Side ledge formation in aluminum electrolysis cells - influence of the operating conditions and the heat losses distribution of the transient thermal response

该研究计划旨在开发新的知识和工程工具，以了解铝电解槽（AEC）内部热平衡的动态。由此产生的技术转让将帮助该行业的工程师设计优化的电化学反应器，延长寿命，降低能耗和减少环境足迹。它将为他们提供新的传感器，新的方法和算法，这将为更严格地控制AEC的散热开辟新的可能性。拟议的工作分为两个互补的部分，以应对以下挑战：-对现有的数值模型进行重大检修，以预测AEC在其工业环境中的热行为，并根据对工业AEC进行的热测量进行校准。该模型将考虑细胞中存在的最有贡献的现象。它将集中在形成/破坏的侧架，控制散热的侧壁。 - 开发用于AEC侧壳的新型传感器，以评估侧壁与钢壳之间的热接触质量，并估算AEC内部积聚的壁架厚度。通过本提案中所述的研究活动，将开发与单元热平衡相关的新尖端知识，这是AEC技术的一个关键方面。经过调整的测量和校准方法、专用模型和用于估计侧架厚度的新传感器将交付给来自铝生产行业的科学家。这些非侵入式工程工具对于估计和分析在线散热、提高AEC新设计的能量性能以及开辟与能效相关的新机会至关重要。

This research proposal aims at the development of new knowledge and engineering tools in order to understand the dynamics of the heat balance inside an aluminum electrolysis cell (AEC). The resulting technology transfer will help the engineers of this industry to design optimized electrochemical reactors, with increased lifespan, lower energy consumption and smaller environmental footprint. It will provide them with new sensors, new methodologies and algorithms that will open up new possibilities for a tighter control of the thermal dissipation of AEC.The proposed work is divided in 2 complementary parts to meet the following challenges: - Major overhaul of an existing numerical model to predict the thermal behaviour of an AEC inside its industrial environment and its calibration based on thermal measurements taken on industrial AEC. The model will take into account the most contributing phenomena present in the cell. It will focus on the formation / destruction of the side ledge that controls the thermal dissipation of the sidewall. - Development of a new sensor to be used on the side shell of an AEC to assess the quality of the thermal contact between the sidewall and the steel shell and to estimate the ledge thickness that builds up inside AEC.Thanks to the research activities described in this proposal, new cutting-edge knowledge related to cell heat balance, which is a critical aspect of the AEC technology, will be developed. Adapted measurement and calibration methods, specialized models and a new sensor to estimate the side ledge thickness will be delivered to the scientists from the aluminium production industry. These non-intrusive engineering tools are essential to estimate and analyze the online heat dissipation, to improve the energetic performance of new designs of AEC, and to open up new opportunities related to energy efficiency.