Numerical simulation electric distribution in aluminum reduction cell with vertical collector bars

Abstract

The electric current distributions in cathode were calculated using a 3D thermal-electric model. The results show that the cell with vertical collector bars has a uniform voltage (electric current density) in the cathode carbon across the entire cell width than that of a conventional cell. Furthermore, the horizontal density in the metal pad with vertical collector bars is far less than that in the conventional cell, which indicates that the cell with vertical collectors will generate the minor metal turbulence and the polar distance can be control in a minor and uniform value.

Keywords

• Aluminum reduction cell
• Numerical simulation
• ANSYS
• Vertical collector bar