About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T26: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Advances and Challenges in Decarbonization of the Steel Industry
|
| Presentation Title |
Finite Element Modeling of Tertiary Current Distribution in Porous Electrode Flow Electrolysis Cells for Sustainable Iron Production |
| Author(s) |
Omid Mahdavi, Adam Powell, Yan Wang |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Omid Mahdavi |
| Abstract Scope |
The iron and steel industry is among the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To address this, a sustainable flow electrolysis process utilizing a three-dimensional cathode has been developed for high-purity iron production from Fe₂O₃-rich metallurgical byproducts at 100°C. The three-dimensional cathode architecture enables cathode current densities approximately an order of magnitude higher than those of competing electrochemical processes. However, optimal conditions and cell configurations for maximum economic performance remain an open question. In this work, two electrolysis cell designs incorporating porous electrodes are investigated through finite element simulations. A tertiary current distribution framework coupled with the Brinkman equation is employed to model fluid flow through porous media, and the distributions of electrolyte potential and current density are analyzed and compared across configurations. Systematic parameter tuning and a comparative study of cell arrangements are conducted to identify the configuration yielding the highest overall electrochemical performance. |