Electrometrics: Techniques for evaluating, learning, and calculating optimized metrics in electrolytic cell systems

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an advanced device for determining the physical properties of electrolysis cells. The device includes an innovative energy harvesting mechanism cleverly configured for secure attachment around the cell's anode rod or busbar. The device includes at least one sensor to accurately measure key cell properties. It also includes a wireless transceiver unit for efficient data communication. A key aspect of this invention is the use of distributed computing power, enabling advanced analysis and real-time data processing from the sensors. This improves measurement accuracy and contributes to a deeper understanding and optimization of the electrolysis process. The integration of energy harvesting, precision measurement, and distributed computing represents a holistic approach to electrolysis cell monitoring and analysis and represents a significant advancement in this field.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] <Field of Disclosure> This disclosure relates to the field of electrolysis cell analysis and monitoring. Specifically, it relates to advanced electronic devices and computational methods for assessing, monitoring, and predicting electrolysis cell behavior and efficiency. This disclosure involves the integration of signal processing techniques, machine learning algorithms, and real-time data analytics to optimize electrolysis system performance and diagnostic capabilities. Applications include, but are not limited to, industrial electrolysis processes, energy storage systems, and electrochemical cell research. [Background technology]

[0002] Aluminum production is an energy-intensive industrial process requiring 12 kWh to produce 1 kg of metal. Commercial aluminum reduction cells utilize the Hall-Heroult process to reduce aluminum oxide. In current smelting plants, the process also produces more carbon dioxide than aluminum, equivalent to approximately 1500 kg of CO2 per ton of Al (1500 kg CO2 / t Al). Furthermore, if the electricity supply is not decarbonized, the additional carbon emissions can be up to 10 times greater than the process-specific emissions listed above.

[0003] Metal production cells (also called pots) for producing aluminum require continuous current (CC) or direct current (DC) to drive the electrochemical reactions within the cells. Plants typically contain hundreds of cells, connected in series to form a potline. The cells are connected in series with a 100% power supply for every cell in the potline. 5 It is electrically powered by a transformer and rectifier system that provides a large CC, which can be as much as an ampere.

[0004] Over time, optimization has led to longer pot lines, increased current draw, mechanized operation, and computerized control of aluminum production cells. Modern aluminum cell controllers also perform other critical steps under computer control, such as feeding aluminum oxide and raising the anode beam or adjusting the anode-cathode distance during the anode change operation. At the same time, anode positioning has become more automated, making cell operation easier to manage.

[0005] However, cell data (bath acidity, temperature, power input, etc.) are limited, and important process variables are inferred from insufficient information. Incidentally, cell voltage is the only continuous signal used by the cell controller to derive a control function for adjusting the cell's target resistance and determining precursor feed intensity.

[0006] Modern Hall-Helloux cell designs for large-scale aluminum production place a cathode at the bottom of the cell and a set of carbonaceous anodes above the electrolyte. The cell's anodes are connected in parallel. Multiple factors can cause current imbalances among the various anodes, affecting the cell's current efficiency and metal yield. During the electrolysis reaction, carbon from the anodes reacts with ionic species in the electrolyte, primarily forming carbon dioxide. Therefore, consumable anodes must be regularly replaced with new ones within 36 to 48 hours in each cell.

[0007] Scalable measurement technologies are needed to continuously monitor production cell parameters and provide visibility into the cell process. Cost-effective solutions are needed that require minimal or no maintenance, provide accurate and reliable information, and are robust enough to operate in harsh and corrosive environments. Energy harvesting is needed to avoid wiring and batteries. Multiple energy harvesting mechanisms are applicable. However, a scalable solution for production requires cost optimization. Inductive harvesters could be an attractive solution. In the literature, magnetic energy harvesting operates near or around conductors carrying alternating current (AC). In electrolytic cells, magnetic energy harvesting is not possible because the electrodes mainly carry direct current (DC).

[0008] Our solution involves an optimized harvester to power sensing and computing devices operating in the presence of strong static magnetic fields within an electrolytic cell, enabling scalable metrology and providing a methodology for accurately monitoring and predicting cell behavior. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present disclosure presents a device including at least one sensor for monitoring the physical dimensions of a production cell or its immediate surroundings. The device includes an energy harvesting mechanism for powering the device's electronics. The energy harvester can be an electromagnetic harvester. The device can include two transceiver units. One transceiver can use reactive fields on the infrastructure carrying current to the pot lines for device-to-device communication, or a short-range wireless transceiver. This supports edge AI applications that use machine learning models to aggregate multiple readings from devices installed at different locations within the cell and calculate cell-level parameters to help optimize the alumina reduction process, such as anode current imbalance and electrolyte surface current distribution. An additional transceiver can wirelessly communicate with a cellular radio network or an electrolysis cell controller via a wireless link.

