Based on the FEA software ANSYS, a model was developed to simulate the thermal stress distribution of inert anode. In order to reduce its thermal stress, the effect of some parameters on thermal stress distribution was investigated, including the temperature of electrolyte, the current, the anode cathode distance, the anode immersion depth, the surrounding temperature and the convection coefficient between anode and circumstance. The results show that there exists a large axial tensile stress near the tangent interface between the anode and bath, which is the major cause of anode breaking. Increasing the temperature of electrolyte or the anode immersion depth will deteriorate the stress distribution of inert anode. When the bath temperature increases from 750 to 970 ℃, the maximal value and absolute minimal value of the 1st principal stress increase by 29.7% and 29.6%, respectively. When the anode immersion depth is changed from 1 to 10 cm, the maximal value and absolute minimal value of the 1st principal stress increase by 52.1% and 65.0%, respectively. The effects of other parameters on stress distribution are not significant.
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