Two-dimensional ton transportation numerical simulation of anode cell of electrolyzed water generator

Abstract

Electrolyzed water generator can produce acidic and alkaline water from tap water and electric power, and is expected to have applications in the food and medical fields for sterilization, cleaning and disinfection. However, there are still many unknowns about the internal phenomena of the electrolytic water production system, especially the two-dimensional phenomena that have a strong influence on the miniaturization, power saving, and longevity of the electrolyzed water generator. In this study, multi physics modeling of electrolyzed water generator and two-dimensional numerical simulations are conducted to elucidate the fluid, electrochemical, and electrical phenomena in an electrolyzed water generator. The numerical model is built with governing equations from fluid dynamics, electrochemistry, and electrodynamics. The results show that the neutralization reaction with hydrogen carbonate (HCO₃^-) is an important reaction in electrolyzed water generator, and this reaction divides the anode cell into two regions (low pH region and high pH region), and the electrical conductivity is low in the low pH region. This region with low pH and electrical conductivity extends to the mainstream direction. The current density on the upstream of anode is higher than that of the downstream of anode. This occurs since the region with low electrical conductivity becomes increasingly thicker moving downstream.