Large-Scale Coupling Numerical Simulation of Two-Phase Flow and Electrochemical Phenomena in Alkaline Water Electrolysis

The alkaline water electrolysis is one of large-scale hydrogen production methods. While a lot of experiments and numerical simulations have been conducted to elucidate the internal phenomena and to improve the efficiency of the alkaline water electrolysis, there still is room for improvement in the efficiency. In this study, large-scale coupling numerical simulations of two-phase flow and electrochemical phenomena are conducted to elucidate the influence of the bubble-bubble interactions on ion transport and cell overpotential. The results showed that the interaction between bubbles affects cell overpotential, and cell overpotential can be suppressed when bubbles are optimally dispersed.