Modernisation of sumitomo s170 cells at boyne smelters limited

Abstract

Rio Tinto has developed a busbar design that can be retrofitted to the Sumitomo S170 cell technology. The new busbar design includes under-cell busbar and side risers. The busbar redirects current away from the existing end risers, improving MHD behaviour and cell performance substantially. The design can reduce specific power consumption by more than 5%. This paper presents the key design features and methodology for developing a design that balances both performance and operational considerations. The results of a live test cell against predicted performance are also presented.