2-D Simulation of Heat and Mass Transfer Effects on Charge/Discharge Characteristics of a Solid Oxide Redox Flow Battery

A time-dependent 2-D numerical simulation was performed on a solid oxide redox flow battery (SORFB) in order to reveal the fundamental characteristics of this new system. SORFB is a rechargeable battery consisting of solid oxide electrochemical cell (SOEC) and redox metal. The simulation considers heat and mass transfer in the system taking both electrochemical and redox reactions into account. The numerical results clearly showed the time-dependency of the thermal field, particularly in discharge operation. The spatial and temporal changes of temperature field associated with the change of the current density distribution were results of combined effects of heat generation/absorption by the electrochemical and redox reactions and heat release by air convection. It was also found that the active reaction region in redox metal evolutes with time. Since these physical quantities affect the battery performance, the heat transfer and gas diffusion should be carefully designed.