Penghui Wang
MEng student- Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Visualization of Hydrogen Bubble Dynamics in Alkaline Water Splitting on Nano-Structured Electrodes
email: penghui.wang@mail.utoronto.ca
Biosketch
Penghui Wang is an MEng student in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, specializing in system dynamics control and multi-sensor network design. Penghui obtained a Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Dalian University of Technology and the University of Leicester. Under the supervision of Professor Ali Dolatabadi and PhD Candidate Amirreza Azad, Penghui current research focuses on integrating high-speed optical visualization with CFD-based electrochemical modeling to advance the understanding of bubble dynamics in water electrolysis, thereby contributing to the design of next-generation electrolyzers for sustainable hydrogen production.
Research
Penghui’s research focuses on the visualization of hydrogen bubble detachment during alkaline water splitting. By combining contact-angle–based surface characterization with high-speed optical imaging, the work investigates how surface wettability and nanostructure affect bubble nucleation, growth, and detachment dynamics. It involves two main procedures: (1) Developing a precisely controlled experimental platform equipped with a high-speed camera for in-situ bubble observation, enabling direct correlation between visualized interfacial phenomena and hydrogen bubble behavior. (2) Optimizing and controlling experimental conditions within the setup to acquire high-quality visual data for analyzing bubble evolution on electrodes with different textures, coatings, and wettability.