Light Metals 2004 Edited by Alton T.

Tabereaux TMS (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society), 2004

MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF ALUMINUM REDUCTION CELLS

IN “RUSSIAN ALUMINUM” COMPANY

G.V.Arkhipov
Engineering & Technology Center
Krasnoyarsk, Russia

Keywords: Aluminum reduction cells, Modeling, Thermal models, Electrical models, MHD models

Abstract x To evaluate process parameters of steady-state operation of

a cell;
All aluminum companies retrofit the operating and design new x To develop programs for preheating, start-up, initial opera-
cell employing mathematical modeling. Department of Mathe- tion of cells.
matical Modeling of RUSAL Engineering & Technological Centre
calculates physical fields of cells with self-baking and prebaked Arc@Rusal, BLUMS, ANSYS:
anodes. The paper discusses the aims of modeling these physical x To calculate magnetic fields and hydrodynamics;
fields in a cell, i.e. how calculation results are used to evaluate x To evaluate MHD parameters of the cell with varying proc-
validity of engineering solutions made. ess parameters;
x To upgrade busbars of operating cells;
Introduction x To develop new busbar designs.

An ideal mathematical model of a cell is to give an integrated ANSYS and COSMOS/M are well known commercial software
description of processes running in a cell simulating the following packages. Arc@Rusal [1] and BLUMS are RUSAL’s in-house
physical fields and processes: software packages. Mathematical modeling of cells pursues cer-
x Electrical, thermal, magnetic fields, MHD, strain-stress state, tain goals, described below.
hydro- and gas dynamics in the melt, aerodynamics in the
potroom; Description of the Purpose of Models
x Electrochemical reactions in the melt, invasion of the melt
into the anode and lining, physical-chemical processes in the Modeling of electric and thermal fields
anode and lining, wear and expansion of the lining;
x Changes of physical-mechanical properties of the anode and Electric field modeling of a cell pursues the following goals:
shell.
Solution of these problems forms the grounds to forecast the fol- x Distribution of potential and current density to analyze them
lowing cell performance characteristics: and use in the magnetic field model
x Electrical and thermal balance, current efficiency, specific
consumption of electric power; Distribution of
x Consumption factors for raw materials; potential
x Wear of the bottom and side lining, integrity of the bottom
ANSYS
lining and possibility of shell damage, as a result – lifetime
of the cell.
So far such a model is unavailable. There are models calculating
several fields in their relationship or in a certain sequence.
Comparison of calculated and measured data, development of new
software both by in-house specialists and outside programmers
permanently improves the employed software developed by the
Department of Mathematical Modeling. Commercial ”powerful”
packages or author’s programs are used according to the purpose
of computer modeling.

ANSYS, COSMOS/M:
x To calculate electrical, thermal fields and strain-stress state,
aerodynamics in the potroom;
x To develop and perform expert estimation of cathode and
anode structures;

Figure 1a. Distribution of potential in the cell.

473
 x Electrical balance of a cell and specific consumption of
electric power (Table 1).

Table I. Electrical balance of a cell with initial and upgraded

lining.

Voltage drop, V
Item
Initial lining New lining
Current density Amperage, kA 260 260
in aluminum Anode-cathode distance, mm 69 64
ANSYS Current efficiency, % 90 90
Anode structure 0.395 0.394
Cathode structure 0.385 0.361
Current density in Bath 1.843 1.714
the bottom lining Back EMF 1.593 1.593
ANSYS
Busbar 0.285 0.285
From anode effects 0.018 0.019
Total line busbar 0.040 0.040
Heating voltage 4.234 4.081
Operational voltage 4.500 4.347
Average voltage 4.559 4.406
Consumption of electric
power, kWh/kgAl 15.076 14.570
Figure 1b. Distribution of current density in the lining and
aluminum. Thermal fields are modeled to know the following parame-
ters:
x Distribution of heat generation per unit volume to solve a x Temperature field of the cell to analyze and solve problems
connected thermo-electrical problem; of electrical field, strength, hydrodynamics;
ANSYS COSMOS/M

Collector
bars

Cathode
blocks

ANSYS

Bath

Figure 2. Heat generation per unit volume in collector bars, cath-

ode blocks and bath. Figure 3. Temperature field of a cell.

