A Hydrodynamic and Mass Transfer Perspective of Structured Electrodes for Electrochemical Flow Reactors

Promovendus/a: Michiel De Rop

Promotor(en): prof. dr. Jonas Hereijgers

This thesis explores the use of structured 3D electrodes in electrochemical flow reactors to improve performance while keeping energy losses low. In order to quantify this equilibrium, a new evaluation metric, the Hydrodynamic Electrode Performance Factor (HEPF), was introduced. This was needed because conventional electrode designs often focus on maximizing surface area, while neglecting pressure losses that limit overall reactor efficiency and increase operating costs. Through experiments and simulations on pillar-array and 3D-printed TPMS electrodes, the study demonstrates the validity of the newly introduced metric and shows that an engineered electrode design can outperform the surface area alone.