Optimal model-based electrochemical characteristics and thermal management of reversible solid oxide cells

Reversible solid oxide cell (RSOC) enables efficient electricity-gas-heat cogeneration, yet it has been less studied how to couple electrochemical characterization and thermal management of RSOC in energy system optimization. Herein, a comprehensive RSOC-based cogeneration model is presented in this work that uniquely incorporates electrochemical characteristics and thermal management while accounting for the multi-state operation of the RSOC. The proposed model demonstrates superior economic performance with 3.14 %, 2.96 % and 4.55 % higher benefits compared to fixed-mode operation across base, fluctuating and subsidized electricity prices. Furthermore, the model effectively captures the dynamic characteristics of RSOC during optimization, as evidenced by detailed operational scheduling. It shows that the RSOC autonomously regulates temperature with minimal power consumption, ensuring smooth current and thermal transitions during mode switching, while hot standby eliminates warm-up and boosts power response. Our work proposes a new model of RSOC for small-scale day-ahead dispatching, which is illustrated by a case study that demonstrates the model's practical utility and offers a reference for future applications of RSOC-based integrated energy systems.