ecFOAM: A finite volume electrochemistry solver, with applications for molten salt systems

Transport in molten-salt reactors and other high-temperature liquids is governed by tightly coupled multicomponent diffusion, charge migration, and fluid flow. This thesis presents ecFOAM, an open-source finite-volume library built on OpenFOAM-12 to solve fully coupled electrohydrodynamic transport with electrochemical effects. The governing equations are derived in a thermodynamically consistent form, and electrode kinetics are implemented with a segregated PIMPLE algorithm. The model avoids resolving multiple length scales by adopting the thin double-layer approximation on electrochemical interfaces and enforcing local electroneutrality through an elliptic constraint on the electric potential. A series of test cases were run that function as verification exercises, exploratory studies, and regression tests. A microbenchmark from the exaFOAM supercomputing project was ported to test the non-electrochemical components of the solver. Quantitative agreement with reference data was obtained. Two planar-electrode problems were examined: a one-dimensional half-cell with ion depletion, and a two-electrode metal deposition case with Butler–Volmer kinetics. Although depletion and deposition behavior was observed in each case respectively, quantitative agreement was not obtained for both cases. Finally, a molten-salt natural-convection loop was generated as a demonstration model doubling as a scaling test, but execution of the model is on hold, pending verification of the previous electrochemical cases.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Srivastav, Aryaman

Contributors dc:contributor

• Vergari, Lorenzo
• Panerai, Francesco

• Electrohydrodynamics
• Multicomponent
• Electrochemistry
• Molten Salt
• Finite Volume
• Fvm
• Openfoam
• Butler-volmer
• Numerical

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Aryaman Srivastav

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129982

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129982