simulations have been run in order to validate the main assumptions of the design process.