Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrolytic
Patent
1987-03-09
1988-06-07
Valentine, Donald R.
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Electrolytic
204243R, 204246, 204247, 204274, C25C 308, C25C 320, C25B 500
Patent
active
047494638
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
In the aluminum melting industry based on electrolysis and similar electrometallurgical industry large amounts of power is lost in the form of heat from the cells employed in the processes. As far as the running and the efficiency of the actual process is concerned, it is also very important to take into account the cooling conditions. Particularly in the recent time there has been a growing interest for energy economy and recovery, and thus there have been put forward various proposals for heat recovery in the above industry.
Examples of known proposals in this direction may be found in Published British Patent Application No. 2 076 428 and in Published West-German Patent Application No. 3 014 942. In the British application there is described removal of heat by means of a number of cooling elements in the sidewall of the cell. The cooling is controllable, inter alia by means of valves for the flow of cooling medium in each element. These cooling elements consist of pipes. The control takes place in response to heat sensors provided in the sidewall. The specification, however, does not give any explanation as to whether the purpose of the arrangement is to recover energy. The arrangement proposed aims at controlling the temperature in the cell, and more particularly in the cell bath.
On the other hand the German patent application describes recovery of energy with heat exchangers provided above the bath and in the sidewalls respectively, possibly also in the bottom. The purpose of this is to produce steam or electricity at the same time as the side coating (crust) shall be secured or maintained. The cell walls shall be well insulated. There is provided a cover above the bath so that the cell will be closed. A temperature sensor measures the electrolyte temperature.
In the practical operation of control, cooling and heat recovery of the kind concerned here it is of substantial significance to take into account the need for individual control of the temperature distribution at the side and bottom surfaces of cell boxes of the various types found within the electrometallurgic industry. Moreover, it is an important factor that the high and diverse stresses to which cells and auxiliary equipment are subjected within this industry, makes it necessary that all equipment installed near the process either without reservation stand up to the stresses concerned or that the equipment at least cannot cause any damage of significance if it should fail. As known it is usual in these industries to have full continuous operations, so that maintenance and replacement of parts must to the largest possible extent take place without interruption of the operation.
Cells for the aluminum electrolysis are constructed with a cell box having an internal refractory lining in bottom and walls. The structure of the bottom and walls is to a substantial degree aimed at withstanding the high temperatures and strong corrosive forces which occur by contact with the molten bath. Corresponding stresses act also on the bottom faces of the anode. These contact surfaces or parts of the cell which essentially delimit the bath sideways, downwards and upwards, are decisively significant to the above heat and temperature conditions.
The object of the present invention is to provide a new solution which to a high degree will satisfy the requirements which according to the above must be imposed to control systems and equipment in the electrometallurgical industry. At one hand it is here a question of making the operation of each cell more effective, and on the other hand to be able to utilize the heat output from the cell for recovering power.
Thus, more particularly this invention takes as a starting point a cell arrangement for electrometallurgical purposes, in particular aluminum electrolysis, of the type comprising a cell box having an internal refractory lining in the bottom and the walls, an anode, a heat exchanger associated with at least one of the contact surfaces against the bath and adapted to be controlled in response to temperature sens
REFERENCES:
patent: 4087345 (1978-05-01), Sandvik et al.
patent: 4222841 (1980-09-01), Miller
patent: 4481085 (1984-11-01), Ishizuka
patent: 4492820 (1986-06-01), McGeer
patent: 4608135 (1986-08-01), Brown
patent: 4647355 (1987-03-01), Ishizuka
H-Invent A/S
Valentine Donald R.
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