Numerical simulation of coupled thermo-electrical field for 20 kA new rare earth reduction cell

Abstract

To solve the problems of high energy consumption, low efficiency and short service life of conventional rare earth reduction cells, a 20 kA new rare earth reduction cell (NRERC) was presented. The effects of the anode-cathode distance (ACD) and electrolyte height (EH) on the thermo-electrical behavior of the NRERC were studied by ANSYS. The results illustrate that the cell voltage drop (CVD) and the temperature will rise with a similar tendency when the ACD increases. Also, the temperature rises gradually with EH, but the CVD decreases. Ultimately, when the ACD is 115 mm and the EH is 380 mm, the CVD is 4.61 V and the temperature is 1109.8 °C. Under these conditions, the thermal field distribution is more reasonable and the CVD is lower, which is beneficial to the long service life and low energy consumption of the NRERC.