Electrodeposition Module Updates


For users of the Electrodeposition Module, COMSOL Multiphysics® version 6.3 introduces a new interface to model transport in any electrolyte solution and new capabilities for parameter estimation. Learn about these updates below.

Concentrated Electrolyte Transport

A Concentrated Electrolyte Transport interface is now available for modeling transport in any electrolyte solution with an arbitrary number of charged and uncharged species. This electrochemistry interface is based on concentrated solution theory, where the transport equations are defined using binary Maxwell–Stefan diffusion coefficients assuming local electroneutrality. In contrast to the Nernst–Planck equations, the concentrated solution theory does not assume the electrolyte species to be diluted in a neutral solvent of constant concentration. Typical electrolytes that can be modeled include ionic liquids, salt melts, and highly concentrated solutions featuring nonnegligible concentration gradients of the charge-carrying species. The new Molten Carbonate Transport tutorial model showcases this functionality.

The COMSOL Multiphysics UI showing the Model Builder with the Concentrated Electrolyte Transport node highlighted, the corresponding Settings window, and a 1D plot in the Graphics window.
The settings for a molten carbonate electrolyte and fraction of K+ ions (plot) in relation to the total number of cations in the electrolyte in a molten carbonate salt melt.

Parameter Estimation

The Parameter Estimation study step and the BOBYQA, Levenberg–Marquardt, and IPOPT optimization solvers are now available in the Electrodeposition Module. Parameter estimation is used for determining model parameters by fitting simulations to experimental data.

The COMSOL Multiphysics UI showing the Model Builder with the Parameter Estimation node highlighted, the corresponding Settings window, and a 1D plot in the Graphics window.
The settings for the Parameter Estimation study step and a polarization curve with an Evans diagram for oxygen reduction and metal dissolution.

Result Templates in the Chemical Species Transport Interfaces

Creating useful and visually appealing plots of reacting systems can be time consuming since there are often many reactants and thus many concentration fields to plot. To save time, there are a number of new Result Templates in the Chemical Species Transport interfaces. Among these, plot array templates are now available that include up to four species concentrations simultaneously in the Graphics window. The Result Templates are available for all Chemical Species Transport interfaces, independent of the add-on product, but are especially useful for the multicomponent transport interfaces included in the modules for chemical engineering as well as in the CFD Module, Porous Media Flow Module, Subsurface Flow Module, and Microfluidics Module.

The COMSOL Multiphysics UI showing the Model Builder with a Surface node highlighted, the corresponding Settings window, plate reactor models in the Graphics window, and the Result Templates window.
The Result Templates window and a plot array of all the concentration fields modeled in the Fine Chemical Production in a Plate Reactor tutorial model.