Electro-osmotic flow and the limiting current in alkaline water electrolysis

Abstract

Under alkaline conditions, hydroxide ions can deplete at the anode of a water electrolyser for hydrogen production, resulting in a limiting current density. We found experimentally that in a micro-porous separator, an electro-osmotic flow from anode to cathode lowers this limiting current density. Using the Nernst-Planck equation, a useful expression for the potential drop in the presence of diffusion, migration, and advection is derived. A quasi-stationary, one-dimensional model is used to successfully describe the transient dynamics. Electro-osmotic flow-driven cross-over of dissolved oxygen is argued to impact the hydrogen purity.