Electrolytic Device and Anode Assembly Intended for the Production of Aluminium, Electrolytic Cell and Apparatus Comprising such a Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016186343-A1
Application number	US-201414911144-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrolysis device comprising a pot shell ( 3 ) and an inner lining ( 5 ) defining an opening ( 16 ) through which an anode block ( 15 ) suspended from an anode support ( 13, 17 ) forming an anode assembly ( 12 ) moves vertically by means of an anode receiver ( 25 ), said anode receiver being placed outside a space defined by the top of said anode block ( 15 ), said anode receiver comprising an anode contact surface ( 27 ) working in conjunction with the anode support ( 13, 17 ) to establish therewith electrical contact and mechanical contact to moving the anode assembly ( 12 ) vertically.
An anode assembly ( 12 ).
An electrolytic cell and an electrolysis installation comprising such an anode assembly.

First claim

1 . Electrolysis device for the production of aluminum comprising a pot shell having an inner lining defining an opening through which at least one anode block is designed to be moved, said at least one anode block being suspended from an anode support forming with said at least one anode block an anode assembly movable relative to the pot shell, said device further comprising moving means comprising at least one anode receiver designed to work in conjunction with said anode support to move the anode assembly in a substantially vertical direction, said anode support being designed to be connected to anode conductors to route an electrolysis current to said at least one anode block,
characterized in that said at least one anode receiver is placed outside a space defined by a top of said at least one anode block during movement of said at least one anode block through the opening, said at least one anode receiver having a contact surface working in conjunction with a corresponding anode contact surface of the anode support to establish with said anode support an electrical contact to route the electrolysis current between said at least one anode receiver and the anode assembly and a mechanical contact to move said anode assembly in a substantially vertical direction.

2 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the device is designed to receive a plurality of anode assemblies distributed along a longitudinal direction of the pot shell, the anode support of said anode assemblies extending along a transverse direction of said pot shell, said device further comprising compensating means working in conjunction with the moving means to absorb expansion of said anode support along the transverse and/or longitudinal direction.

3 . Device according to claim 2 , characterized in that the contact surface of the at least one anode receiver is arranged above said at least one anode receiver to bear the anode assembly.

4 . Device according to claim 2 , characterized in that the at least one anode receiver comprises a drive portion guided translationally in the substantially vertical direction and an electrically conductive portion.

5 . Device according to claim 4 , characterized in that the contact surface of the at least one anode receiver is arranged on the conductive portion of said at least one anode receiver.

6 . Device according to claim 5 , characterized in that the contact surface is substantially horizontal, the compensating means being essentially formed by said contact surface and the anode contact surface of the anode support working in conjunction with said contact surface, the expansion of the anode support in the transverse direction being absorbed by sliding of said anode contact surface on said contact surface in the transverse and/or longitudinal direction of said support surface.

7 . Device according to claim 6 , characterized in that the sliding of the anode contact surface of the anode support on the contact surface is facilitated by the use of an electrically conductive grease applied on one of said surfaces.

8 . Device according to claim 5 , characterized in that the compensation means are arranged in the at least one anode receiver.

9 . Device according to claim 8 , characterized in that the compensation means are arranged between an upper portion of the at least one anode receiver bearing the contact surface and the drive portion.

10 . Device according to claim 9 , characterized in that the compensating means comprise at least one connecting member between the upper portion and the drive portion making it possible to absorb the expansion of said anode support along the transverse direction or the longitudinal direction, such as a connecting member of the connecting rod type.

11 . Device according to claim 10 , characterized in that the moving means are equipped with at least two anode receivers per anode assembly arranged on either side of the pot shell with respect to the transverse direction, a first connecting member of one of the anode receivers allowing any expansion of said anode support along the transverse direction to be absorbed, and a second connecting member of the other anode receiver to absorb any expansion of said anode support along the longitudinal direction.

12 . Device according to claim 9 , characterized in that the compensating means comprise at least one connecting member between the upper portion and the drive portion making it possible to absorb the expansion of said anode support along the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction.

13 . Device according to claim 10 , characterized in that the drive portion of the at least one anode receiver comprises a lifting mast driven translationally and a sole connected to said lifting mast via the connecting member, the conductive portion having at least one lateral conductor and a conductive plate arranged on said sole electrically connected to said at least one lateral conductor.

14 . Device according to claim 8 , characterized in that the drive portion includes strapping surrounding the conductive portion with sufficient clearance to allow said conductive portion to deform within said strapping and absorb the expansion of the anode support along the transverse and/or longitudinal direction.

15 . Device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the moving means are equipped with at least two anode receivers per anode assembly, said anode receivers being arranged along each longitudinal wall of the pot shell respectively, on an outside of said pot shell.

16 . Device according to claim 15 , characterized in that the at least two anode receivers per anode assembly are associated with separate drive means.

17 . Device according to claim 15 , characterized in that the device includes guide means arranged along the longitudinal walls of the pot shell, on the outside of said pot said pot shell, said guide means being arranged in a welded structure forming said pot shell.

18 . Device according to claim 2 , characterized in that the opening defined by the inner lining of the pot shell and the anode assembly is covered by a removable cover.

19 . Anode assembly designed to be installed in an electrolysis device for the production of aluminum, said anode assembly comprising an anode support and at least one anode block suspended from said anode support, said anode support being designed to be connected to anode conductors to route an electrolysis current to said at least one anode block, said at least one anode block being designed to be moved in a substantially vertical direction through an opening defined by a pot shell and its inner lining of said electrolysis device using at least one anode receiver of moving means of said electrolysis device working in conjunction with said anode support,
characterized in that the anode support comprises at least one anode contact surface working in conjunction with a corresponding contact surface of said at least one anode receiver to establish with said at least one anode receiver an electrical contact to route the electrolysis current between said at least one anode receiver and the anode assembly, and a mechanical contact to move said anode assembly in a substantially vertical direction, the at least one anode contact surface of the anode support being arranged outside a space defined by the top of said at least one anode block.

20 . Anode assembly according to claim 19 characterized in that the anode support of the anode assembly extends along a main direction corresponding to a tran

Assignees

• Rio Tinto Alcan Int Ltd

Inventors

• Rochet Yves
• Brun Frédéric
• Renaudier Steeve

Classifications

• C25C3/10 Primary

  External supporting frames or structures · CPC title

• C25C3/08

  Cell construction, e.g. bottoms, walls, cathodes · CPC title

• C25C3/16

  Electric current supply devices, e.g. bus bars · CPC title

• C25C3/06

  of aluminium · CPC title

• C25C3/12 Primary

  Anodes · CPC title