Light Metals 2009 Edited by: Geoff Bearne

TMS (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society), 2009

THE ADVANCEMENT OF NEW GENERATION SY350 POT

Zhu Jiaming1, Yang Xiaodong1, and Liu Yafeng1, SunKangjian1

Shenyang Aluminum & Magnesium Engineering & Research Institute (SAMI); 184 Hepingbei St.
Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, China

Keywords: SY350 Pot, SY400 Pot, Numerical Modelling, Pot Design,

the Lanzhou branch CHALCO. The new generation SY350 pot
was preheated in 15th May 2007. Presently, the potline is running
at amperage of 378kA. The potline has high current efficiency and
lower energy consumption. SAMI and Lanzhou has planned to
increase the line current to 400kA in the near future.

Abstract
SAMIs high amperage SY350 pot technology was developed in
2002. Presently, there are three SY350 potlines in operation in
China and nine more in design phase. Over the years, SAMI has
made further improvement on the SY350 pot technology and has
since increase the pot amperage up to 378kA.
SAMI has also developed the SY400 pot technology and has
installed a total of 16 trial pots at one of SAMIs latest designed
potline. The trial pots are currently operating at 402kA and have
been in operation successfully for more than 14 months. Good
performance obtained from the trial pots with high current
efficiency and low energy consumption. Presently, there are two
SY400 potlines under design.
This paper will introduce the SY350 pot technology and describe
some of the key advancements of the technology to date,
including aspects of the SY400 trial pots.
Introduction
Shenyang Aluminium & Magnesium Engineering & Research
Institute (SAMI) has developed 160kA, 190/200kA, 230/240kA,
280kA, 300kA PFPB technologies based on the effective
numerical simulation model and summarizing the successful and
failing engineering and operation experience from 1996 to 2002.
All above successful projects are praised as miracles in the
aluminum industry of China.

Figure 1: The first generation SY350 pot in Henan Shenhuo

smelter.

In 2002, SAMI developed its 350kA pot technology called SY350

that has saved investment compared to its previous technologies
and higher productivity. The first SY350 potline began operation
in June 2002 in Henan province [1]. In the past five years, SAMI
has been active in optimizing its SY350 technology and has made
vast improvement. The Lanzhou SY350 potline was started in
15th May 2007 in Lanzhou branch CHALCO. Sixteen trial pots in
this potline have increased to 402kA by the end of 2007. There is
a total of 4 pots that utilize the same structure (include the cell,
lining and superstructure) as the rest of the pot design of the
potline.

The SY350 Technology Development

Figure 2: The new generation SY350 pot in Lanzhou branch

CHALCO.

In 2002, SAMI developed its first generation SY350 pot

technology and used the technology in the Henan Shenhuo
smelter. The potline was started up in Aug 2005. The new
generation SY350 was started in 15th May 2007 in Lanzhou
branch CHALCO.

SAMI has spent more than two years in pot modulating, pot
operation practice, pot control system to improve the pot
performance and increase the potline current. A lot of
measurements such as pot shell temperature, shell deformation,
magnetic fields, current distribution etc. have been performed
since the first SY350, SY300 pots start up.

The goal of the new generation SY350 pot is to increase the anode
current density and at the same time improve the pot technology
performance (current efficiency, DC power consumption, etc).
Further development work of the pot technology has led to the
new generation SY350 pot technology, which was implemented at
1

377

Table 1 The technological comparison between the new and old generation SY350 pot technologies.
New generation SY350
Item/smelter
Old generation SY350
(Lanzhou branch CHALCO)
(Henan Shenhuo)1
Start up
2004,8
2007,5
Number of SY350 pots

156

288

Operating current (kA)

348~356

378

Current efficiency (%)

94.15

>94%

DC power consumption kWh/t

13474

<13200

Anode effects per pot and per day

< 0.3

0.08

The SY400 Pot Technology

There are 16 SY400 trial pots in the Lanzhou SY350 potline in
which additional current was added to the trial pots. Figure 3
shows a schematic diagram of SY400 trial pots section busbar
arrangement.

6001~6016

Figure 4. SY350 MHD modelling

Anode and Anode Assembly
There are 24 anode assemble blocks in each SY350/SY400 pot.
The anode pins used in the new generation pots are bigger than
the previous generation. Higher and slotted anodes are used in the
latest potline as well. The anode current density has increased to
0.815 A/cm2

Figure 3. External busbar arrangement for the SY400kA trial pots.

The SY400 pot was preheated in June 2007. The current was
increased to 400kA in August 2007. After four months of
operation, the pots show high current efficiency and low energy
consumption. The pots are presently operating at 402kA. In the
future, the pot current will be increased to 420kA.

