This article aims to investigate the transient behavior of a planar direct internal reforming solid oxide fuel cell （DIR-SOFC） comprehensively. A one-dimensional dynamic model of a planar D1R-SOFC is first developed based on mass and energy balances, and electrochemical principles. Further, a solution strategy is presented to solve the model, and the International Energy Agency （IEA） benchmark test is used to validate the model. Then, through model-based simulations, the steady-state performance of a co-flow planar DIR-SOFC under specified initial operating conditions and its dynamic response to introduced operating parameter disturbances are studied. The dynamic responses of important SOFC variables, such as cell temperature, current density, and cell voltage are all investigated when the SOFC is subjected to the step-changes in various operating parameters including both the load current and the inlet fuel and air flow rates. The results indicate that the rapid dynamics of the current density and the cell voltage are mainly influenced by the gas composition, particularly the H2 molar fraction in anode gas channels, while their slow dynamics are both dominated by the SOLID （including the PEN and interconnects） temperature. As the load current increases, the SOLID temperature and the maximum SOLID temperature gradient both increase, and thereby, the cell breakdown is apt to occur because of excessive thermal stresses. Changing the inlet fuel flow rate might lead to the change in the anode gas composition and the consequent change in the current density distribution and cell voltage. The inlet air flow rate has a great impact on the cell temperature distribution along the cell, and thus, is a suitable manipulated variable to control the cell temperature.
