Transient regime in a parallelepipedic cell induced by a current or a potential step

On the basis of previous studies dealing with laminar flow in a channel electrode reactor, this work concerns the transient regime in a parallelepipedic cell induced by a current or a potential step for various types of flow. The response was shown theoretically to be governed by the wall velocity gradient. Experiments conducted in a rectangular cell provided with either flat or porous electrodes confirm the results of the model. Assuming a reversible electrochemical process, the transient behavior of a parallelepipedic cell can therefore be predicted through hydrodynamic and mass transfer data.