Post-doctoral position at the Division of Materials and Process Engineering, Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Simulation of single and multiphase (bubbly) flows through 3-D porous electrodes for green hydrogen production

Green hydrogen production based on water electrolysis powered by renewable electricity is gaining increasing interest and significance in our attempts to evolve towards climate neutrality. In an attempt to increase the efficiency of today's water electrolysers, i.e. increase the hydrogen production rate at fixed electrical power, the use of high surface 3-D porous electrodes in a so-called zero-gap cell stack configuration has turned out to be an appealing technological option. However, such electrodes pose new challenges in the evacuation of the generated gas bubbles. Recent research in our team has demonstrated the potential of using either commercially available open-cell foams [1] or specific 3-D printed structures [2] tailored towards enhanced bubble removal.

In the framework of a recently approved European project, including 2 industrial and 3 academic partners, we would like to extend our activities in the field by intensifying our CFD expertise towards simulation of multiphase (bubbly) flow through such 3-D porous electrodes. The specific workpackages of the project include

• reconstructing and meshing of complex and defecteous 3-D electrode topologies, as obtained experimentally by X-ray tomographical scanning
• integration of these explicit electrode geometries in single phase electrolyte flow simulations (preferably using OpenFOAM)
• extension towards multiphase flow, based on appropriate mixture models

Experience and solid track record in one of the above research fields is a must.

Expected starting date : between 01/03 and 01/09/2024

Initial duration : 1 year, but extension possible depending on project performance

Competitive salary, based on high Belgian life standards

Please send your 1 page CV, 1 page motivation letter and contact details of least 3 independent references to Prof. Joris Proost (joris.proost@uclouvain.be).

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[1] F. Rocha, R. Delmelle, C. Georgiadis and J. Proost, "Electrochemical performance enhancement of 3-D printed electrodes tailored for enhanced gas evacuation during alkaline water electrolysis", Advanced Energy Materials 10 (2022) 107648

[2] F. Rocha, R. Delmelle, C. Georgiadis and J. Proost, "Effect of pore size and electrolyte flow rate on the bubble removal efficiency of 3D pure Ni foam electrodes during alkaline water electrolysis", Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 10 (2022) 107648