Abstract:
Through a critical review of recent literature on aluminum smelting cell energy balance, this paper defines specific energy constraints which govern the feasibility of cell operation in practice. Using these constraints as a basis, the objective of reducing energy consumption per kilogram of aluminum produced was examined, again with reference to published data and modern cell developments over the last 5 years. Both incremental and quantum steps in cell design are considered in this analysis, in pursuit of a pathway to lower energy consumption in a process where energy efficiency has not yet risen above 50 pct. In Section V and VI of this work, a generic high amperage cell technology is examined using a computational model of the cell energy balance, in which the resultant electrolyte phases and their thermal, electrical, and physical states can be determined. Using a series of trial energy balances, a feasible operating point emerges, and the possibility of flexible cell amperage and production rate is tested in a preliminary way. The specific energy consumption and market implications of this new technology direction are examined.