60 Years of Taking Aluminum Smelting Research and Development from New Zealand to the World: An LMD Symposium in Honor of Barry J. Welch: Barry Welch Honorary Symposium
Sponsored by: TMS Light Metals Division, TMS: Aluminum Committee
Program Organizers: Mark Dorreen, CSIRO; Alan Tomsett, Rio Tinto Pacific Operations; David Wong, Atmolite Consulting Pty Ltd; Linus Perander, Yara International; Barry Sadler, Net Carbon Consulting Pty Ltd; Stephan Broek, Kensington Technology Inc
Tuesday 8:00 AM
March 21, 2023
Room: 30E
Location: SDCC
Session Chair: James Metson, University of Auckland
8:00 AM Introductory Comments
8:10 AM Keynote
Barry Welch's Honorary Keynote: Svein Richard Brandtzaeg1; 1Brandtzaeg
As a mature industry producing the fastest growing base metal, deeper research and development in aluminum production require dedicated human resources who are capable of moving technological barriers. There are a few people who have dedicated their entire working life to this industry. Some extraordinary individuals have been able and succeeded to combine their intellectual capacity and practical knowledge to significantly make aluminium production more competitive and more sustainable. An even fewer number of people have not only contributed with scientific progress but also educated and inspired generations of students. It is therefore a great pleasure for me to have this opportunity to honor Professor Barry J. Welch.
8:35 AM Invited
Barry Welch - A Mentor Driving Improvement in Industry Through Leadership and Technology: Jennifer Purdie1; 1BHP
In his role as Professor and Head of Department at the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, Professor Barry Welch taught, supervised and mentored many undergraduate and graduate students who have gone on to careers in industry, academia and business in Australasia and globally. Barry was ahead of his time in encouraging diverse talent, particularly women, into engineering. I was one of many women who were attracted into the profession through Barry’s advocacy and encouraged to persevere in what were then, even more than now, male dominated industries through various personal and career challenges. Barry also stood out in his determination to take the latest in technology and research outside the laboratory to solve the most pressing problems facing industry, and this passion has inspired me and many others in our careers to drive improvement in industry, through technology and through leadership.
9:00 AM Invited
Highlights of Aluminium Smelting Research Inspired by Barry Welch at UNSW from 1985 to Present: Maria Skyllas-Kazacos1; 1University of New South Wales
Barry Welch joined the academic staff in the School of Chemical Technology at UNSW in 1963 where he established fundamental and applied research in high temperature electrochemistry and extractive metallurgy. He Initiated research in aluminium smelting that continued beyond his relocation to the University of Auckland in 1980. Under his mentorship and guidance, UNSW has remained an active contributor to aluminium smelting research and education through the Australasian Aluminium Smelting Technology Conferences and postgraduate diploma courses that he initiated as well as the on-going research that he continues to instigate and direct. Some early project topics that he inspired covered (i) basic electrochemical studies (ii) inert anodes (iii) inert cathodes and (iv) room temperature molten salts. This presentation will describe highlights of this research, while more recent studies in individual anode current measurements, fault detection, advanced control, improved feeder design, cell modelling and simulation, have been covered elsewhere.
9:25 AM Invited
What Makes TMS Special? Let Us Consider a Case Study in Volunteer Excellence: Barry J. Welch: James Robinson1; 1The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) classically serves as an intersection point of academia and industry, giving experts opportunities to expand their expertise while simultaneously helping other experts expand their own expertise in kind. It is a complexly intertwined yet beneficial set of relationships that supports technology transfer, that improves or reinvents the state of the art, and that thrives on collegiality. Via his volunteer work through TMS, Professor Barry Welch has consistently and tirelessly exemplified all of these qualities and has routinely and positively influenced the work and workforce of the worldwide aluminum industry. This presentation will provide personal reflections on some specific instances of Prof. Welch’s volunteer activities that have made TMS a better professional society and that have elevated the field and the good of the order in the process.
9:50 AM Break
10:05 AM Invited
Meeting the Requirements of Potline Customers – the Largely Unmet Challenges Set by Barry Welch to Carbon Anode Producers: Barry Sadler1; Alan Tomsett2; 1Net Carbon Consulting Pty Ltd; 2Rio Tinto Pacific Operations
Barry Welch is well recognized for his contribution to advancing the science and practice of smelting Alumina to Aluminium Metal. He has also made a significant contribution to advancing anode technology, in particular through the work of his students. This is explored further in an accompanying paper. What is probably less well recognized are the significant challenges and opportunities Barry has laid out to anode producers to improve anode quality to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of the Potlines customer. These challenges and opportunities will be outlined and their potential impact described.
10:30 AM Invited
Barry Welch, Professor and Mentor for the Aluminium Industry: Martin Iffert1; 1Martin Iffert Consulting GmbH
Professor Barry Welch has inspired a whole generation of process engineers, with me being one of them. He has taught the industry modern ways of process control and he was the first who has taught the concepts and importance of superheat. I called him Dr. Superheat as he was my mentor and very important for the development of the 9-box-superheat control concept and many other innovations that followed during my times at TRIMET.Many CEO’s of the aluminium industry have been students of Professor Barry Welch at one stage in time. He did not only teach the technical stuff, but also prepared engineers for the harder management journey. Similar to Elon Musk, he recognized many decades earlier that it is important that managers/leaders are also experts in their field. Decisions in smelters must often come from the gut, not only from the brain. This requires knowledge, tools and experience.
10:55 AM
Contribution of Professor Barry Welch to the Development of EGA’s Reduction Technologies: Nadia Ahli1; Sergey Akhmetov1; Abdalla Alzarooni1; 1Emirates Global Aluminium
Professor Barry Welch has been supporting DUBAL and then EGA since the early days of Jebal Ali smelter operation. This presentation will describe Barry’s great contribution in various fields such as training EGA engineers, coaching leaders with technical courses in many aluminum reduction operational areas (pot abnormalities, operation sustainability, amperage increase and pot thermal balance, and alumina feeding control) emphasizing scientific principles. Also, as advisor, he has been closely associated with EGA’s research and development of the high amperage technologies: D18+, DX, DX+ and DX+ Ultra by assessing the demonstration pots and advising on the reduction of PFC emission. Across the EGA’s history, Barry has been a co-inventor of patents for pot performance enhancement, in collaboration with international universities. This presentation also includes short videos of the interviews of EGA leaders who have been inspired by Professor Barry Welch
11:20 AM Concluding Comments with an opportunity for any former students of Barry to say a few words