Resistive Wire Electrodes

Two-dimensional current and potential distributions have been calculated for cylindrical electrolysis cells having a resistive wire electrode along the cell axis. Cell behavior has been predicted for both monopolar and bipolar electrode situations. The calculations involve solving the Laplace equation for the electrolyte resistance, in conjunction with equations for charge-transfer overpotential and electrode resistance phenomena. Over a wide range of parameter space, which includes most practical applications of resistive electrodes, it was found that simple one-dimensional approximations to Laplace's equation yield reaction rate distributions which are in excellent agreement with more rigorous two-dimensional calculations. By using the one-dimensional approximations of monopolar and bipolar electrodes, it may be anticipated that future studies may be conducted with relative ease on mass transport phenomena during high-rate electrolysis at resistive wire electrodes.