- #1
- 877
- 1
I have an electrolytic cell with 10 (graphite) anodes and 1 (steel) cathode. The steel cathode in placed in the center and the 10 carbon-rod anodes are placed in two concentric rings around the cathode (4 rods on the inner “ring”, 6 rods on the outer ring).
I have electrically connected all of the carbon rods together using Copper wire. I first connected all the electrodes together as a ring, and then I connected the two rings together in 3 separate places. Ever point on any of the carbon rods are electrically connected to every other point on the carbon rods.
When I fill the cell with electrolyte and connect up the wires I find that the carbon rod that I connect the + wire to seems to get a disproportionally large chunk of the total current. Almost all of the current is going through that rod and a much smaller fraction is sent to the other 9 rods.
I figure that all those rods are, essentially, connected in parallel with the one cathode. Although small, the difference in the resistance between the electricity flowing straight down into the cell versus first traveling through the network of wires and then down a separate rod is keeping the current from being shared equally between the rods.
Ideally, I would like (roughly), the same current through each rod…have the total current into the cell split fairly equally between the 10 rods.
What modifications might I make to make this happen?
I have electrically connected all of the carbon rods together using Copper wire. I first connected all the electrodes together as a ring, and then I connected the two rings together in 3 separate places. Ever point on any of the carbon rods are electrically connected to every other point on the carbon rods.
When I fill the cell with electrolyte and connect up the wires I find that the carbon rod that I connect the + wire to seems to get a disproportionally large chunk of the total current. Almost all of the current is going through that rod and a much smaller fraction is sent to the other 9 rods.
I figure that all those rods are, essentially, connected in parallel with the one cathode. Although small, the difference in the resistance between the electricity flowing straight down into the cell versus first traveling through the network of wires and then down a separate rod is keeping the current from being shared equally between the rods.
Ideally, I would like (roughly), the same current through each rod…have the total current into the cell split fairly equally between the 10 rods.
What modifications might I make to make this happen?