474
x Evaluation of ledge profile - the size of freeze and ledge; x Evaluation of the baked zone in self-baking anodes, possi-
bility of “freezing” and cold rim to shell walls;
COSMOS/M
Ledge COSMOS/M

ɋ -8 Ȼ Ɇ

ANSYS

Ledge boundary

Figure 4. Ledge profile.

Figure 6. Location of 400qC isotherm and “cold” zone size.
x Location of bath solidus and liquidus isotherms in the bottom
lining, refractory and isolation lining;
x Thermal balance of the cell.

COSMOS/M Table II. Thermal balance of the cell with counterforce shell.

Cell with counterforce shell

Heat input kW % Heat consump- kW %
tion
1. From electric 1. To decompose
current 697.0 83 alumina 392.3 47.0
2. From anode 2. Loss with
burning tapped alumi-
138.0 17 num 17.7 2.1
3. Carryover
with gases 9.5 1.1
4. Loss of heat
from the struc-
ture
Anode structure 189.2 22.7
Side walls 132.6 15.9
End walls 53.0 6.3
Bottom 45.2 5.4
Total from the
structure 420.0 50.3
Discrepancy -4.5 0,5
Total 835.0 100Total 835.0 100

Figure 5. Location of 850 and 940qC isotherm.

475
Stress-Strain Modelling x To evaluate strength and rigidity of the self-baking anode;

The reasons to model stress-strain state are as follows:

COSMOS/M
x To assess integrity of the lining;
COSMOS/M

COSMOS/M

Figure 7. Stress-strain state of the lining.

x To evaluate strength and rigidity of the cathode shell;

Figure 8. Strain-stress state of the anode shell and anode body.

x To evaluate strength and rigidity of the anode structure with

prebaked anodes;

COSMOS/M

COSMOS/M

Figure 7.Stress-strain state of the shell and deformation of the

cathode structure. Figure 9. Stress-strain state of the anode frame and anode clamp.

476
x To evaluate strength and rigidity of the sub-cathode frame x Evaluation of circulation velocity and melt wave making;
and its effect on deformation of the cathode structure in
transportation. Arc@Rusal

COSMOS/M

Figure 12. Circulation of metal, bath and wave making.

x Evaluation of metal heaving;

BLUMS

Figure 13. Static metal heaving.

x Evaluation of MHD stability in the cell;

Figure 10. Deformed state of the sub-cathode frame and cathode
structure in transportation.

Electromagnetic Field and Magnetohydrodynamics Arc@Rusal

The MHD phenomena are modeled to solve the following prob-

lems:

x Distribution of magnetic induction vector components;

BLUMS

BLUMS

Figure 11. Calculation and distribution of magnetic field. Figure 14. Metal disturbance with time.

477
 x Perform expert analysis of engineering solutions to unify
Air flow is modeled because of the following reasons: cells of counterforce and cradle types.
x Potroom ventillation
ANSYS
COSMOS/M

Figure 15. Calculation model and velocity field.

x To evaluate impact of anode shell design and alumina point

feeding on self-baking anode cooling

COSMOS/M

Figure 16. Aeration of anode shells of different design with and

without point-feeding system.

x To evaluate impact of shell side- and end-wall design on cell Figure 17. Aeration of side and end walls of cathode shell.
cooling conditions

x To make precise convective heat transfer for the thermo-
electrical model.
Mathematical models developed by the Department of Mathe-
matical Modeling at the Engineering & Technological Centre give
the possibility to:
x Design, perform expert analysis and choose engineering
solutions for cathode structure design of new RA-280 cell;
x Analyze RA-280 cell busbar;
x Analyze design of cathode structure and busbars of operating
cells of counterforce and cradle shell with self-baking and
prebaked anodes;
x Evaluate amperage increase and decrease of metal depth;
x Perform expert analysis of engineering solutions and develop
recommendations to retrofit lining in operating cells;
Conclusions
RUSAL uses several commercial and in-house software packages
to calculate physical parameters of the cells: thermal and electri-
cal fields, MHD, mechanical deformation and air flow in the
potrooms and around the cells. These packages have been used
successfully for evaluation and design of new and modernized
cells at RUSAL.
References
1. A. Gusev, V. Kriuokovsky, L. Krylov, Vitaly Platonov, P.
Vabishchevich, “Busbar Optimization of High-current Reduction
Cells”, Light Metals, (2004).

478