Improving smelting energy efficiency through anode production improvement (Phase II)

该研究项目旨在为加拿大最重要的行业之一--铝生产遇到的环境和能源问题提供科学见解和先进的技术解决方案。拟议的研究计划是由NSERC和美国铝业加拿大公司联合支持的为期5年的CRD计划的延续。本计划的目标是确定能量损失的来源和影响其参数，揭示其机理，并提供提高阳极质量和一致性的解决方案；所有这些都旨在提高能源效率和减少冶炼过程的环境影响。为了实现这一目标，将使用先进的表征技术结合处理工厂数据来揭示控制材料行为的本构规律，无论是在制造过程中还是在电解槽中。然后将使用先进的建模方法来模拟工艺，允许优化材料/工艺/设计组合，从而实现最佳工艺性能。 项目完成后，我们希望对材料性能及其在制造过程中的行为以及工艺参数及其对阳极最终性能的影响有深入的了解；所有这些都允许更好的工艺控制。数值模型可以允许评估工艺相对于不同材料/工艺参数的敏感性，探索新的设计，或执行虚拟实验，否则极其昂贵或技术上不可能。

This research program aims at generating scientific insights and providing advanced technical solutions for environmental and energy issues, encountered with one of the most important Canadian industries; Aluminum production. The proposed research programme is the continuity of a 5-year CRD programme, jointly supported by NSERC and Alcoa Canada Inc. The objectives of the present program are to identify the sources of energy loss and the parameters affecting thereof, to reveal their mechanisms, and to provide the solutions to increase the anode quality and consistency; all aiming at improving energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of the smelting process. To achieve this goal, advanced characterization techniques together with processing the plant data will be used to reveal the constitutive laws governing the material behaviours, either during manufacturing or in the electrolysis cell. Advanced modeling approaches will then be used to simulate the processes, allowing the optimization of material/process/design combinations, resulting in the best process performance. Upon the completion of the program, we expect to have a deep insight on materials properties and their behaviour during manufacturing as well as on process parameters and their influence on the final properties of anode; all allowing a better process control. The numerical models may allow assessing the sensitivity of the process with respect to different material/process parameters, exploring new designs, or performing virtual experiments, otherwise being extremely expensive or technically impossible.