[0010] The plant's rectifier system provides CC or DC combined with a residual, nearly negligible AC component, with an energy wide-frequency spectrum derived from the rectifier circuit. An energy harvester may collect a portion of the AC energy flowing through the anode bars or cell busbars and provide it to a scavenger circuit, which powers a device including at least one sensor. The scavenger circuit may include a transformer that captures the harvested magnetic energy with a toroidal coil positioned around the anode bars. The device stores the energy harvested from the harvester coil in a supercapacitor and supplies it to the device's electronics, providing sufficient energy for maintenance-free, long-term operation of the sensor.

[0011] A device for measuring at least one characteristic within the electrolysis cell may be installed on the anode bar. The device may continuously monitor at least one characteristic, such as the anode current. Additionally, the device may be installed on a busbar element of the electrolysis cell that distributes the current to the various anodes. The sensor may be self-contained, have a self-power source, requiring no external wiring, be galvanically isolated from the rest of the system, and communicate wirelessly with other sensor node devices or an external computing unit.

[0012] Continuous sensor readings provide valuable information for optimizing cell operation across different process dynamics, enabling early detection of cell anomalies such as alumina feed instability, abnormal anode butt foaming or gassing issues, anode consumption rates, current asymmetry, uneven anode wear, anode overheating, and anode cracks or breakage. They help inform cell magnetohydrodynamic processes, anode positioning during anode replacement operations, and optimization of cell current efficiency. Importantly, cell anode effects can be predicted much earlier than cell voltage measurements alone.

[0013] The device contains up to two transceiver units and a harvester, so no electrical wiring is required to transfer data or power the device.

[0014] In one embodiment, the device may include a voltage sensor on two consecutive ohmic contact points on the anode rod or busbar surface as a proxy for determining the current flowing through each anode rod or busbar of the electrolysis cell. The segment of the anode rod between the two ohmic contacts acts as a shunt resistor, enabling current measurement. Monitoring the current flowing through each single anode individually provides valuable information about the state of the cell. Equal or similar currents flowing through all anode rods may indicate stable and efficient operation of the cell. On the other hand, a current imbalance between one or more anode rods may require further monitoring and corrective action.

[0015] In one embodiment, the device may include a sensor, such as an HE or TMR sensor, configured to measure the static magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the anode rod or bus bar of the electrolysis cell. As noted above, it is valuable to continuously monitor the cell's characteristics. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a device for measuring the properties of the busbar or anode rod of an electrolysis cell. [Figure 2A-2B] 2A and 2B show schematic cross-sectional views in two different projections of an embodiment of a device for measuring the properties of the busbar or anode rod of an electrolysis cell. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of the different connections between the different units that make up the device for measuring the properties of the busbars or anode rods of an electrolysis cell. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates the placement of sensor nodes on the busbars of an aluminum production cell to enable synchronous distributed measurement of at least one property of the cell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] 1 shows one embodiment of a device 100 attached to a busbar or anode rod 101 of an electrolysis cell and measures one or more properties of the busbar or anode rod to determine one or more properties of the cell. The device 100 may be used in electrolysis cells such as aluminum metal production cells. The device may also be used in other electrolysis cells, such as liquid metal battery cells for large-scale on-grid energy storage or production.

[0018] In one embodiment, the device may include three units, a first unit including a sensor 102 for determining one or more characteristics of the electrolysis cell, a second unit including an energy harvester 103 for extracting a portion of the electrical energy flowing through the busbar or anode rod 101 to power the device 100, and a third unit including a wireless communication device 104 for enabling wireless communication between the device and an external computing unit for transmitting data measured by the sensor 102.

[0019] Smelting plants that produce aluminum contain electrolytic cells (also called pots) connected in series by pot lines and driven by continuous current devices known as rectiformers. A rectiformer is a transformer with a three-phase primary winding and multiple secondary windings, combined with a solid-state rectifier, to supply DC to the pots. A separate device called a regulating transformer is typically used before the grid current reaches each primary winding of the rectiformer. The secondary winding of this regulating transformer may include an on-load tap changer for adjusting the range of the output voltage supplied to the rectiformer.

