Numerical Modeling of Anode Changes and Their Effect on Current Distribution and Magnetohydrodynamic Behavior of an Aluminium Reduction Cell

Anode changesAnode change cause strong recurring disturbances of the Hall-Héroult process during smelter operationsOperation. Depending on its position, each anode changeAnode change triggers a specific redistribution of anodeAnode currents. This pushes the cellCell into a different magnetohydrodynamic regime with a changed metal/melt flow behavior and metal pad deformation. We have combined a magnetohydrodynamic modelMagnetohydrodynamic Model (MHD) based on computational fluid dynamicsComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) (MHD-CFD) with an equivalent electric circuit cellCell model (EECCM) to account for the dynamic coupling between magnetic fieldMagnetic field, metal/melt flow, metal pad shape, and anodeAnode current distributionCurrent distribution. The model integrates all dominant resistance contributions and allows cellCell voltage drop or anode–cathode distance (ACD) to be calibrated through simulated anodeAnode beam movements. Based on numerical results, cellCell responses from individual anodeAnode current changes and their effect on cell stabilityCell stability are evaluated. Predicted individual anodeAnode currents shortly before and after anodeAnode replacements are compared with measurement data and found to be in good agreement.