Study of the effect of changes in cell output temperature on the net efficiency of solid oxide fuel cell power generation

Handrea Bernando Tambunan (PT PLN (Persero))
Ignatius Riyadi Mardiyanto (Politeknik Negeri Bandung)
Lina Troskialina (Politeknik Negeri Bandung)
Sri Paryanto Mursid (Politeknik Negeri Bandung)
Lidya Elizabeth (Politeknik Negeri Bandung)
Dhyna Analyes Trirahayu (Politeknik Negeri Bandung)
Retno Dwijayanti (Politeknik Negeri Bandung)

TELKOMNIKA (Telecommunication Computing Electronics and Control)
Vol 24, No 4: August 2026

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power plants offer a promising pathway toward highly efficient energy conversion compared to conventional systems. This study explores the impact of output temperature variations on system performance through simulation analysis. The results demonstrate that increasing the temperature difference between the fixed input (700 °C) and the cell output significantly enhances net efficiency, while gross efficiency remains relatively stable. At an output temperature of 875 °C, the system achieves a net efficiency approaching 50% and a gross efficiency of approximately 61%. These findings emphasize the critical role of output temperature in determining overall system efficiency and highlight the importance of thermal management in SOFC operation.