Simulator of Non-homogenous Alumina and Current Distribution in an Aluminum Electrolysis Cell to Predict Low-Voltage Anode Effects
| Autor: | Charles-Luc Lagacé, Sándor Poncsák, László I. Kiss, Lukas Dion |
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| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Materials science
Electrolytic cell Metals and Alloys 02 engineering and technology Electrolyte 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Condensed Matter Physics Stability (probability) 020501 mining & metallurgy Anode chemistry.chemical_compound 0205 materials engineering chemistry Mechanics of Materials Hexafluoroethane Materials Chemistry Tetrafluoromethane 0210 nano-technology Low voltage Electrolytic process Simulation |
| Zdroj: | Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B. 49:737-755 |
| ISSN: | 1543-1916 1073-5615 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s11663-018-1174-2 |
| Popis: | Perfluorocarbons are important contributors to aluminum production greenhouse gas inventories. Tetrafluoromethane and hexafluoroethane are produced in the electrolysis process when a harmful event called anode effect occurs in the cell. This incident is strongly related to the lack of alumina and the current distribution in the cell and can be classified into two categories: high-voltage and low-voltage anode effects. The latter is hard to detect during the normal electrolysis process and, therefore, new tools are necessary to predict this event and minimize its occurrence. This paper discusses a new approach to model the alumina distribution behavior in an electrolysis cell by dividing the electrolytic bath into non-homogenous concentration zones using discrete elements. The different mechanisms related to the alumina distribution are discussed in detail. Moreover, with a detailed electrical model, it is possible to calculate the current distribution among the different anodic assemblies. With this information, the model can evaluate if low-voltage emissions are likely to be present under the simulated conditions. Using the simulator will help the understanding of the role of the alumina distribution which, in turn, will improve the cell energy consumption and stability while reducing the occurrence of high- and low-voltage anode effects. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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