A method for the control of alumina concentration in aluminum reduction cells

Abstract

The paper presents a new method for the control of the concentration of the alumina in electrolysis cells for the production of aluminium. The method is based upon the well known fact that apparent resistivity of the cell is a function of the alumina concentration so that the resistivity has the lowest value around the concentration of three per cent and increases in both directions. The method uses the cross correlation between a perturbation of the feed flow of alumina into the cell and the resulting response in measured voltage across the cell. The cross-correlation is proportional to the slope of the resistivity against concentration curve, making it possible to control the alumina flow, to achieve a desired slope. The method has much in common with other methods presently in use which require a much more complicated computation scheme.