Multiphysics Modeling and Performance Optimization of CO<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O Co-Electrolysis in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells: Temperature, Voltage, and Flow Configuration Effects

Multiphysics Modeling and Performance Optimization of CO<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O Co-Electrolysis in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells: Temperature, Voltage, and Flow Configuration Effects

This study developed a two-dimensional multiphysics-coupled model for co-electrolysis of CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) using COMSOL Multiphysics, systematically investigating the influence mechanisms of key operating parameters in...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rui Xue, Jinping Wang, Jiale Chen, Shuaibo Che
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
solid oxide electrolysis cell
CO<sub>2</sub> co-electrolysis
multiphysics simulation
electrochemical reaction engineering
renewable energy conversion
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/15/3941
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Summary:This study developed a two-dimensional multiphysics-coupled model for co-electrolysis of CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) using COMSOL Multiphysics, systematically investigating the influence mechanisms of key operating parameters including temperature, voltage, feed ratio, and flow configuration on co-electrolysis performance. The results demonstrate that increasing temperature significantly enhances CO<sub>2</sub> electrolysis, with the current density increasing over 12-fold when temperature rises from 923 K to 1423 K. However, the H<sub>2</sub>O electrolysis reaction slows beyond 1173 K due to kinetic limitations, leading to reduced H<sub>2</sub> selectivity. Higher voltages simultaneously accelerate all electrochemical reactions, with CO and H<sub>2</sub> production at 1.5 V increasing by 15-fold and 13-fold, respectively, compared to 0.8 V, while the water–gas shift reaction rate rises to 6.59 mol/m<sup>3</sup>·s. Feed ratio experiments show that increasing CO<sub>2</sub> concentration boosts CO yield by 5.7 times but suppresses H<sub>2</sub> generation. Notably, counter-current operation optimizes reactant concentration distribution, increasing H<sub>2</sub> and CO production by 2.49% and 2.3%, respectively, compared to co-current mode, providing critical guidance for reactor design. This multiscale simulation reveals the complex coupling mechanisms in SOEC co-electrolysis, offering theoretical foundations for developing efficient carbon-neutral technologies.
ISSN:1996-1073

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