Scanning acoustic microscopy for quantifying bubble evolution in alkaline water electrolyzers
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Improved understanding of gas/liquid transport in electrochemical gas-evolving systems is increasingly demanded for optimizing device performance. However, high-resolution measurement techniques for in-situ imaging remain limited. This work demonstrates the use of volumetric scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) for quantifying hydrogen bubble distribution in porous nickel electrodes in a customized alkaline water electrolysis cell. By using high-frequency focused ultrasound, SAM enables volumetric imaging with high spatial resolution in the range of tens of micrometers. This allows the distribution of gas bubbles within the complex 3D architecture of porous electrodes to be resolved. Digital image processing methods are used to segment and quantify the gas content in the electrode. Thus, non-destructive SAM imaging is demonstrated to be an accessible and scalable analytical tool for the quantitative investigation of bubble distribution in electrochemical environments. Here, a methodological foundation is established for future studies aimed at optimizing bubble dynamics and cell design under practically relevant operating conditions, ultimately contributing to higher electrolysis efficiencies.
Details
| Original language | English |
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| Article number | 238575 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Journal of power sources |
| Volume | 660 |
| Publication status | Published - 9 Oct 2025 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| ORCID | /0000-0003-4333-4636/work/214455496 |
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Keywords
Sustainable Development Goals
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Keywords
- Alkaline water electrolysis, Gas evolving electrode, Hydrogen gas fraction, Porous nickel electrodes, Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM), Two-phase flow, Volumetric ultrasound imaging