Abstract:
METHOD OF OPERATION O A CELL FOR RECOVERY OF ALUMINUM BY ELECTROLYSIS OF ALUMINUM OXIDE IN A FLUORIDE MELT. IN THE MELT THE VALUES OF INSTANTANEOUS RESISTANCE OF THE CELL ARE CALCUALTED FROM INSTANTANEOUS VALUES OF CELL CURRENT INTENSITY AND CELL VOLTAGE WHICH ARE SAMPLED BY A COMPUTER AT REGULAR INTERVALS OF TIME DURING ELECTROLYSIS, EXCEPT DURING PERIODS ASSOCIATED WITH ANODE EFFECTS AND WITH MANIPULATIONS ON THE CELL, THE ABSOLUTE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EACH VALUE OF INSTANTANEOUS RESISTANCE AND THE BASE RESISTANCE
OF THE CELL IS ADDED TO A CUMULATIVE TOTAL; A DISTURBANCE IS INDICATED WHEN THE CUMULATIVE TOTAL EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED VALUE, WHEREUPON THE RESISTANCE OF THE CELL IS RAISED UNTIL THE CAUSE OF THE DISTURBANCE IS ELIMINATED.