WhY shape matters: Hydrodynamics of a Y-shaped membraneless electrolyzer
arXiv:2409.20394 · doi:10.1016/j.cej.2025.160040
Abstract
A novel Y-shaped membraneless flow-through electrolyzer is introduced to achieve a homogeneous electrochemical reaction across the entire electrode in a cost-efficient cell design with effective product separation. Numerical simulations of the electrolyte flow and electrical current within the already known I- and T-shaped cells motivate the newly proposed Y-shape cell. Furthermore, a new design criterion is developed based on the balance between bubble removal and gas generation. As proof-of-concept experimental results using the Y-shaped electrolyzer are presented, showing homogeneous gas distributions across the electrode and efficient product separation by the electrolyte flow.
30 pages (21 pages manuscript + 9 pages supplemental material), 8 figures