Development of advanced models for reducing energy and material consumption in the primary production of aluminium industry

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Canada is among the top world producers of primary aluminum, with close to 3 M ton of aluminum per year. In the province of Quebec, where most of the production is done, the primary production of aluminum supports 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. Improving energy efficiency (kWh/kg [Al]) and reducing raw materials consumption (mainly kg [C]/kg [Al]) are the key to keep smelters in operation and reduce their environmental footprint.The present project builds on a long-term collaboration between Université Laval and ALcoa. It is focused on the development of advanced models of key processes involved in aluminum production. Models are used extensively by the industry to improve the aluminum making process and the performance of equipment. Four modeling priorities have been chosen based on the current gaps in literature and on the needs of the industry: -Cathode design: Develop thermo-electromechanical models that integrate creep, diffusion and erosion to optimize the design considering its entire lifetime.;-Anode baking: Develop a digital twin model of an anode baking furnace for real-time furnace optimization;-Vibrocompaction: Develop rheological models that consider high frequencies and friction with mould, as well as anode forming models;-Anode reactivity: Develop in situ 3D anode reactivity models including the presence of the crust.Different experimental setups will be used to acquire data for calibrating and validating the models. Results will help the industry to improve their processes and the equipment that they use.