Electrode Configurations for Electrolytic Cells and Related Methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017275773-A1
Application number	US-201715469318-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 25, 2016
Publication date	Sep 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, an electrolytic cell for the production of aluminum from alumina includes: at least one anode module having a plurality of anodes; at least one cathode module, opposing the anode module, wherein the at least one cathode module comprises a plurality of cathodes, wherein the plurality of anodes are suspended above the cathode module and extending downwards towards the cathode module, wherein the plurality of cathodes are positioned extending upwards towards the anode module, wherein each of the plurality of anodes and each of the plurality of cathodes are alternatingly positioned, wherein the plurality of anodes is selectively positionable in a horizontal direction relative to adjacent cathodes, wherein the anode module is selectively positionable in a vertical direction relative to the cathode module, and wherein a portion of each of the anode electrodes overlap a portion of adjacent cathodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrolytic cell, comprising:
at least one anode module having a plurality of anodes, wherein each of the plurality of anodes is an oxygen-involving electrode; at least one cathode module, opposing the anode module, wherein the at least one cathode module comprises a plurality of cathodes, wherein each of the plurality of anodes and each of the plurality of cathodes have surfaces thereon that are vertically oriented and spaced one from another, wherein the cathodes are wettable, and wherein the at least one cathode module is coupled to a bottom of the electrolytic cell; a cell reservoir; an electrolyte disposed within the cell reservoir; and a metal pad disposed within the cell reservoir, wherein the plurality of anodes are at least partially immersed in the electrolyte and suspended above the cathode module and extending downwards towards the cathode module, wherein the plurality of cathodes are completely immersed in the electrolyte, wherein the plurality of cathodes are positioned in the cell reservoir extending upwards towards the anode module, wherein each of the plurality of anodes and each of the plurality of cathodes are alternatingly positioned within the cell reservoir, wherein the plurality of anodes is selectively positionable in a horizontal direction relative to adjacent cathodes, wherein the anode module is selectively positionable in a vertical direction relative to the cathode module, and wherein a portion of each of the anode electrodes overlap a portion of adjacent cathodes.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of anodes form an at least one row on the anode module.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of cathodes form an at least one row on the cathode module.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein adjacent anodes in the at least one row of anodes have a gap therebetween.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein adjacent cathodes in the at least one row of cathodes have a gap therebetween.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a horizontal distance between the anode and the cathode is in a range of ¼″ to 6″.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a vertical overlap of the anode and the cathode is in the range of 1″ to 100″.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode is a plate with a rectangular cross-sectional shape that is 1″ to 75″ in width, 5″ to 100″ in height and ¼″ to 10″ in thickness.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode is a plate with a rectangular cross-sectional shape with radiused corners having a width in the range of 1″ to 75″ in width, 5″ to 100″ in height and ¼″ to 10″ in thickness and a corner radius of ⅛″ to 1″.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode is a plate with a rounded rectangular cross-sectional shape with radiused ends having a width in the range of 1″ to 75″ in width, 5″ to 100″ in height and ¼″ to 10″ in thickness and an end radius of ⅛″ to 3″.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode has an elliptical cross-sectional shape with a major axis in the range of 1″ to 30″, a minor axis in the range of ¼″ to 5″ and a height in the range of 5″ to 50″.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode has a circular cross-sectional shape with a radius in the range of ¼″ to 6″ and a height in the range of 5″ to 75″.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cathode is a plate with a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a width in the range of 1″ to 75″ in width, 5″ to 100″ in height and ⅛″ to 5″ in thickness.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cathode module includes a plurality of cathodes forming at least one row on the cathode module with adjacent cathodes in a row having a gap therebetween and wherein the plurality of cathodes have a rectangular cross-sectional shape having dimensions in the range of 1″ to 40″ in width, 5″ to 75″ in height and ⅛″ to 5″ in thickness and a gap in the range of 1/16″ to 5″ therebetween.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cathode module includes a plurality of cathodes forming at least one row on the cathode module with adjacent cathodes in a row having a gap therebetween and wherein the plurality of cathodes have a circular cross-sectional shape having a radius in the range of ⅛″ to 3″, a height in the range of 5″ to 75″ and a gap in the range of 1/16″ to 2″ therebetween.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cathode module includes a plurality of cathodes forming at least one row on the cathode module with adjacent cathodes in a row having a gap therebetween and wherein the plurality of cathodes have a rounded rectangular cross-sectional shape having dimensions in the range of ¼″ to 3″ in width, 5″ to 75″ in height and ⅛″ to 3″ in thickness and a gap in the range of 1/16″ to 3″ therebetween.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cathode module includes a plurality of cathodes forming at least one row on the cathode module with adjacent cathodes in a row having a gap therebetween and wherein the plurality of cathodes have an elliptical cross-sectional shape having a minor axis in the range of ¼″ to 3″, a major axis in the range of 1″ to 8″, and a height in the range of 5″ to 75″, and a gap in the range of 1/16″ to 3″ therebetween.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode module includes a plurality of anodes disposed on the anode module in an array forming a plurality of rows and the cathode module includes a plurality of cathodes disposed on the cathode module in an array forming a plurality of rows, wherein the plurality of rows of anodes and the plurality of rows of cathodes are interleaving, and wherein the plurality of anodes have a cross-sectional shape of at least one of rectangular, rectangular with radiused edges, rounded rectangular, circular, or elliptical, and the plurality of cathodes have a cross-sectional shape of at least one of rectangular, rectangular with radiused edges, rounded rectangular, circular, or elliptical.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anode module has a profile in a plane perpendicular to a direction of extension of the anodes with a first dimension larger than a second dimension, and wherein the plurality of rows of anodes are disposed either parallel or perpendicular to the first dimension.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a vertical distance between an upper surface of the electrolyte and an upper end of the cathode is in a range of ⅛″ to 10″.

21 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a positioning apparatus coupled to the at least one anode module, wherein the positioning apparatus is configured to selectively position the at least one anode module in a vertical direction relative to the cathode module, and wherein the positioning apparatus is configured to selectively position the plurality of anodes in a horizontal direction relative to adjacent cathodes.

22 . A method for producing aluminum metal by the electrochemical reduction of alumina, comprising:
(a) passing current between an anode and a cathode through an electrolytic bath of an electrolytic cell, the cell comprising:
(i) at least one anode module having a plurality of anodes, wherein each of the plurality of anodes is an oxygen-involving electrode,
(ii) at least one cathode module, opposing the anode module, wherein the at least one cathode module comprises a plurality of cathodes, wherein each of the plurality of anodes and each of the plurality of cathodes have surfaces thereon that are verti

Assignees

• Alcoa Usa Corp

Inventors

• Liu Xinghua

Classifications

• C25C3/08 Primary

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

• C25C3/10

  External supporting frames or structures · CPC title

• C25C7/06

  Operating or servicing · CPC title

• C25C7/007

  of cells comprising at least a movable electrode (C25C7/002, C25C7/02 - C25C7/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• C25C3/12

  Anodes · CPC title