[0020] The function of the regulating transformer is to allow enough headroom to dynamically compensate for voltage fluctuations in the power grid and load variations on the potline, thus maintaining a desired constant current at the potline.

[0021] The system includes an integrated passive harmonic filter connected to the power grid. The function of the passive filter is to absorb the high-frequency harmonic energy generated by the current circulating through the nonlinear load introduced into the circuit by the solid-state polyphase rectifier. In this way, the filter prevents the energy of these harmonics from traveling toward the power grid.

[0022] Aluminum smelting is a continuous industrial process requiring hundreds of megawatts, and traditional potline power schemes consist of multiple rectifier transformers connected in parallel. This configuration aims to reduce harmonic currents at the junction, shorten the duration of the instantaneous current circulated by each solid-state rectifier, facilitate harmonic elimination, improve power capability, address operational constraints, and meet cost / space requirements. The higher the pulse order in a polyphase system, the higher the fundamental frequency of the pulsed continuous current.

[0023] The electrical circuit of the spatially distributed elements of a pot line imposes limitations on design options. While it is possible to reduce the resistance of the bus bar by increasing the area traversed by the current, reducing the inductive component of the circuit is more difficult to achieve. Therefore, the pot line represents a primarily inductive load to the power source and is represented as a resistor-inductor (RL) circuit.

[0024] As a result, the current flowing in the pot lines is primarily DC, with relatively weak high-frequency harmonic content. Thus, in addition to the hundreds of megawatts of DC power to drive the reaction, hundreds of watts of reactive power, contributed by amplitude fluctuations (ripple) in the output voltage of the rectifier transformer, are continuously circulating in the pot lines. The reactive field has a relatively uniform spatial distribution because it is related to the inductive reactance component of the circuit.

[0025] 1 shows a device 100 that includes an energy harvester 103 designed to tap into a small portion of the reactive power circulating in the pot lines. The energy harvester disclosed herein uses a toroidal transformer built around a busbar or anode rod to harvest this reactive energy (or reactive energy). The device operates with a strong static magnetic field and effectively couples to the weak reactive component of the magnetic field.

[0026] In one embodiment, the transformer design may or may not include a core of ferromagnetic material. Therefore, static magnetic fields do not affect the function of the transformer. In this embodiment, not having a ferromagnetic core simplifies the transformer design, reduces cost, and enables energy harvesters at least at the milliwatt level. The non-ferromagnetic core may be composed of air.

[0027] In another embodiment, the energy harvester unit of the disclosed device includes a conductor coil with multiple turns defining a hollow core, the core being filled with air or a metal compound. The conductor coil is a primary conductor coil, and the device further includes a secondary conductor coil, the primary conductor coil and the secondary conductor coil configured to function as a transformer. The harvester unit of the device includes the primary conductor coil of the transformer, which has a toroidal or linear shape. The transformer resonates singly or selectively at various harmonic configurations of the reactive magnetic field. A resonant LC circuit in the secondary winding of the transformer induces a large voltage, which reflects the load as a larger series resistance to the primary winding formed by an anode rod or bus bar passing through or magnetically coupled to the toroidal or linear coil.

[0028] In one embodiment, the transformer can use a purpose-designed ferromagnetic core to increase magnetic coupling to the reactive fields present in the line and improve the power capability of the harvester. When the magnetic domains are forced to align with the static magnetic field, their magnetization no longer amplifies the strength of the time-varying reactive field. Saturation of the magnetic domains in the core is undesirable, and the static component of the magnetic field should be avoided. In the event of saturation, the effective magnetic permeability of the core is impaired or eliminated. Magnetic materials with high anisotropy or specially designed magnetic domain structures can overcome the limitations imposed by the static magnetic field.

[0029] Ferromagnetic cores designed for this application can contain a variety of magnetic materials. Some materials exhibit high coercivity and remanence fields, i.e., rare-earth magnet alloys such as neodymium (NdFeB). Other materials contribute significantly to the core's permeability, i.e., high saturation flux density and low loss, achieved in Ni-Fe cores. This combination allows for permanent magnetization while exhibiting high permeability despite a strong external static magnetic field. The permanent magnetization of the NdFeB domains opposes the external static magnetic field, allowing the Ni-Fe domains to contribute to a time-varying reactive field. The resulting core minimizes reluctance to the reactive field, maximizes time-varying magnetic flux fluctuations, and improves the current transformer's ability to capture the reactive energy field.