Lining
Combined silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide bricks are used as
sidewall material for good heat dissipation and easier formation of
side ledge in all SY350/SY400 pots. The new generation SY350
pots utilize 35% graphitic cathode blocks. The SY400 trial pots
use three different cathodes, 35% graphitic, 100% graphitic, full
graphitized cathode blocks. The pot cavity of new generation
SY350/SY400 is much deeper than previous generation for the
purpose of automatic anode effect termination and more heat
emission area.

New Generation SY350/SY400 Pot Design

SAMI has been continuously optimizing the SY350 pot design
during the past 5 years according to the pot numerical modelling
and industrial tests.

Pot Shell
The ship shape steel shell with cradle design was used in all
SY350/SY400 potlines, which was validated to supply enough
strength and reduce deformation for the pots. All the cradles and
heat dissipation fins were welded to the shell in the later
SY350/SY400 potline for more efficient heat dissipation to form
sufficient amount of ledge. The pot shell design of later
SY350/SY400 pots is deeper to give a deeper cavity and thicker
cathode blocks. These improvements ensured the reduction of
thermal load on the pot shell, and thus upgrades mechanical
behavior such that it has less maintenance.

Busbar
Pot operation has proven that correct and successful design of the
busbar in the first SY350 potline has been achieved in which the
busbar system was designed in an asymmetrical arrangement for
compensation of magnetic induction of adjacent pots. However,
SAMI has optimized the busbar arrangement to reduce the busbar
voltage and get more reasonable MHD stability in the subsequent
SY350 potlines. The SY350/SY400 pots have also shown high
stability in pot operation.

378

Pot preheat and operation

Pot Preheat and Start-Up
The new generation SY350/SY400 pot technology uses resistor
coke-bed to preheat pot. After 72 hours of preheating, the cathode
bottom temperature would have increased to 850~950degrees
Celsius in which then 12t of bath is poured into the pot cavity.
Then 24 hours later, about 16t of liquid aluminium is added into
the pot. Normal pot operation will commence about three months
after start-up.
Lanzhou SY350 potline is divided into three sections, with each
section comprising of 98pots. On the 15th May 2007, the first
group (six pots) was started up using coke bed to preheat. The
first group used dry-start method and the rest used wet-start
method to start-up the pots. The first two sections was
successfully started up in two months.

Figure 5. Shell thermo-stress modelling.

Superstructure
A center point feeding system with a total of 5 feeders is installed
on the SY350/SY400 pots. Feed volume has been reduced to 0.9
liter from 1.8 liter, which has been found to be advantageous for
alumina dissolution. Pot hood and fume extraction are improved
for greater efficiency.

Line Current Increase and Pot Operation

The trial SY400 pots were started up from 350kA. After about
three months, the line current was increased to 400kA in 15th
September 2007. Four months into operation, the trial pots
showed good stability. The shell temperature is less than
320degrees Celsius. The next target is to increase the trial pot to
420kA.

Process Control
SAMI has developed the automatic control system called fuzzy
control for nearly ten years. Adjustments are made and optimized
accordingly to the different pot designs. Up till now, the pot
control functions such as alumina concentration control, molar
ratio control and bath temperature control are improved and
optimized, so that the alumina concentration is controlled
accurately in 1.5-2.5% range and AE coefficient is below 0.1
AE/pot/day. The fuzzy control has contributed significantly on the
pot performance.

The SY350 pots were started up from 350kA. After about three
months, the line current was increased to 378kA. An additional set
of transformer and rectifier system was installed in order to
provide the whole potline with the capacity of 400kA current.
Contrast to the western technology, the traditional Chinese pot has
lower anode current density, reasonable technology performance.
The high anode current density is more sensible. SAMI have done
research on the SY400 pot operating practice. Some operating
method and thoughts have been realized in order to get better pot
performance. From eight months of tapping data, the current
efficiency is about 94.16% and the average DC power
consumption pot is below 13250kWh/t.

Pot Room
The pot room ventilation in the later SY350/SY400 potlines has
been improved by new pot room architecture and higher operation
floor. Optimizing these features has improved the air flow
between pots and heat emission from the side of the pots for better
working conditions in the pot room.

New SPC control software has been used to analyse the daily data.
The foreman can get the information easily and carry out actions
according to the new operation manual. Also, the manager can
easily identify the status of the work operation.
Conclusion
SY350 technology has been improved and optimized since 2002
by SAMI. The latest SY350 potline is operating at 378kA. The
SY400 trial pots have successfully been in operation for more
than 4 months now.
The new SY350/SY400 technology is now validated and available
for its performance and economy. SAMI will launch a new
campaign to increase more current in the latest SY350/400 potline
in the next year.
Reference
[1]Cheng Xiang, Jia Xinwu, Shen Shanming Baking start-up
and operation practice of SY350 pot , Page Light metal(china)
2005-3,32~35

Figure 6.Potroom ventilation modeling.

379