Numerical modeling of effect of slot on bubble motion in aluminum electrolytic process

Abstract

Abstract A transient three-dimensional (3D) model was established to understand the bubble motion in an industrial electrolytic process. An anode with a new design was tested. It incorporates two slots that allow an efficient removal of gas bubbles. The electromagnetic fields were described by solving Maxwell's equations. The bubble movement was studied with two-way coupling Euler–Lagrange approach. The interplay of current density and bubble nucleation rate was included. The collision and coalescence of bubbles were considered. Random walk module was invoked for involving the chaotic effect of the turbulence. The numerical results were validated by experimental measurements. The results indicate that the current distribution and the bubble nucleation periodically change. Due to the slot, the bubble elimination heavily increases. The contribution of the slot to the bubble removal exceeds 50% in the case of three currents, and the promotion of the slot decays with increasing the current.