Systems and methods for controlling heat loss from an electrolytic cell in a smelting process using an adjustable fluid passage to control the heat loss from a preferred area of the electrolytic cell side walls based on operating conditions in the electrolytic cell, and to direct the waste heat from the electrolytic cell side walls back into the electrolytic cell.

A method for optimizing stability in an electrolysis cell of the Hall-Hroult type where the cell has suspended prebaked anodes and a cathode panel. The panel comprises several cathode blocks or cathode block sections. A metal pad and an electrolytic bath are located between said anodes and the cathode panel. The force field acting on the metal pad is calculated and monitored in a computer based model of the cell, whereby the local current paths and correspondingly the local forces in the metal above the cathode panel are modified by influencing selectively the current distribution in individual cathode blocks or block sections in the computer based model. At least one modification is implemented in the cell. The invention also relates to a correspondingly modified cell.

A method for optimizing stability in an electrolysis cell of the Hall-Hroult type where the cell has suspended prebaked anodes and a cathode panel. The panel comprises several cathode blocks or cathode block sections. A metal pad and an electrolytic bath are located between said anodes and the cathode panel. The force field acting on the metal pad is calculated and monitored in a computer based model of the cell, whereby the local current paths and correspondingly the local forces in the metal above the cathode panel are modified by influencing selectively the current distribution in individual cathode blocks or block sections in the computer based model. At least one modification is implemented in the cell. The invention also relates to a correspondingly modified cell.

Systems and methods for controlling heat loss from an electrolytic cell in a smelting process using an adjustable fluid passage to control the heat loss from a preferred area of the electrolytic cell side walls based on operating conditions in the electrolytic cell, and to direct the waste heat from the electrolytic cell side walls back into the electrolytic cell.

Systems and methods for controlling heat loss from an electrolytic cell in a smelting process using an adjustable fluid passage to control the heat loss from a preferred area of the electrolytic cell side walls based on operating conditions in the electrolytic cell, and to direct the waste heat from the electrolytic cell side walls back into the electrolytic cell.

This invention relates to nonferrous metallurgy, in particular to a device and method for electrolyte composition analysis based on differential thermal measurements for aluminum electrolysis control. The device is comprised of a metal body including a reference material and an electrolyte sample receptacle, temperature sensors immersed into the reference material and in an electrolyte sample, a system for registration, data processing, and visualization of obtained results. A method includes immersing a metal body into an electrolyte; filling a receptacles with the molten electrolyte; removing and cooling down the metal body having the filled receptacle above a crust on the molten electrolyte surface; drawing and analyzing differential-thermal curves based on which the liquidus temperature, electrolyte superheating and phase and blend compositions of electrolyte solid samples are determined taking into account all crystallizing phases the content of which in the electrolyte sample is no less than 3 wt %.

This invention relates to nonferrous metallurgy, in particular to a device and method for electrolyte composition analysis based on differential thermal measurements for aluminum electrolysis control. The device is comprised of a metal body including a reference material and an electrolyte sample receptacle, temperature sensors immersed into the reference material and in an electrolyte sample, a system for registration, data processing, and visualization of obtained results. A method includes immersing a metal body into an electrolyte; filling a receptacles with the molten electrolyte; removing and cooling down the metal body having the filled receptacle above a crust on the molten electrolyte surface; drawing and analyzing differential-thermal curves based on which the liquidus temperature, electrolyte superheating and phase and blend compositions of electrolyte solid samples are determined taking into account all crystallizing phases the content of which in the electrolyte sample is no less than 3 wt %.

Systems and methods for controlling heat loss from an electrolytic cell in a smelting process using an adjustable fluid passage to control the heat loss from a preferred area of the electrolytic cell side walls based on operating conditions in the electrolytic cell, and to direct the waste heat from the electrolytic cell side walls back into the electrolytic cell.

Systems and methods for controlling heat loss from an electrolytic cell in a smelting process using an adjustable fluid passage to control the heat loss from a preferred area of the electrolytic cell side walls based on operating conditions in the electrolytic cell, and to direct the waste heat from the electrolytic cell side walls back into the electrolytic cell.

The invention relates to nonferrous metallurgy and may be suitable for controlling the feed of alumina to electrolytic cells for producing aluminum to maintain the alumina concentration in the electrolytic melt equal or close to the saturation value. To maintain the alumina concentration within the set range, reduced voltage U or pseudo-resistance R is measured and recorded at fixed time intervals. Underfeeding or overfeeding phases occur compared to a theoretical alumina feeding rate during electrolysis, wherein the duration of underfeeding phases is based on the alumina concentration in the electrolytic melt, and the duration of overfeeding phases is based on the change of one or more electrolytic cell parameters being recorded: reduced voltage, U, pseudo-resistance, R, rates of reduced voltage, dU/dt, pseudo-resistance, dR/dt, change. Adjustments to the anode-cathode distance to maintain the electrolytic cell energy balance may be performed during any of the feeding phases.