The Simulation Of The Flow Field Of 300kA Large Scale Prebaked Aluminum Electrolysis Cell

Nowadays, the aluminum electrolysis industry is developing rapidly, heading to the direction of large scale cells. The intensive electric current that passes through the large scale prabaked cell generates strong magnetic field. The magnetic field that interacts with the current in aluminum melt generates powerful electromagnetic force. The force causes aluminum melt flow continuously. As is known, the flow field of aluminum melt in the cell is crucial to operating of production, life of the cell, consumption of energy, and efficiency of current. Therefore, there is great research significance and practical value of simulating the flow field of aluminum melt.Firstly, we established a set of mathematic equations to describe the disciplines of fluid dynamics. It's called k -e double equations model. The boundary condition is wall function. Secondly, we did the force analysis of aluminum melt, and concluded that the electromagnetic force is the main factor which drives aluminum melt to flow continuously. Based on the existing data, we computed the electromagnetic forces field with COMSOL Script. We stored the results as .txt files in order to be called in other programs. Thirdly, we established the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) model of aluminum melt based on the software COMSOL. We added functions that imported the electromagnetic forces data to the model. At last, we solved the model, and did postprogressing and visualization.To different freeze profiles of the cell, we computed corresponding flow fields and characteristic parameters. We analyzed the results, made conclusions, and found out the reasons. That is, the velocity of aluminum melt is higher at the corners and walls than other parts of the cell; the aluminum melt flow field is affected by not only the pattern of how the current enter the cell, but also the freeze profiles of the cell; to keep a good freeze profile is helpful for the steady of aluminum melt. Those conclusions could be theory basis for operating and designing of the cell.