A reactive
transport mathematical model was developed to simulate
the electrochemical oxidation of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic
acid in porous electrodes. The performance and sensitivity of the
electrode were evaluated by varying five input parameters (specific
surface area, electrode thickness, electrode conductivity, pore velocity,
and applied potential). Sensitivity analysis was carried out via Latin
hypercube sampling, Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficients,
and Sobol’s analysis for five performance metrics (outlet concentration,
energy per log removal of the contaminant, pumping energy, removal
rate, and fractional utilization of the electrode). High sensitivity
to input parameters related to the electrode thickness and surface
area was observed. Higher fluxes improve mass transfer in the electrode,
but lower fluxes lead to better conversion and lower energy consumption
due to longer residence times. Analysis of reactors in a series model
suggests that increasing the length or the specific surface area of
porous electrodes and operating under conditions that minimize the
number of reactors may be the most energy-efficient and cost-effective
approach. This modeling approach can be used to understand how operating
parameters, material properties, and energy consumption of porous
electrodes can inform design decisions.
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