An inverse problem is solved for estimating fuel cell operating parameters such as current
density, pressure and fuel flow rate (FFR) separately and then simultaneously two parameters
in an internal reforming solid oxide fuel cell (IRSOFC). Initially, a mathematical model
for the forward problem is developed to simulate the IRSOFC steady state operation and its
performance in terms of power output and then an inverse problem is solved for recovering
the above parameters using a simplex search minimization algorithm. The objective function
(IRSOFC power) and the estimation accuracy are studied for the effects of initial guess
values of the operating parameters and the number of iterations required for retrieval of
these parameters. The objective function is represented by the sum of square of the error
between a given IRSOFC power and the power evaluated based on some arbitrary guessed
values of the unknowns which is then regularized in an iterative manner for solution of the
inverse fuel cell problem. The study reveals that a multiple combinations of parameters
(current density, operating pressure and FFR) exist which provides guidelines for selecting
feasible combinations of these parameters required for meeting a given power requirement.
The results show relatively good agreement between the inverse and exact solutions.