Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mass Transfer and Bubble Flow Dynamics in Aqueous Solutions for Hydrogen Production Cycles

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Progress in Sustainable Energy Technologies Vol II

  • 1707 Accesses

Abstract

The hydrogen economy is one potential avenue to a clean energy system, and a promising option for hydrogen production is thermochemical water decomposition. This process involves multiple steps, some consisting of multiphase reaction systems. Here, the thermodynamics and kinetics of vapour diffusion and entrainment for ascending bubbles in a vertical column are examined through experimental studies for various gas production rates. The vapour entrainment is interpreted in terms of the phase transition rate, and its dependence on such operating parameters as gas bubble size, liquid depth, temperature, pressure and concentration is examined. These effects are investigated experimentally, and a phase transition correlation is developed to analyze these parameters. Also, a predictive model is developed to simulate the physical processes of bubble transport in a vertical liquid column, as it occurs in water splitting processes such as oxygen generation in the copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle, as well as hydrogen generation in electrolytic and photocatalytic processes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Dincer I (2012) Green methods for hydrogen production. Int J Hydrogen Energ 37:1954–1971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Rosen MA (2010) Advances in hydrogen production by thermochemical water decomposition: a review. Energy 35:1068–1076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Naterer GF, Suppiah S, Stolberg L, Lewis M, Ferrandon M, Wang Z et al (2011) Clean hydrogen production with the Cu-Cl cycle – progress of international consortium, I: experimental unit operations. Int J Hydrogen Energ 35:15472–15485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Naterer G, Suppiah S, Lewis M, Gabriel K, Dincer I, Rosen MA et al (2009) Recent Canadian advances in nuclear-based hydrogen production and the thermochemical Cu-Cl cycle. Int J Hydrogen Energ 34:2901–2917

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bockris JO’M, Bandapani B, Cocke D, Ghoroghchian J (1985) On the splitting of water. Int J Hydrogen Energ 10:179–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Wang Z, Roberts RR, Naterer GF, Gabriel KS (2012) Comparison of thermochemical, electrolytic, photoelectrolytic and photochemical solar-to-hydrogen production technologies. Int J Hydrogen Energ 37:16287–16301

    Google Scholar 

  7. Mat MD, Aldasb K (2005) Application of a two-phase flow model for natural convection in an electrochemical cell. Int J Hydrogen Energ 30:411–420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Boissonneau P, Byrne P (2000) An experimental investigation of bubble-induced free convection in a small electrochemical cell. J Appl Electrochem 30:767–775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Dahlkild AA (2001) Modeling the two-phase flow and current distribution along a vertical gas-evolving electrode. J Fluid Mech 428:249–272

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Ali BA, Pushpavanam S (2011) Analysis of liquid circulation and mixing in a partitioned electrolytic tank. Int J Multiphas Flow 37:1191–1200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Holladay JD, Hu J, King DL, Wang Y (2009) An overview of hydrogen production technologies. Catal Today 139:244–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Turner J, Sverdrup G, Mann MK, Maness PC, Kroposki B, Ghirardi M, Evans RJ, Blake D (2008) Renewable hydrogen production. Int J Hydrogen Energ 32:379–407

    Google Scholar 

  13. Aroutiounian VM, Arakelyan VM, Shahnazaryan GE (2005) Metal oxide photoelectrodes for hydrogen generation using solar radiation-driven water splitting. Sol Energ 78:581–592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gratzel M (2000) Perspectives for dye-sensitized nanocrystalline solar cells. Prog Photovolt Res Appl 8:171–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Norbeck JM, Heffel JW, Durbin TD, Tabbara B, Bowden JM, Montani MC (1996) Hydrogen fuel for surface transportation. Society of Automotive Engineers Inc., Warrendale

    Book  Google Scholar 

  16. Kulkarni AA, Joshi JB (2005) Bubble formation and bubble rise velocity in gas-liquid systems: a review. Ind Eng Chem Res 44:5873–5931

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Clift R, Grace JR, Weber ME (1978) Bubbles, drops and particles. Academic, New York

    Google Scholar 

  18. Duineveld PC (1995) The rise velocity and shape of bubbles in pure water at high Reynolds number. J Fluid Mech 292:325–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ellingsen K, Risso F (2001) On the rise of an ellipsoidal bubble in water: oscillatory paths and liquid induced velocity. J Fluid Mech 440:235–268

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Magnaudet J, Eames I (2000) The motion of high-Reynolds-number bubbles in inhomogeneous flows. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 32:659–708

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  21. Hassan NMS, Khan MMK, Rasul MG (2010) A modelling and experimental study of the bubble trajectory in a non-Newtonian crystal suspension. Fluid Dynam Res 42:065502

