Advanced aluminum electrolysis cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019169761-A1
Application number	US-201716316234-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 7, 2017
Priority date	Jul 8, 2016
Publication date	Jun 6, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some embodiments, an electrolytic cell includes: an one anode module having a plurality of anodes; a one cathode module, opposing the anode module, and comprising a plurality of vertical cathodes, wherein each of the plurality of anodes and each of the plurality of vertical cathodes are vertically oriented and spaced one from another; a cell reservoir; and a cell bottom supporting the cathode module, wherein the cell bottom comprise an first upper surface, a second upper surface, and a channel, wherein the plurality of vertical cathodes extends upward from the upper surfaces, wherein at least one cathode block is located below the plurality of vertical cathodes, wherein the first upper surface and the second upper surface are configured to direct substantially all of the liquid aluminum produced in the electrolytic cell to the channel, and wherein the channel is configured to receive liquid aluminum from the upper surfaces.

First claim

We claim:

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-evolving electrode; at least one cathode module, opposing the anode module, wherein the at least one cathode module comprises a plurality of vertical cathodes,
wherein each of the plurality of anodes and each of the plurality of vertical cathodes have surfaces thereon that are vertically oriented and spaced one from another,
wherein the cathodes are wettable by molten aluminum, 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 cell bottom supporting the cathode module, wherein the cell bottom comprise an first upper surface, a second upper surface, and a channel, wherein the plurality of vertical cathodes extends upward from the upper surfaces, wherein the plurality of vertical cathodes are completely submerged in the electrolyte, wherein at least one cathode block is located below the plurality of vertical cathodes, wherein the first upper surface and the second upper surface are configured to direct substantially all of the liquid aluminum produced in the electrolytic cell to the channel, and wherein the channel is configured to receive liquid aluminum from the upper surfaces.

2 . The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the cell bottom has a first upper surface and a second upper surface with the channel between the first upper surface and the second upper surface.

3 . The electrolytic cell of claim 2 , wherein the channel is located equidistant from a first sidewall and a second sidewall of the electrolytic cell.

4 . The electrolytic cell of claim 3 , further comprising a trough located proximate at least one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall of the electrolytic cell.

5 . The electrolytic cell of claim 3 , wherein the first upper surface is sloped from a vertical cathode surface to a second upper surface, and wherein the second upper surface is sloped from a sidewall of the electrolysis cell toward the channel.

6 . The electrolytic cell of claim 5 , wherein the first upper surface and the second upper surface are sloped from the sidewalls of the electrolytic cell to the channel.

7 . The electrolytic cell of claim 5 , wherein the first upper surface comprises a first fall line extending from the surface of the vertical cathode toward the second upper surface.

8 . The electrolytic cell of claim 7 , wherein the first upper surface has a slope of 0 to 60 degrees along the first fall line from the surface of the vertical cathode to the second upper surface.

9 . The electrolytic cell of claim 8 , wherein the second upper surface comprises a second fall line extending from the sidewall toward the channel.

10 . The electrolytic cell of claim 9 , wherein the second upper surface has a slope of 0 to 60 degrees along the second fall line from the sidewall to the channel.

11 . The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein the cell bottom comprises aluminum wettable material.

12 . The electrolytic cell of claim 11 , wherein the aluminum wettable material is at least one of TiB2, ZrB2, HfB2, SrB2, or combinations thereof.

13 . The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein the channel has a slope of 0 to 15 degrees along a third fall line from a first endwall to a second endwall of the electrolytic cell.

14 . The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein the channel comprises aluminum wettable material.

15 . The electrolytic cell of claim 14 , wherein the aluminum wettable material is at least one of TiB2, ZrB2, HfB2, SrB2, or combinations thereof.

16 . The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , further comprising a sump proximate a low point of the channel.

17 . A method for producing aluminum metal by the electrochemical reduction of alumina, comprising:
supplying an electric current to a plurality of vertical anodes in an aluminum electrolysis cell,
wherein the aluminum electrolysis cell comprises a bottom having an upper surface, a plurality of vertical cathodes extending upward from the upper surface and interleaved with the plurality of vertical anodes, and a channel located within the bottom of the cell, and
wherein the channel is configured to collect liquid aluminum from the cell passing the electric current through a electrolyte contained in the aluminum electrolysis cell,
receiving the electric current via the plurality of vertical cathodes and a bottom cathode producing liquid aluminum at outer surfaces of the cathode, wherein the liquid aluminum flows via gravity from the outer surfaces of the cathode, across the upper surface and into the channel, thereby creating a flowing layer of liquid aluminum over the upper surface, and collecting the liquid aluminum from the channel into a sump.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein collecting the liquid aluminum includes removing at least some of the liquid aluminum from the sump.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein collecting the liquid aluminum includes removing the liquid aluminum periodically during the operation of the aluminum electrolysis cell.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein collecting the liquid aluminum includes removing the liquid aluminum essentially continuously during the operation of the aluminum electrolysis cell.

Assignees

• Alcoa Usa Corp

Inventors

• Liu Iii Xinghua

Classifications

• C25C3/16

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

• C25C7/02

  Electrodes (consumable anodes for the refining the metals C25C1/00 - C25C5/00); Connections thereof · CPC title

• C25C3/08 Primary

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

• C25C3/06

  of aluminium · CPC title

• C25C7/04

  Diaphragms; Spacing elements · CPC title