Numerical Investigation of Electro-Thermal Field Distribution Law of Busbar under Different Operating Conditions

The electro-thermal state of a busbar system of electrolysis cells for aluminum production represents the main factor affecting hydromagnetic stability and current distribution. Based on the busbar system of a 500 kA aluminum electrolytic cell, an overall busbar electro-thermal field coupling calculation model was established based on ANSYS. The characteristics of busbar temperature, current density, and voltage drop distribution were analyzed. In addition, the electro-thermal distribution of the busbar system was simulated under different current intensities, ambient temperatures, and heat transfer coefficients. The results show that the temperature distribution of the riser busbar and the cathode busbar is higher in the middle location and tends to decrease along the two sides. Differences in heat conduction and heat dissipation environment are the main factors affecting the distribution of the busbar system’s electro-thermal field, while the Joule heat of the current is not the major factor. Increasing the current intensity will increase the average temperature and average voltage drop of the busbar. With an increase in the ambient temperature, the average busbar temperature increases significantly, and the voltage drop of the busbar also increases. With an increase in heat transfer coefficient, the average temperature and voltage drop of the busbar decreases.