RA-550 cell technology: UC RUSAL’s new stage of technology development

Abstract

In 2016, five pilot cells were started up at UC RUSAL’s Sayanogorsk Aluminum Smelter. The pilot cells use a completely new busbar design with two-side current feeding, providing for efficient magnetic field compensation in metal and excellent MHD stability without using additional magnetic field compensation. The last seven months have proved the main calculated parameters of the design and the high level of the RA-550 operational parameters, such as current efficiency and power consumption. The pilot cells are meeting or even exceeding the industry’s benchmark environmental parameters. Today’s key performance indicators confirm that UC RUSAL has developed a competitive, highly-efficient ultra-high-amperage technology that can be used both for greenfield and brownfield projects. Plans are to continue testing the RA-550 technology, including amperage creeps (up to 600 kA) and optimizing energy efficiency over the next two years.