The boundary element method: applications to steady-state voltammetric simulations within domains extending to infinity

Application of the boundary element method (BEM) to the simulation of diffusion limited electrolysis reactions occurring within an infinite domain is outlined. This article focuses on the development of procedures that permit electrolysis simulations to be performed, where only an element mesh over the electrode region is required. This approach provides significant benefits over the traditional application of BEM simulations for electrochemical-based problems. In particular the reduction in mesh points to regions only over the electrode results in simpler grid generation procedures and significantly reduced computational times. The paper describes the theory and numerical details required to develop steady-state two-dimensional diffusional models for voltammetric simulations. The accuracy and versatility of the numerical procedures are tested by examining the current density at a range of well-defined electrode geometries.