19 / 2025-03-28 20:34:00

From drying of catalyst ink to bubble dynamics in porous structures: lattice Boltzmann simulations for water electrolysis

Lattice Boltzmann simulation,bubble,evaporation,porous structure

Water electrolyzers play a crucial role in green hydrogen production for the energy transition. How-

ever, optimizing their performance requires a fundamental understanding of the complex processes

involved in catalyst ink drying, as well as bubble formation and transport within porous electrodes.

We employ lattice Boltzmann simulations to investigate the drying dynamics of particle suspension

films. We develop theoretical models to predict surface coverage fractions for monolayer deposits [1]

and characterize the porous properties of multilayer deposits under varying particle-particle interac-

tions. Additionally, we study the dynamics of bubble growth and detachment at catalytic surfaces.

Our results show that the departure radius of bubbles growing on both horizontal and vertical

surfaces aligns well with theoretical predictions. Beyond detachment, we analyze the subsequent

transport of bubbles through a catalyst layer and a porous transport layer, systematically evaluat-

ing transport efficiency by considering key factors such as reaction rates and pore wettability. Our

findings offer valuable insights for optimizing the design of porous structures, potentially leading to

enhanced electrolyzer performance and improved efficiency in other gas-evolving systems.



References

[1] Q. Xie, T. Du, C. Brabec, and J. Harting. Effect of particle and substrate wettability on

evaporation-driven assembly of colloidal monolayers, arXiv:2501.05088, 2025.