Arrangement for measuring electric current in an individual electrode in an electrolysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695520-B2
Application number	US-201414769437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2014
Priority date	Mar 1, 2013
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and current measuring arrangement for measuring electric current flowing in an individual electrode in an electrolysis system. The electrolysis system comprises a plurality of interleaved electrodes ( 1, 2 ), cathodes ( 1 ) and anodes ( 2 ), arranged in an electrolysis cell ( 3 ) and immersed in electrolyte, said electrolysis system having a busbar ( 4 ) disposed on a separating cell wall ( 5 ) between each of the two adjacent cells to conduct electric current to the electrodes via a contact point ( 6 ) between the busbar and a hanger bar ( 7 ) of the electrode, and the current sensing arrangement comprises a magnetic field sensing means ( 8; 8 1 , 8 2 ; 10 ) for measuring the magnetic field induced by said current. The magnetic field sensing means ( 8; 8 1 , 8 2 ; 10 ) are arranged to sense the magnetic field substantially at the level of the contact point ( 6 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of measuring electric current flowing in an individual electrode in an electrolysis system comprising a plurality of interleaved electrodes, cathode electrodes and anode electrodes, arranged in an electrolysis cell and immersed in electrolyte, said electrolysis system having a busbar disposed on a separating cell wall between each of two adjacent cells to conduct electric current to the electrodes via a contact point between the busbar and a hanger bar of the electrode, and in which method the electric current of each electrode is measured by measuring the magnetic field induced by said current, wherein the magnetic field is sensed substantially at the level of the contact point, wherein the magnetic field is sensed with a magnetic circuit being arranged to encircle the contact point substantially in a horizontal plane at the level of the contact point.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic circuit is an open loop current sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic circuit is a closed loop current sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic circuit comprises a core of magnetic material formed as a first ring surrounding the contact point, said ring being placed in recesses formed in the busbar.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic circuit is a core of magnetic material formed as a second ring surrounding the contact point and being bent, folded or formed in two or three dimensions to fit over the busbar.

6. A method of measuring electric current flowing in an individual electrode in an electrolysis system comprising a plurality of interleaved electrodes, cathode electrodes and anode electrodes, arranged in an electrolysis cell and immersed in electrolyte, said electrolysis system having a busbar disposed on a separating cell wall between each of two adjacent cells to conduct electric current to the electrodes via a contact point between the busbar and a hanger bar of the electrode, and in which method the electric current of each electrode is measured by measuring the magnetic field induced by said current, wherein the magnetic field is sensed substantially at the level of the contact point, wherein the magnetic field is sensed with a magnetic field sensor arranged in the vicinity of the contact point and in the horizontal plane, and further, wherein the magnetic field is sensed with an array of magnetic field sensors arranged in three dimensional space around the contact point substantially in the plane of the contact point at an angle in the range 0 to 75° with respect to horizontal.

7. A method of measuring electric current flowing in an individual electrode in an electrolysis system comprising a plurality of interleaved electrodes, cathode electrodes and anode electrodes, arranged in an electrolysis cell and immersed in electrolyte, said electrolysis system having a busbar disposed on a separating cell wall between each of two adjacent cells to conduct electric current to the electrodes via a contact point between the busbar and a hanger bar of the electrode, and in which method the electric current of each electrode is measured by measuring the magnetic field induced by said current, wherein the magnetic field is sensed substantially at the level of the contact point, wherein the magnetic field is sensed with a magnetic field sensor arranged in the vicinity of the contact point and in the horizontal plane, and further wherein a frame unit of insulating, non-magnetic material is arranged to hold the magnetic field sensors in a predetermined position in three dimensional space with respect to the contact point.

8. A current measuring arrangement for measuring electric current flowing in an individual electrode in an electrolysis system comprising a plurality of interleaved electrodes, cathode electrodes and anode electrodes, arranged in an electrolysis cell and immersed in electrolyte, said electrolysis system having a busbar disposed on a separating cell wall between each of two adjacent cells to conduct electric current to the electrodes via a contact point between the busbar and a hanger bar of the electrode, and the current sensing arrangement comprises a magnetic field sensing means for measuring the magnetic field induced by said current, wherein the magnetic field sensing means are arranged to sense the magnetic field substantially at the level of the contact point, wherein the magnetic field sensing means comprise a magnetic circuit arranged to encircle the contact point substantially in the horizontal plane which is at the level of the contact point.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetic circuit is an open loop current sensor.

10. The arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetic circuit is a closed loop current sensor.

11. The arrangement according to claim 8 , characterized in the magnetic circuit comprises a core of magnetic material formed as a first ring surrounding the contact point, said ring being placed in recesses formed in the busbar.

12. The arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetic circuit is a core of magnetic material formed as a second ring surrounding the contact point and being bent or folded in two or three dimensions over the busbar.

13. The arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the magnetic field sensing means comprises a magnetic field sensor arranged in the vicinity of the contact point.

14. The arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein the arrangement comprises an array of magnetic field sensors arranged around the contact point substantially in a plane of the contact point.

15. The arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein the array of magnetic field sensors is arranged in a three dimensional space around the contact point substantially in the plane of the contact point at an angle in the range 0 to 75° with respect to horizontal.

16. The arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein the arrangement comprises a frame unit of insulating, non-magnetic material to hold the magnetic field sensors in a predetermined position with respect to the contact point.

17. A current measuring arrangement for measuring electric current flowing in an individual electrode in an electrolysis system comprising a plurality of interleaved electrodes, cathode electrodes and anode electrodes, arranged in an electrolysis cell and immersed in electrolyte, said electrolysis system having a busbar disposed on a separating cell wall between each of two adjacent cells to conduct electric current to the electrodes via a contact point between the busbar and a hanger bar of the electrode, and in which method the electric current of each electrode is measured by measuring the magnetic field induced by said current, wherein the magnetic field is sensed substantially at the level of the contact point, wherein the magnetic field is sensed with a magnetic field sensor arranged in the vicinity of the contact point and in the horizontal plane, and further wherein the magnetic field is sensed with an array of magnetic field sensors arranged in three dimensional space around the contact point substantially in the plane of the contact point at an angle in the range 0 to 75° with respect to horizontal.

Assignees

• Outotec Finland Oy

Inventors

• Grant Duncan
• Barker Michael H
• Nordlund Lauri
• Rantala Ari
• Virtanen Henri K

Classifications

• C25C1/12

  of copper · CPC title

• G01R15/20

  using galvano-magnetic devices, e.g. Hall-effect devices {, i.e. measuring a magnetic field via the interaction between a current and a magnetic field, e.g. magneto resistive or Hall effect devices} · CPC title

• G01R15/202

  using Hall-effect devices (Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08) · CPC title

• C25C7/00

  Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells; Servicing or operating of cells (for the production of aluminium C25C3/06 - C25C3/22) · CPC title

• C25B15/06

  Detection or inhibition of short circuits in the cell · CPC title