Several transport models for fuel cells have been developed. The models are compared and tested for single fuel cells and multi-cell stacks of planar solid-oxide fuel cells, the three main approaches considered are (a) a detailed numerical model (DNM) of flow, heat and mass transfer and electrochemistry, (b) a flow-based methodology based on a distributed resistance analogy (DRA), and (c) a presumed-flow methodology (PFM). The results from each of the above approaches are compared in detail, and merits and drawbacks discussed. It is shown that, under certain circumstances, the simpler approaches have the potential to supplant or complement the direct numerical method in the analysis of fuel cells. Crown Copyright (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.