Modelling of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) has gained considerable significance in recent years. A dynamic model for SOFC can be used to understand the performance limitations, optimization and process control design. Moreover a phenomenological process model is a powerful tool in examining issues such as temperature, materials, geometries, dimensions and different flow patterns and also facilitating quick prediction of SOFC performance.

In this paper, we present a 1-D dynamic plug flow model for a planar solid oxide fuel cell describe interaction between various transfer phenomena and the electrochemical reactions at various operating and design conditions. The important characteristic of this model is the consideration of the charge balance equation in numerical simulation.

Using this model, we study the spatial distributions of a series of variables such as the current density, component mole fraction and the activation over potential under the isothermal condition for both the steady state and transient operations and evaluate the fuel cell dynamic behaviour by the step changes in voltage, gas flow rate and the hydrogen molar fraction. The analysis shows a non uniform current distribution caused by the non-uniform fuel partial pressure along the flow direction. The numerical simulation is used to define the dynamic behaviours in a typical SOFC operation and the simulation results were also correlated to the experimental data found in the literature.