Simulations of fluid flow, mass transport and current distribution in a parallel plate flow cell during nickel electrodeposition

Abstract

Abstract A laboratory filter-press flow cell with parallel plate electrodes is designed for nickel electrodeposition on mild steel from a diluted solution. Design features, such as electrolyte manifolds and turbulence promoters, produced by 3D printing, following computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, are used to minimize jet flow and edge effects on current density. A hydrodynamic analysis is performed by solving the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with the k − e turbulence model. The averaged convective-diffusion equation is solved for mass transport simulations, while wall functions are used to simulate tertiary current distribution considering the side reaction of hydrogen evolution (HER). The flow cell design minimizes electrolyte flow and current density edge effects at the entrance to the cell by using an electrolyte manifold followed by polymer mesh turbulence promoter and a flow calming zone before the reaction region of the flow channel. The experimental validation of nickel electrodeposition agrees with the predicted tertiary current distribution profiles.