A New Perspective on the Influence of the Electrolytic Bubbles on the Pressure Drop in the Vertical Pipe Flow

The utilization of stack clusters incorporating shared balance-of-plant (BoP) systems presents a promising approach for scaling up the water electrolysis for hydrogen. However, shared BoP design causes the coupling between different electrolysis stacks, necessitating the optimization of the piping system to ensure safe cluster operation. The fluid flow within the piping system exhibits characteristics of two-phase flow, which is more intricate compared to single-phase flow. In this study, an engineering model is proposed to elucidate the influence of electrolytic bubbles on fluid flow pressure in a vertical pipe. Experiments are conducted to investigate various influential factors, such as pipe diameter, water flow rate, and the oxygen content regulated by the electrolytic current. The proposed model combines the benefits of both the homogeneous model and the separated model, leading to improved predictions. Furthermore, the analysis of pressure vibration is included, offering a novel perspective for comprehending the standard errors of the pressure drop.