[0030] In one embodiment, the transformer includes an auxiliary coil to further reduce the static field component and move the core's operating point closer to the origin of the hysteresis loop. The auxiliary coil can be powered by excess energy from the harvester itself. The auxiliary coil dissipates energy as heat via the Joule effect, but maximizes the core's permeability, increasing magnetic coupling to the reactive field and increasing the net energy harvested.

[0031] In a specific embodiment, we propose superimposing high-frequency vibrations on the DC current flowing through the busbars of an electrolysis cell system to improve its energy harvesting capabilities. This technique involves one of the sensor nodes having a dual purpose: first, as a power receiver, drawing energy directly from the cell voltage, and second, as an additional sensing unit monitoring the same cell voltage. Additionally, this node also functions as an energy distributor, providing power to other nodes in the system.

[0032] To achieve this redistribution, we incorporate a high-frequency oscillator designed to magnetically couple with the busbar. When coupled with the busbar's magnetic field, the oscillator releases energy that introduces an alternating magnetic component. This change in magnetic field dynamically promotes more efficient energy harvesting across other sensor nodes. This configuration allows multiple energy sources to be utilized in an actively redundant manner, improving the reliability and efficiency of the energy harvesting process across the system. The absence of any one of the energy harvesting sources results in graceful degradation of functionality.

[0033] In one embodiment, the arrangement of the harvester transformer and static magnetic field sensor used to indirectly measure the DC current flowing through the bar may be two separate but consecutive devices, simplifying the requirements for the magnetic core.

[0034] In one embodiment, the energy harvester device further includes a capacitor configured to store electrical energy from the secondary conductor coil. Such a capacitor, typically a supercapacitor, is configured to provide electrical energy to at least one sensor. The secondary side of the transformer powers a rectifier circuit, a voltage booster, the supercapacitor, and an electronic controller. The function of the controller is to maximize the harvested energy, for example, by adjusting the resonant frequency of the transformer to the harmonic content that produces the most energy.

[0035] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, one or more sensors for measuring electrolysis cell characteristics are located in unit 102 of FIG. 1. There are several alternative devices for obtaining accurate DC measurements from the anode beam. The device disclosed in this disclosure enables contactless measurements using a static magnetic field generated by the DC component of the current carried by the anode or busbar. The sensing device can be a Hall effect (HE) or tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) magnetic field sensor. It provides sufficient bandwidth to measure current fluctuations on time scales relevant to the cell's process variations. An anode current sampling rate of 300 samples per second or higher captures the effects of process anode bubble formation, magnetohydrodynamics, and non-uniformity in the electrolysis bath's chemical composition. The information contained in this current signal is valuable for improving the accuracy of the production cell's digital twin.

[0036] Multiple HE or TMR sensing elements placed equidistant from the current-carrying conductor improve accuracy. In the absence of ferromagnetic materials, readings from various sensors can accurately estimate the current from multiple static magnetic field measurements. Only current flowing through the intended conductor generates the same magnetic field strength at all sensor devices (or only current flowing through the intended conductor generates the same magnetic field strength at all sensor devices). In contrast, other current distributions from nearby conductors introduce field gradients between sensing devices. The number of sensing devices is optimized depending on the expected current distribution at the installation site. Four or more devices capture enough symmetry for sufficiently accurate anode current measurements.

[0037] In one embodiment, a toroidal air-gapped ferromagnetic core confines the static magnetic field. The air gap can increase the saturation threshold of the magnetic core by introducing magnetic resistance into the air-gap path. The air gap is small enough to keep the magnetic flux density (B) nearly constant throughout the aperture and core. A HE or TMR magnetic field sensor is attached to the air gap to detect B. Confining the magnetic field in this manner reduces magnetic resistance and limits the contribution of the core path to the magnetic field of the current flowing through the inner ring of the toroidal core (or limits the influence of the core path's magnetic field on the current flowing through the inner ring of the toroidal core). Confinement improves measurement accuracy by not amplifying magnetic contributions from nearby current sources, bus bars, other anodes, etc.

