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Rispri LabsENGINEERING A CIRCULAR FUTURE

Free tool · Water and wastewater treatment design

Electrocoagulation Design Calculator

Electrocoagulation current I = (dose × flow × z × F) ÷ (M × efficiency), from Faraday's law. Electrode area = current ÷ current density. Dosing 20 mg/L of aluminium into 5 m³/h needs about 300 A, 6 m² of active anode at 50 A/m² and about 0.6 kWh/m³ at 10 V.

Your inputs

Results update as you type. Example values are filled in.

m³/h
mg/L

Jar or bench tests: often 10 to 50 mg/L of Al, more as Fe.

%

Al can exceed 100% from chemical dissolution of the cathode.

A/m²

10 to 150 A/m² is common. Higher means smaller cells but more passivation.

V

Depends on conductivity and electrode gap; low TDS water needs more volts.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the flow and pick aluminium or iron electrodes.
  2. Enter the metal dose that worked in bench tests.
  3. Set current density and the voltage measured on the test cell.
  4. Read current, plate area, energy and electrode use.

How do you calculate electrocoagulation current?

m = I × t × M ÷ (z × F) (Faraday's law)

I = dose (g/m³) × Q (m³/s) × z × F ÷ (M × φ)

Energy (kWh/m³) = V × I ÷ 1,000 ÷ Q (m³/h)

F = 96,485 C/mol, z = 3 for Al and 2 for Fe, φ is current efficiency.

Worked example

With flow 5 m³/h, electrode metal: Aluminium (Al³⁺, 26.98 g/mol), target metal dose 20 mg/L, current efficiency 100 %, current density 50 A/m², cell voltage 10 V:

DC current required: 298 A

The calculator also gives active anode area 5.96 m²; dc power 2.98 kW; specific energy 0.6 kWh/m³.

Assumptions and limits

  • Assumes ideal Faradaic dissolution at the stated efficiency.
  • Rectifier losses (about 5 to 10%) and pumping are not included.
  • Treat the dose as a starting point; optimum dose depends on the pollutant.

Frequently asked questions

What is the energy consumption of electrocoagulation?

Typical industrial EC uses 0.3 to 3 kWh per m³, depending on dose, conductivity and electrode gap. High conductivity effluent such as textile or electroplating wastewater sits at the lower end.

Aluminium or iron electrodes?

Aluminium gives lighter, faster settling floc and works well for colour, oil and fluoride. Iron is cheaper and better for heavy metals, phosphate and arsenic, but can leave a greenish or rust colour if not oxidised.

How often are electrodes replaced?

Divide the plate mass by the daily consumption. Most systems replace plates every few weeks to a few months, sooner if passivation or uneven wear appears.

References

  • Holt, Barton and Mitchell (2005). The future for electrocoagulation as a localised water treatment technology. Chemosphere 59(3)
  • Mollah et al. (2004). Fundamentals, present and future perspectives of electrocoagulation. Journal of Hazardous Materials 114

Built and maintained by the Rispri Labs engineering team. Last updated .