Analysis for effects of electrolyte level on energy consumption in magnesium electrolysis by finite element method

Abstract

In the process of magnesium electrolysis, increasing the level of electrolyte can reduce the cell voltage and energy consumption in an electrolysis magnesium cell. In this paper, a three‐dimensional model of a full cell was implemented to study the relationship between the cell voltage and electrolyte level in a magnesium electrolysis cell. Firstly, the resistance voltage of difference current intensity in magnesium electrolysis cells were discussed with the electrolyte depth from 1.25 to 1.45 m. Moreover, the size of anodes and positions of anodes and cathodes were changed to investigate the trend of resistance voltage in the cell. The energy consumption in each part of the electrolyte was integrated to further understand the energy distribution in the electrolyte to explore which part of the electrolyte has the greatest contribution to the cell voltage. Through analyzing components of the cell voltage, energy distribution, and thermal balance, the explanation of the relationship between electrolyte level and energy consumption can be obtained.

Experimental methods in chemical engineering: Preface

“…The red cluster to the left is remote from the blue and green clusters. Most of the subjects are related to hydrodynamic modelling—process simulation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite elements—but it also has fluid bed reactors and bioreactors, which are closely related to the other two clusters . Fluidized bed reactors (red cluster) have a heavier modelling component compared to fixed bed reactors (blue cluster).…”

Sustainable Recovery of Titanium Alloy: From Waste to Feedstock for Additive Manufacturing

“…For example, the chlorination and purification of TiCl 4 require about 3.6 and 7.9 MJ/kg, respectively. The Mg reduction process requires about 36 MJ/kg [91], the vacuum distillation process accounts for values ranging from 64.8 MJ/kg [92] to 133.2 MJ/kg [93], and the electrolysis during magnesium regeneration ranges from 36 to 47.52 MJ/kg [94,95]. Moreover, considering that during the production only 10-50 wt.% of Mg is required to complete the reduction of TiCl 4 [96,97], the energy consumption due to the Mg loss is estimated at around 30 MJ/kg [98].…”