Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Open Access Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MS)

Administrative Home Department

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Advisor 1

Jeffrey S. Allen

Committee Member 1

Timothy C. Eisele

Committee Member 2

Vijaya V. N. Sriram Malladi

Abstract

Hydrogen is a valuable fuel. Hydrogen can be produced in several ways including thermochemical cycles, electrolysis, and metal-water reactions. Thermochemical cycles typically use high temperatures, often with corrosive species. Electrolysis requires high purity water. Metal-water reactions do not have these drawbacks. Activators such as lithium and gallium are often used to enhance metal-water reactions. However, these activators add to the complexity of metal-water reactions and may not work for all metals. A novel method to improve metal-water reactions is cavitation. During bubble collapse, shock waves and microjets are produced that can cause surface erosion. The objective of this work is to investigate the effects of cavitation on aluminum-water reactions at a range of temperatures and pressures. A model of aluminum-water reactions with cavitation is developed at room temperatures and pressures and at elevated conditions to determine if cavitation has an effect on the rate of hydrogen production.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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