Prediction of mass transport profiles in a laboratory filter-press electrolyser by computational fluid dynamics modelling

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Description/Abstract

A commercial computational fluid dynamics code (Fluent) has been used to analyze the performance
of a unit cell laboratory; the filter-press reactor (FM01-LC) operating with characteristic linear flow
velocities between 0.024ms−1 and 0.110ms−1. The electrolyte flow through the reactor channel was
numerically simulated using a finite volume approach to the solution of the Navier–Stokes equations.
The flow patterns in the reactor were obtained and the mean linear electrolyte velocity was evaluated
and substituted into a general mass transport correlation to calculate the mass transport coefficients. In
the region of 150 < Re < 550, mass transport coefficients were obtained with a relative error between 5%
and 29% respect to the experimental km values. The differences between theoretical and experimental
values are discussed