City Research Online

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of ultrasound (US) on the electrochemical performance and two-phase flow regimes within a custom-designed polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyser (PEMWE) cell. The electrolyser cell was equipped with a US transducer-receiver pair that allowed US propagation through the active area. Operando neutron imaging experiments were conducted at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), utilizing both in-plane and through-plane radiography to quantify water thickness as a proxy for gas distributions across different electrolyser components under varying operating conditions. Simultaneously, real-time monitoring of electrochemical performance was carried out, with a goal of identifying the effect of two-phase mass transport conditions on PEMWE losses. The results reveal a non-monotonic dependence of the US effect on current density and the flow regime that emerges in the flow channels. At intermediate current densities (~1000 mA cm⁻²), US induces a measurable reduction in cell voltage, correlated with increased water occupancy in the flow channels, consistent with enhanced gas removal. In contrast, at high current densities (~6000 mA cm⁻²), US leads to reduced water content in the channels and a deterioration in cell performance, suggesting a transition in the governing two-phase flow regime. CFD simulations of the baseline flow field support the experimental observations by identifying the presence of slug flow under these conditions.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2027 The Authors. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.
Subjects:	Q Science > QC Physics Q Science > QD Chemistry R Medicine > RC Internal medicine T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
Departments:	School of Science & Technology School of Science & Technology > Department of Engineering
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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