Constellation, le dépôt institutionnel de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Résumé

Calcined anthracite is used in large amounts for the manufacture of cathode linings in electrolytic cells. Calcination must be carried out properly to ensure low electric resistivity and good mechanical resilience at high temperature. A dynamic model is built for the vertical electric arc furnace. It incorporates the granular material flow, the energy, the Joule effect which provides the heat source, the emulation of the control actions required for the stable operation of the furnace. The electric resistivity of the calcined anthracite is function not only of its temperature but also of its heat treatment history, and the model accounts for it. The model can be used to study furnace behavior under changing geometry (change in inter-electrode distance), changing production rate, or different discharge schemes (discontinuous or continuous discharge), as well as under the effects of perturbations (changes in incoming anthracite properties).