Simulation of the Energy States of Electrolyzers with Roasted Anodes at Elevated Currents

The technology of electrolysis of aluminum is permanently improved in the direction of increasing the unit power of electrolyzers. The leading aluminum companies over the world try to exploit powerful electrolyzers with roasted anodes operating at current intensities higher than 300 kA because their application improves the ecological and economic efficiency of new plants. The elevation of the current strength aimed at increasing the productivity of an electrolyzers is often restricted by the negative consequences of the influence of thermal loads. To get a stable technology of electrolysis when the power is increased, it is necessary to guarantee the possibility of efficient heat removal from the structural elements. We present the materials on the development and verification of the mathematical model of electrolyzers with a base level of current strength equal to 300 kA. The comparison of the numerical results with the experimental data confirmed the convergence of the values. The power parameters of electrolyzers are obtained for the current strength elevated up to 330 kA. The influence of various engineering decisions aimed at the optimization of the energy state of baths and their influence on the engineering and economic parameters of the process of electrolysis are investigated.