Abstract
The internal manifold geometry strongly influences the flow distribution inside an electrochemical reactor. The mass transport coefficient is a function of the flow pattern and is a key parameter in successful electrochemical reactor design and scale-up. In this work, a commercial computational flow dynamics (CFD) package was used to describe the flow pattern in the FM01-LC reactor at controlled volumetric flow rates (corresponding to mean linear flow velocities past the electrode surface between 0.024 and 0.11 m s−1). Numerical Re numbers were obtained for each local flow velocity at different positions in the reactor channel. From a known mass transport correlation (based on dimensionless groups, i.e. Sh, Re, Sc), numerical k m values were obtained (in the range 200 < Re < 1,000) at different positions in the reactor channel. Computed k m numbers are compared against experimental values. This computational approach could be useful in reactor design or selection since it facilitates a fast, preliminary reactor flow and mass transport characterisation without experimental electrochemical measurements.
Abbreviations
- A :
-
Active electrode area, m2
- A hole :
-
Cross-sectional area of an individual hole in Eq. (12), m2
- B :
-
Channel width, m
- D :
-
Diffusion coefficient of cupric ions, m2 s−1
- D e :
-
Cell equivalent diameter in Eq. (8), m
- a, b, c, e :
-
Empirical constant in Eqs. (1), (2), (18)–(22), dimensionless
- c:
-
Concentration of electroactive species i in the bulk electrolyte, mol m−3
- d e :
-
Equivalent hydraulic diameter of the rectangular flow channel, dimensionless
- F :
-
Faraday constant, 96,485 C mol−1
- I L :
-
Local limiting current, A
- i, j :
- k m :
-
Local mass transport coefficient, m s−1
- k numerical :
-
Mass transport coefficient values predicted by CFD model, Eq. (25), m s−1
- k exp :
-
Experimental values of mass transport coefficient, Eq. (25), m s−1
- L :
-
Electrode length, m
- N i :
-
Flux of electroactive species i, mol m−2 s−1)
- n h :
-
Number of holes per row in Eq. (11), dimensionless
- n r :
-
Number of rows in the flow distribution manifold in Eq. (11), dimensionless
- p :
-
Pressure in Eq. (14), Pa
- R :
-
Molar gas constant, J K−1 mol−1
- s :
-
Cross-sectional area of the flow inlet in Eq. (9), m2
- S :
-
Cross-sectional area of the cell in Eq. (9), m2
- T :
-
Temperature, K
- v :
-
Local mean linear flow velocity predicted by CFD, m s−1
- \( \bar{v} \) :
-
The characteristic linear flow velocity, the ratio of mean volumetric flow rate to the cross-sectional area of the electrolyte channel, m s−1
- x, y, z :
-
Natural coordinate axes, –
- z i :
-
Charge of species i, dimensionless
- γ :
-
Aspect ratio in Eq. (10), dimensionless
- ρ N :
-
Nernst diffusion layer thickness, m
- ρ :
-
Electrolyte density, kg m−3
- μ :
-
Dynamic electrolyte viscosity, kg m−1 s−1
- τ :
-
Viscous stress term, N
- Re :
-
Reynolds number, dimensionless
- Sc :
-
Schmidt number, dimensionless
- Sh :
-
Sherwood number, dimensionless
- λ :
-
Constant describing the geometrical arrangement of holes in the flow distributor in Eq. (11), dimensionless
- \( \xi \) :
-
Ratio of whole area of the electrode channel to the manifold cross-sectional area in Eq. (12), dimensionless
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Acknowledgements
This paper is dedicated to the memory of our colleague Dr José Gonzalez-Garcia (1963–2012) of the University of Alicante; we have valued his colleagueship and electrochemical engineering contributions to mass transport and fluid flow characterisation of filter-press reactions over many years.
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Vázquez, L., Alvarez-Gallegos, A., Sierra, F.Z. et al. CFD evaluation of internal manifold effects on mass transport distribution in a laboratory filter-press flow cell. J Appl Electrochem 43, 453–465 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0530-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0530-9