Multiphysics coupling particle dissolution in aluminum electrolysis cells based on computational fluid dynamics and discrete element model.

This article focuses on developing and validating a coupled computational fluid dynamics–discrete element model (CFD-DEM) to simulate the dissolution kinetics of alumina and spent refractory material (SRM) mixtures in aluminum electrolysis cells. Using open-source platforms OpenFOAM and LIGGGHTS, the model incorporates particle size shrinkage, bath temperature response, and concentration diffusion, accounting for both heat and mass transfer mechanisms during dissolution. Simulation results indicate that increasing SRM content in the mixture reduces the overall dissolution rate and increases undissolved residue, with stable cell operation maintained up to 10% SRM content and a maximum allowable content of 30%. The study also reveals that dissolved alumina and silica, along with particles, initially disperse along the inter-anode gap and center channel before diffusing into the anode–cathode distance region, providing insights for optimizing feeding strategies and process parameters in industrial aluminum electrolysis.