POT-TO-POT BUSBARS THERMOELECTRIC MODEL

摘要

Busbars are used in the aluminum reduction technology to carry current from the cathodic bars of a cell to the anodic assembly of the next one. The electric and thermal performances of these conductors are essential to the smelter's operations. In this work, a thermoelectric finite element model of the conductors is presented. The model can simulate both normal and bypassed configurations, with no limits to the number of busbars considered. It is also fully parameterized, allowing the inclusion or exclusion of the risers, anode beam, cathodes, equipotential wedges, auxiliary bridges, equalizing bars, and radiative heat emitted by the nearby shells. The model can be used to assist in amperage creep project, to gain insight into the operation of the busbars, to assess potential scenarios, and to help consider alternative designs. It has been extensively validated based on experimental measurements from several plants.