The purpose of the current study is to numerically predict the start up behavior of a tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using a 2-D transient model. The developed model provides the transient response of the start-up mode as well as the steady state operation of the SOFC. A code based on finite volume method is utilized to solve the transient nonlinear transport equations of the cell (momentum, species and energy equations). To account for the Ohmic losses and Joule heating of the current that passes through the cell body, a discretized network circuit is adopted. The local electrochemical parameters are calculated based on the local pressure, temperature, and concentrations of the species. At each time step an iterative procedure is used to solve the electrochemical, electrical and transport equations simultaneously. The model predicts the cell output voltage, the local EMF and the state variables (pressure, temperature and species concentration) during the start up. It also predicts the cell heat-up rate for hot input gases as well as the start up time of the SOFC. The results show that the gases mass flow rate and temperature affect the heat-up rate. Also during the start-up, the cell electrical response is about 2.5 times quicker than the cell temperature response. The start-up time for the cell output voltage is about 50 min. (c) 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.