Modeling of the trajectories of the hydrogen bubbles evolving from the cathode in a fluorine production cell

Abstract

The fluid velocity and temperature fields and the trajectories of the hydrogen bubbles evolving from the cathode in a fluorine production cell were studied by using the finite element method. It was examined the effect of the configuration of the slits formed on the cathode on the escape of the hydrogen bubbles toward the backside of the cathode to reduce the ohmic voltage loss between the electrodes. The results showed that the cathode configuration has a profound effect on both of the flow pattern near the cathode and the bubble trajectories. It was found that the cathode with the slits only on the upper half of the electrode is more effective in removing the bubbles to the backside of the cathode than the one with the slits over the entire electrode. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.