Development of a Device for Monitoring the Operating Parameters of an Aluminum Electrolytic Cell with Baked Anodes
摘要
A principle has been developed and a device has been manufactured, the operation of which is based on determining the amount of movement of the anode array (AA). The device automatically determines the interval of pouring primary aluminum from the electrolytic cell by recording the characteristic movements of the AA at the beginning and end of the pouring. The difference between these points serves in future to compare the movement during pouring, and the resulting points are entered into a database with the help of which it is possible to monitor the operation of the electrolytic cell with baked anodes. The device is powered from the interpolar voltage of the electrolytic cell, so it does not require laying a separate power supply line. Testing the functioning of the device in the production conditions of a Russian metallurgical enterprise showed that with the help of the device, it is possible to determine the transition of the operation of electrolytic cell from normal to low-performance mode, which gives a signal for the need for a subsequent reduction in metal pouring. Therefore, the use of the sensor makes it possible to regulate the process modes, ensuring the maintenance of a constant amount of aluminum in the electrolytic cell before pouring it out, which allows minimizing variations in process parameters and leads to an increase in the efficiency of the electrolysis process by 1–2%. The reliability of the device’s operation under conditions of the “anode effect” was also confirmed.
Graphical Abstract