Effects of Reaction and Diffusion Parameters on Optimized Porosity Distribution in a Reaction-Diffusion System

In the last few decades, electrochemical devices have been receiving wide attention due to their potential to ease fossil fuel dependence and greenhouse gas emission. Although there are many studies on this topic, efforts to reduce costs are still necessary for widespread commercialization. One of the approaches is to minimize the raw material cost and maximize cell performance. As the electrode is the main component of the electrochemical devices where the reaction occurs, previous studies have been conducted to optimize the electrode structure. However, those studies were limited to sizing and shape optimization. One of the approaches that recently gained attention to different physical problems is topology optimization, which is the approach to optimizing the layout of any structure within a design space. However, efforts in applying topology optimization in a system where the reaction takes place are still limited. In this study, topology optimization of porosity distribution in reactiondiffusion systems is carried out using the adjoint variable methods. The optimization problem is formulated to maximize the reaction in the design domain. Effects of the reaction and diffusion parameters on optimized porosity distribution and overall reaction are investigated. The results reveal a geometrically complex bio-like flow field as an optimized porosity distribution. The secondary root-like pores increase in the optimized porosity as the ratio between the diffusion and reaction processes increases.