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Miyahara T, Takahashi T (1986) Coalescence phenomena at the moment of bubble formation at adjacent holes. Chem Eng Res Des 64:320

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ohta M, Kikuchi D, Yoshida Y, Sussman M (2011) Robust numerical analysis of the dynamic bubble formation process in a viscous liquid. Int J Multiphas Flow 37:1059–1071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Buwa VV, Deo DS, Ranade VV (2006) Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations of unsteady gas-liquid flows in a bubble column. Int J Multiphas Flow 32:864–885

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  25. Yang B (2006) Numerical studies of single gas and vapor bubble flows. Ph.D. thesis. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

    Google Scholar 

  26. Aybers NM, Tapucu A (1969) The motion of gas bubbles rising through stagnant liquid. Heat Mass Tran 2:118–128

    Google Scholar 

  27. Favelukis M, Raphael S (1996) Mass transfer between a slender bubble and a viscous liquid in axisymmetric extensional flow. Chem Eng Sci 51:1169–1172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Kawase YY, Ulbrecht JJ (1981) Drag and mass transfer in non-Newtonian flows through multi-particle systems at low Reynolds numbers. Chem Eng Sci 36:1193–1202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Kawase YY, Moo-Young M (1986) Approximate solutions for power law fluid flow past a particle at low Reynolds numbers. J Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech 21:167–177

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  30. Jarzebski AB, Malinowski JJ (1986) Transient mass and heat transfer from drops or bubbles in slow non Newtonian flows. Chem Eng Sci 41:2575–2578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Feng ZG, Michaelides EE (2000) Mass and heat transfer from fluid spheres at low Reynolds numbers. Powder Technol 112:63–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Ruckenstein E (1982) Prediction of rates of heat or mass transfer in complex situations by interpolating between simpler limiting cases. Chem Eng Sci 37:1505–1511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Nakano Y, Tien C (1967) Approximate solutions of viscous incompressible flow around fluid spheres at intermediate Reynolds numbers. Can J Chem Eng 45:135–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Kishore N, Chhabra RP, Eswaran V (2008) Bubble swarms in power-law liquids at moderate Reynolds numbers: drag and mass transfer. Chem Eng Res Des 86:39–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Martin M, Montes FJ, Galan MA (2010) Approximate theoretical solution for the Sherwood number of oscillating bubbles at different Reynolds numbers. Chem Eng Process 49:245–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Baird MHL, Hamielec AE (1962) Forced convection transfer around sphere at intermediate Reynolds numbers. Can J Chem Eng 40:119–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Cengel YA (2007) Heat and mass transfer: a practical approach. McGraw Hill, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  38. Vasconcelos JMT, Orvalho SP, Alves SS (2002) Gas–liquid mass transfer to single bubbles: effect of surface contamination. Am Inst Chem Eng J 48:1145–1154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Mokry S (2009) Development of heat-transfer correlation for superficial water in SCWR applications. Masters thesis. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  40. Wang X, Naterer GF, Bibeau E (2007) Convective droplet impact and heat transfer from a NACA airfoil. J Thermophys Heat Tran 21:536–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support from the Ontario Research Excellence Fund and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, ON, Canada

    O. A. Jianu, M. A. Rosen & Z. Wang

  2. Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada, A1B 3X5

    G. F. Naterer

Authors
  1. O. A. Jianu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. A. Rosen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. F. Naterer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Z. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. A. Jianu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

    Ibrahim Dincer

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey

    Adnan Midilli

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey

    Haydar Kucuk

Nomenclature

Nomenclature

C:

Concentration kg/m3

D:

Diffusivity m2/s

Eo:

Eotvos number

hmass :

Mass transfer coefficient m/s

jA,i :

Diffusive mass flux kg/s m2

Lc :

Diameter of the bubble m

Mo:

Morton number

Re:

Reynolds number

Sc:

Schmidt number

Sh:

Sherwood number

V:

Bubble velocity m/s

w:

Mass mole fraction

μ:

Dynamic viscosity of the fluid Pa s

ρ:

Density kg/m3

σ:

Surface tension kg/s2

A:

Species A

B:

Species B

g:

Gas

l:

Surrounding liquid

i:

Interface

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Jianu, O.A., Rosen, M.A., Naterer, G.F., Wang, Z. (2014). Mass Transfer and Bubble Flow Dynamics in Aqueous Solutions for Hydrogen Production Cycles. In: Dincer, I., Midilli, A., Kucuk, H. (eds) Progress in Sustainable Energy Technologies Vol II. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07977-6_26

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07977-6_26

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-07976-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-07977-6

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation