$20.00

•    Title:  The High Risk of Electrical Power Interruptions to the Continuous Production of Aluminum Smelters

•    Author:  Alton T. Tabereaux

•    Volume:  Vol. 76, No. 5

•    Year:  2018

•    No. Pages:  4

•    Description:  Shutting down and restarting aluminum potlines due to unprompted, lengthy electrical power interruptions has become a major problem at aluminum smelters. Thirty incidences of electrical power interruptions that halted aluminum production are reported to have occurred at global aluminum smelters during the past ten years and a record high ten power interruptions were reported at aluminum smelters during 2017. This article presents the effects of cathode cooling, the costs associated with the shutdown and restart of potlines, and their the main causes, including: transformer and rectifier failures, power plant failures, and open-circuit electrical arc explosions, among others.

•    Companies Mentioned:  Century Aluminum, Alcoa, South32, Sohar Aluminium, Vedanta, UC Rusal, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), Press Metal, Ma'aden Aluminium, BHP, Qatalum, NZAS, Rio Tinto

Product Code: THEJN7GM41