Discovering two general characteristic times of transient responses in solid oxide cells

A comprehensive understanding of the transient characteristics in solid oxide cells (SOCs) is crucial for advancing SOC technology in renewable energy storage and conversion. However, general formulas describing the relationship between SOC transients and multiple parameters remain elusive. Through comprehensive numerical analysis, we find that the thermal and gaseous response times of SOCs upon rapid electrical variations are on the order of two characteristic times ( τ h and τ m ), respectively. The gaseous response time is approximately 1 τ m , and the thermal response time aligns with roughly 2 τ h . These characteristic times represent the overall heat and mass transfer rates within the cell, and their mathematical relationships with various SOC design and operating parameters are revealed. Validation of τ h and τ m is achieved through comparison with an in-house experiment and existing literature data, achieving the same order of magnitude for a wide range of electrochemical cells, showcasing their potential use for characterizing transient behaviors in a wide range of electrochemical cells. Moreover, two examples are presented to demonstrate how these characteristic times can streamline SOC design and control without the need for complex numerical simulations, thus offering valuable insights and tools for enhancing the efficiency and durability of electrochemical cells. A comprehensive understanding of the transient characteristics in solid oxide cells is crucial when integrated with intermittent renewable energy. Here, authors reveal expressions for two general characteristic times quantifying transient phenomena due to heat and mass transfer lags in SOCs.