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

Résumé

Aluminerie Alouette is one of the largest Aluminium Smelter in the world and produces several grades of metal purity. This year, a project was initiated with the goal of improving the predictability of the aluminium grade produced. The approach is to develop an additional tool for guiding the operation staff in taking the best operational decisions, thereby maximize the production of higher purity grades. The use of a computer model following the flow of different contaminant contained in raw materials and reverts through the smelter is a promising way to reach this goal. A numerical simulation tool based on the unit operation approach is being developed. The carbon plant, the stocking areas, the gas and the bath treatment plants are to be described by the corresponding unit operation algorithms and the mass balance equations for the various chemical species will be solved. The most original contribution of the present work is the development of a new mathematical model for the reduction cells. This model will include mass balance, reaction kinetics (gas, solid, liquid) and aspects related to the anode change and to the bath components absorption in the cell lining. The ultimate objective of the development work is to provide a tool to be used at the smelter for the analysis of the flow pattern of the different species, determining the critical aspects affecting minor element deportment.