ProgramMaster Logo
Conference Tools for 2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Login
Register as a New User
Help
Submit An Abstract
Propose A Symposium
Presenter/Author Tools
Organizer/Editor Tools
About this Abstract
Meeting 2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Symposium 2023 Light Metals Keynote Session
Presentation Title Numerical Modeling Tools for the Assessment of High-Amperage DC Busbars
Author(s) Andre-Felipe Schneider, Daniel Richard, Olivier Charette
On-Site Speaker (Planned) Andre-Felipe Schneider
Abstract Scope At the most basic level, direct current (DC) busbars in a potline enable the electrochemical reduction of alumina by delivering current from the rectifiers to the cells and, therefore, can be seen as the circulatory system of a smelter. The busbars are carefully designed to obtain adequate current distributions in the pot collector bars, the pot-to-pot circuits, the pot risers, and the liaison busbars (passageways, input and output) circuits, and must be designed to allow short-circuiting of the pots for relining. With the trend of amperage creep in many smelters, the busbar systems are experiencing increased temperatures due to the increased current densities, leading in some cases in failure of electrical insulators and in excessive thermal expansion causing mechanical damage to different components, for example plate joints, laminated sheets expansion joints, or concrete supports. To address these issues, a suite of physics-based numerical models based was developed over the past 15 years to assess both the thermoelectrical (TE) and thermomechanical (TM) behavior of high-amperage DC conductors. These tools were used successfully in the amperage creep of several potlines operating different reduction technologies, both in the planning phase to prevent issues, and after the fact for diagnostics and debottlenecking solution development. The versatility of the modeling methodology also enables the detailed design of new busbars, such as booster section input and output circuits, of magnetic compensation loops and of emergency, repair and construction bypass bridges.
Proceedings Inclusion? Planned: None Selected

OTHER PAPERS PLANNED FOR THIS SYMPOSIUM

Data Analytics for Advanced Process Monitoring and Control in Primary Aluminum Smelting
Data Driven Methods to Increase Aluminum Recycling
Hydro Aluminium - Smelter Improvements Through Modelling and Digitalization
Importance of Transparent Data and Standardised Data Analysis for Decarbonisation of the Aluminium Sector
Improving Safety and Performance of DC Casting Lines by Applying Digital Twins, Process Models and Vision Systems
Issues in Macroscopic Modeling of Aluminum Direct Chill Casting
Microstructure Simulation as a Basis for Material Property and Casting Defect Predictions
Numerical Modeling Tools for the Assessment of High-Amperage DC Busbars

Questions about ProgramMaster? Contact programming@programmaster.org