Speaker
Description
The energy transition is not about energy, it is about energy storage. All primary and ubiquitous sources of green energy are intermittent, and they involve electricity. Therefore, we need storage for supply security and conversion to also serve energy-hungry mobile applications (read: heavy transport). Hydrogen is a prime candidate solution, but we need a 'giant step for mankind' in electrochemical H2 production techniques to make this possible. In electrolysis, bubbles are the game player and understanding bubble dynamics/transport in electrolysers is the game changer.
In my talk I will talk our attempts to numerically model bubble growth and detachment, which is a first step to gain understanding of bubble dynamics in electrolysis. I will zoom in on the role of Marangoni stresses acting on the bubble surface. These stresses are a fascinating phenomenon that generate flow around the bubble and near the electrode, leading to varying forces acting on the bubble and thereby dictating the bubble size upon detachment. As small bubbles are harder to separate from the electrolyte, understanding Marangoni stresses is the key to taming bubbles in electrolysis.
