Multiphysics Model of a Fluorine Electrolysis Cell

Fluorine production results from the electrolysis of hydrogen fluoride‐based molten salts. This process involves several intimately related phenomena, including two‐phase flow, species transport, electrokinetics, and heat transfer. A multiphysics model was built in order to fully simulate this proce...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical engineering & technology 2017-05, Vol.40 (5), p.854-861
Main Authors: Vukasin, Julien, Crassous, Isabelle, Morel, Bertrand, Sanchez-Marcano, José
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bubbles
Chemical and Process Engineering
Computer simulation
Construction
Consumption
Cooling systems
Electrodes
Electrokinetics
Electrolysis
Electrolytic cells
Engineering Sciences
Fluorine
Gaseous fluorine
Heat transfer
Hydrogen fluoride
Mass transport
Modeling
Molten salts
Solidification
Transport
Two‐phase flow
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Fluorine production results from the electrolysis of hydrogen fluoride‐based molten salts. This process involves several intimately related phenomena, including two‐phase flow, species transport, electrokinetics, and heat transfer. A multiphysics model was built in order to fully simulate this process and simulation results are compared to experimental data. The emphasis is placed on the process of solidification of the electrolyte on the cooling system and on mass transport close to the cathode. A complex link between bubble generation at the electrodes and species consumption has been highlighted. Gaseous fluorine production is fundamental for the nuclear industry as it is used to produce uranium hexafluoride. A model was built to simulate the main phenomena involved in fluorine electrolysis. Experiments were carried out and comparisons with simulated results were drawn to validate the model. It was then possible to better understand the species transport close to the electrode surfaces.
ISSN:0930-7516
1521-4125
DOI:10.1002/ceat.201600591