| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2022 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Aluminum Reduction Technology
|
| Presentation Title |
Stabilizing a Low-dimensional Model of Magnetohydrodynamic Instabilities in Aluminum Electrolysis Cells |
| Author(s) |
Ibrahim Mohammad, Douglas H. Kelley |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Ibrahim Mohammad |
| Abstract Scope |
Aluminium (Al) is produced in electrolysis cells that contain two molten, broad and shallow layers, Al beneath cryolite (bath). A magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instability known as the metal pad instability (MPI) has been a barrier for reducing anode-to-cathode (ACD) distance and thus decreasing electric losses. The MPI arises from the electromagnetic forces amplifying gravity waves with similar frequencies present at the Al-bath interface. Davidson and Lindsay suggested a mechanical model of the MPI in the form of a compound pendulum with a steady electric current running through it that, in the presence of a vertical magnetic field, couples the pendulum's motion in the two directions. We expand this model to test whether adding an oscillating (AC) current can stabilize the pendulum's motion and consequently have the potential to stabilize Al electrolysis cells. We show that AC current can indeed stabilize the motion, and that stability depends in a complicated way on AC amplitude and frequency. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: Light Metals |
| Keywords |
Aluminum, Modeling and Simulation, Sustainability |