A Method of Cell Heat Balance Control to Enable Variable Power Usage by Aluminium Smelters

Smelters worldwide face increasing challenges regarding power cost, flexibilityFlexibility requirements from power grids, and emission reductionEmission reduction from fossil-fuelled generation. Smelters can become responsible energyEnergy users by employing EnPot technology to proactively act as ‘batteries’ in power grids, to shed load and avoid coal/gas generation when renewables are insufficient, or take on extra load when excess power is available to increase production. The uncontrolled nature of cellCell heat loss has previously prohibited variable energyEnergy usage, however, EnPot can enable this with a complete heat balanceHeat balance of the cellCell. An analysis of typical heat loss distributions for 160 to 390 kA cellsCell justifies how significantly reduced/increased power operationOperation is achievable through control of cellCell heat losses. Further benefits of controlled heat loss are also described including benefits to cellCell control and life, as well as the uses of the waste heat collected.