GB740025A - Arrangements of the bus-bars of electrolytic furnaces - Google Patents

Abstract

740,025. Electrolytic furnaces; current supply. ELEKTROKEMISK AKTIESELSKAP. Feb. 5, 1954 [Feb. 5, 1953], No. 3417/54. Class 39(3). A battery of electrolytic furnaces 12 e.g. for producing aluminium is arranged in an even number of parallel rows supplied with D.C. by main bus bars 11 which for each pair of adjacent rows are grouped close together and extend between the rows of each pair ; and the current flows in one direction in one bus bar 11 to one row of furnaces in series and in the opposite direction through the other adjacent bus bar 11 to the other row of furnaces in series, so that electromagnetic fields due to the bus bars 11 are minimised. Auxiliary bus bars 13a, 13b connected between the main bus bars 11 and the anode and cathode of each furnace 12 are also grouped closely in pairs with the current flowing through them in opposite directions to minimise electromagnetic fields therefrom. The auxiliary bus bars of each furnace are arranged symmetrically about the horizontal transverse axis of each furnace. Thus in Fig. 4 four main bus bars 11 are ar. ranged close together between two rows of furnaces, with branch bus bars 13a, 13b connected respectively to symmetrical anode bus bars 14a and cathode bus bars 14b at each side of the furnace grouped close together and connected to two of the main bus bars 11 in series as shown. Conductors 15 connect the bus bars 13a to the anode bars 14a and lie close to cathode bars 14b leading current to the return bus bars 13b. In Fig. 6 branch bus bars 21a, 21b connected to symmetrically arranged anode bus bars 22a and cathode bus bars 22b are located in pairs adjacent the two ends of the furnace, and each bus bar 21a is close to a bus bar 21b in which the current flows in an opposite direction. The anode and cathode bus bars 22a, 22b extend symmetrically round the ends of the furnace.