ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the fundamentals of solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) and related studies from microlevel elementary reaction mechanisms to macrolevel system integration and optimizations. In practical applications, porous structures are the most common structures for SOEC electrodes to provide adequate mechanical strength and gas diffusion paths. It can be figured out that the working principles of SOFECs are actually an electrochemical reforming reaction. SOEC system designs should account for the integration of various components, the matching of power and heat, and the reduction of system costs in applications. Fuel production and efficiency are two key parameters that present performance in SOECs. Tubular cells are common configurations of commercialized SOECs. They possess advantages such as feasible sealing, easy scalability, good mechanical strength, and high thermal shock resistance compared with planar cells. It is necessary to describe the distributions within tubular cells and optimize operating conditions to provide better cell performance for both steady and dynamic operations.
