Eulerian-Eulerian-VOF multifluid modelling of liquid–gas reacting flow for hydrogen generation in an alkaline water electrolyser

Alkaline water electrolysis is a promising technology for hydrogen production. However, its efficiency drops considerably at high current densities due to the mass transfer limitation and the increase in electrical resistivity arising from the complexity of the liquid–gas reacting flow behaviour within the electrolyser cell. In this work, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to describe the liquid–gas reactive flow behaviour. The model integrates the Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid model and the multifluid Volume of Fluid (VOF) model, allowing the mathematical model to capture the electrochemical reaction effect on hydrogen gas formation and bulk flow bubble behaviour. The model is validated against prior experimental results. The simulation results suggest that, at higher current densities, the electrical performances and the mass transfer rates are highly influenced by the formation of gas bubbles, which may block the active sites for the electrochemical reaction to occur. Quantitatively, at 4000 A/m2, the mass transfer rate is reduced by 50% at regions above the cathode compared to electrode region, while electrical conductivity near the flow channel wall, drops by 17% compared to the bulk liquid electrical conductivity. The predicted electrical conductivity is comparable to the Bruggemann correlation with an average relative error of less than 2%, confirming the model’s validity in predicting the reacting flow behaviour and performance of the electrolyser. The numerical model offers a cost-effective tool for insightful understanding and refining the design and operation of hydrogen generation systems.