Bubble driven flow in narrow channels between the electrodes of an aluminium electrolysis cell

当今的生产技术消耗的电能大约是理论上将氧化铝还原成金属铝所需电能的两倍。在电流通过期间，多余能量的重要部分消散在熔融电解质中。氧化铝电化学还原过程中产生的气泡占据了水平电极间空间的一部分并增加了电阻，从而引发寄生热。 减少过度加热的一种方法是减少电极间空间，即所谓的阳极-阴极距离 (ACD)。然而，阳极下方气泡层的厚度限制了 ACD 的降低，因为气泡会扰乱电解质-金属界面，导致电解池电流效率降低。

Today's production technologies consume about twice of the electrical energy needed theoretically to reduce alumina into metallic aluminum. An important part of the excess energy is dissipated in the molten electrolyte during the passage of the electrical current. The gas bubbles that are generated during the electrochemical reduction of alumina occupy a part of the horizontal interelectrode space and increase the electrical resistance provoking a parasite heat generation. One method of reducing that excess heating is by reducing the interelectrode space, the so-called anode-cathode distance, ACD. However, the thickness of the bubble layer under the anode sets a limit to the reduction of the ACD as the bubbles can perturb the electrolyte-metal interface, causing a reduction in the current efficiency of the electrolysis cell.