Experimental analysis of a rotating cylinder electrode reactor: Hydrodynamics and mass transport

Abstract This report deals with the hydrodynamic and mass transport characterization in an rotating cylinder electrode (RCE) in continuous and batch configuration employing relatively simple techniques like obtaining the mixing time, polarization, and residence time distribution (RTD) curves. For batch configuration, the limiting current and Sh values were higher than for continuous configuration, indicating that the mixing pattern is influenced by possible flow inhomogeneities during the operation as a continuous mixing stirrer. This could diminish the amount of electroactive reactant that reaches the electrode surface, due to the possible shrinking of recirculation zones during the rotation of the cylindrical stirrer, forming channeling and by‐pass flow zones. These results could evidence the existence of slight deviations from the ideal mixer and other non‐ideality flow zones associated with the width of curves upon analyzing age function through RTD curves, at the different flow rates employed in continuous configurations.