Design optimizationOptimization of the anodeAnode-to-stub connection represents an opportunity for energy savingsEnergy saving to the primary aluminum productionAluminum production industry. To facilitate such design efforts, a fully coupled thermal–electrical–mechanical model for the simulationSimulation of the operating behavior of the rodded collar connection was developed and is presented herein. The model, developed using COMSOL Multiphysics 6.3, showcases state-of-the-art simulationSimulation features that minimize computational cost while maximizing result accuracyAccuracy. SimulationSimulation results were then validated against field measurementMeasurements data to demonstrate the accuracyAccuracy of the computational model.