Investigation of flow and heat transfer performances of novel water electrolyzer with conductive particles

The uneven distribution of electrolyte flow rate can form a gas retention zone in electrolytic cells, which is not conducive to heat exchange between electrodes and the electrolyte and increases the energy consumption of electrolytic water. This article constructs a calculation model for the electrolytic cell with conductive particles. Due to the interaction between the particles' random motion and the electrolyte's swirling flow, the particles will break the flow boundary layer and heat transfer boundary layer on the electrode surface, resulting in a more uniform distribution of electrolyte flow rate. The particles produce hydrogen as part of the electrode when particles hit the surface of the electrode, which increases the contact area between the electrode and the electrolyte. The influence of particles on the electrolytic cell's flow and heat transfer performance was obtained through numerical calculations. The uniformity of the electrolyte velocity with particles can be improved by 3.47% compared to that without particles, and its heat transfer coefficient can be increased by 261.64%. Further research was conducted on the variation of particle bed state and electrolytic cell performance with particle size and electrolyte flow rate. The research results have a guiding significance for optimizing the performance of electrolytic cells.