A Model of Heat Exchange in the Startup Period of an Electrolyzer Aimed at the Optimization of Voltage Reduction

• Published in: Metallurgist (New York) Vol. 62; no. 9-10; pp. 1054 - 1061
• Main Authors: Makeev, A. V., Belolipetski, V. M., Piskazhova, T. V., Portyankin, A. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-01-2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum industry; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Differential equations; Electric potential; Heat exchange; Heat transmission; Materials Science; Mathematical models; Metallic Materials; Multilayers; Numerical analysis; Optimization; Ordinary differential equations; Service life; Voltage reduction; heat-exchange model; aluminum electrolyzer; control over electrolyzer
• ISSN: 0026-0894; 1573-8892
• DOI: 10.1007/s11015-019-00753-7

A global trend in the development of the aluminum industry is connected with the attempts undertaken by all leading companies to find efficient measures for increasing the service life of electrolyzers. This is explained by the fact that overhauls prove to be one of the most costly stages in the process of production of aluminum. This is why the development and subsequent implementation of scientific and methodological approaches to the optimization of the startup period is one of the most promising directions directly affecting the duration of the service life of aluminum electrolyzers. We propose a simplified model of heat exchange used to choose the optimal voltage of an electrolyzer in the startup period of operation, when the scull has not been formed yet as an additional heat-insulating layer. This model is based on the ordinary differential equations and the representation of an electrolyzer in the form of a collection of heat-conducting multilayer elements and a heating melt. We present the numerical analyses of the dynamic responses of temperature of the melt and the layers of lining to the control action by voltage.