JUMPS IN ELECTRIC-POTENTIAL AND IN TEMPERATURE AT THE ELECTRODE SURFACES OF THE SOLID OXIDE FUEL-CELL

The electric potential profile and the temperature profile across a fo rmation cell have been derived for the first time, using irreversible thermodynamics for bulk and surface systems. The method was demonstrat ed with the solid oxide fuel cell. The expression for the cell potenti al reduces to the classical formula when we assume equilibrium for pol arized oxygen atoms across the electrolyte. Using data from the Litera ture, we show for some likely assumptions, how the cell potential is g enerated at the anode, and how the energy is dissipated throughout the cell. The thermal gradient amounts to 5 x 10(8) Km(-1) when the curre nt density is 10(4) Am-2 and the thermal resistance of the surface sca les like the electrical resistance.