Aluminum reduction cell anode stub hole design using weakly coupled thermo-electro-mechanical finite element models

Electrical power accounts for the largest part of the primary aluminum prod uction cost, hence smelters strive to improve their overall efficiency. Cur rent Hall-Heroult reduction cell technology generally uses cast iron to con nect steel conductors to carbon electrodes. In this paper, the reduction of anodic connector electrical losses was investigated through a combination of simple experiments and weakly coupled thermoelectro-mechanical finite el ement models. A novel phenomenological constitutive model was used to predi ct the electrical contact resistance at the cast iron to carbon interface. Parametric design studies were carried, and substantial savings are expecte d from the optimization of the anodic connector geometry. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.