30 / 2025-03-31 16:19:52

Reactive multiphase flows in complex geometries

Reactive flows,Multiphase flow,Catalysis

We present recent applications of multiphase lattice Boltzmann simulations

to catalysis. First, we investigate the formation and transport of gas bubbles

across a model porous catalyst/electrode using color gradient lattice Boltzmann

simulations. This approach enables us to systematically examine the influence

of a wide range of morphologies, flow velocities, and reaction rates on the

efficiency of gas production. By exploring these parameters, we identify

critical parameter combinations that significantly contribute to an enhanced

yield of gas output. Then, we focus on improved catalyst support materials

based on bicontinuous materials, which show distinct advantages in comparison

to classical stochastic support morphologies. We validate the enhanced

performance of these geometries through miscible reactive flow simulations and

demonstrate that such geometrically optimised catalyst support structures allow

for an almost threefold increase in reactor effectiveness.

To conclude, we provide an outlook on our recent development of a phase-field

lattice Boltzmann method for electrochemical applications.