Optimized Gas–Liquid Transport via Local Flow Field Management for Efficient Overall Water Splitting
Yingjie Ji, Shuyun Yao, Shiyu Wang, Jingxian Li, Yuanming Liu, Kang Ji, Zishan Hou, Xiaojun Wang, Weijie Fu, Lanlan Shi, Jiangzhou Xie, Zhiyu Yang, Yi‐Ming Yan
Abstract
Electrochemical water splitting is a key technique for sustainable hydrogen production, but its efficiency is often compromised by bubble formation during electrolysis. In this work, we introduce a new electrolyzer design that strategically optimizes gas and liquid flow distributions to facilitate rapid bubble removal, thereby enhancing the electrochemical process. By incorporating a hydrophobic and gas-venting layer, our design significantly shortens the bubble transfer path and reduces the level of accumulation. This advancement results in a voltage reduction of more than 50 mV and a decrease in performance fluctuations exceeding 50% compared with traditional systems. Through detailed optical analyses and finite element simulations, we further elucidate the effects of the gas–liquid transport, enabling high-performance electrolysis with a volumetric current density of 333 mA cm –3 at 1.8 V. These findings underscore the potential of local flow field management in advancing electrolyzer design and other electrochemical systems.