[0038] In one embodiment, the device includes a series of sensors for measuring physical properties of the electrolysis cell or its immediate surroundings. At least one sensor may include a thermometer, thermocouple, thermal infrared temperature sensor, or thermal camera sensor to measure the temperature of the anode bar, anode yoke, or to capture a thermogram image of the top surface of the cell. Temperature readings from any of these parts improve the accuracy of the cell's real-time thermal modeling and the cell's digital twin. Other sensors may include a MEMS gas chemical composition measuring device for analyzing gases emitted from the electrolysis cell. Gas sensors may include a photoionization detector or a non-dispersive infrared sensor. Determining the concentration of gases emitted from the electrolysis cell informs the digital twin of byproducts of redox reactions and helps quantify fugitive emissions harmful to human health and the environment, such as hydrogen fluoride and sulfur dioxide. This may aid in the early detection or confirmation of anode effects in the cell. The anodic effect generates powerful greenhouse gases such as tetrafluoromethane and hexafluoroethane and increases the production of carbon monoxide.

[0039] 2A and 2B, device 200 includes retention mechanisms 203 and 204 that are secured around an anode rod or bus bar 201 of an electrolysis cell, for example, by a compression mesh wrap or clamping mechanism. Such retention mechanisms 203 and 204 may include a set of clamps that allow the device to be positioned and secured at a precise height or position on the anode or bus bar. The set of clamps is positioned in an open configuration, allowing the device to be separated into multiple sections 202 and 205 for removal and replacement, and in a closed configuration, securely holds the device in place around anode or bus bar 201. FIG. 2B shows a cross section of device 200 and anode rod or bus bar 201 as shown in FIG. 2A by dashed line IIB.

[0040] Other mechanisms for securing the device may include a mesh that wraps around the anode or bus bar, creating a compressive force to secure the device in the desired location. Such wrapping meshes may include a loose configuration, in which the retention mechanism does not apply a compressive force, allowing for easy device replacement. The wrapping mesh may also include a clamping configuration that allows the device to be secured in the desired location around the anode or bus bar. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations of the clamping or retention mechanism can be created to accommodate different configurations for securing the device to the anode or bus bar. Such variations include adjustable clamps, magnetic attachments, or other mechanical fastening methods known in the art. These examples are not exhaustive but illustrate how variations can be developed. All practical variations that allow for effective placement of the device as described are considered within the scope of this disclosure.

[0041] Sensing devices installed around the anode beam allow direct measurement of the anode current. This arrangement facilitates the installation of additional sensors to determine other quantities. Additional relevant sensors include temperature, the concentration of various gases in the air, thermography of the cell surface, and visual monitoring via an imaging sensor.

[0042] In one embodiment, the toroidal coil including the energy harvester is fabricated as one piece in the shape of a bellows and can be attached by grappling it around the anode and mechanically securing the ends together using latches, without requiring an external electrical connection between them.

[0043] In one embodiment, at least one sensor and a wireless transceiver unit are electrically connected to the energy harvester. Wireless communication of the device may connect the device to an external computing unit connected to a second wireless transmitter for communication with the device's wireless transmitter. Sensor units deployed in the cell measure independent anode current flows, enabling multi-anode current modeling and analysis to derive relevant metrics informing the cell's state, such as anode current distribution, magnetohydrodynamics, and gas layer evolution.

[0044] In another embodiment, reactive fields within the busbars are used as a communication medium, providing an additional node-to-node communication link, providing dual communication channel telemetry, and making the system more robust. In addition to efficient data collection and processing, active communication redundancy provides resiliency and service degradation information. This feature facilitates diagnosis in the event of a component failure.

[0045] Using the reactive field within the busbar as the communication medium, we introduce a dedicated inductive link between nodes with short range, low power consumption, and high data rate. The reactive field within the busbar offers higher bandwidth than radios at the same energy cost, adding energy efficiency to sensor designs. The data rate of the inductive link depends on the available channel bandwidth, which is determined by the leakage inductance and capacitance of the current-carrying structures, the distance between the nodes, and other factors.

[0046] Depending on the physical design of the cell, inter-node communication links are obtained by directly coupling the nodes via bus bars with dedicated RF transformers, wideband near-field data transmission, or both.

[0047] The high bandwidth of the inductive link enables low latency messages between nodes and precise time synchronization between node clocks. Second, time-synchronized multi-anode current measurements and other property measurements further improve the predictability of cell models. For example, the sub-microsecond time synchronization precision of multi-anode current measurements allows mapping of instantaneous surface current densities in the electrolyte, enabling previously impossible modeling of anode-butt gas bubble formation and cell magnetohydrodynamics.

[0048] In one embodiment, the data link physical layer relies on FSK / PSK / OFDM digital modulation techniques, requiring a carrier or multiple subcarriers. Depending on the resulting channel, carrier-less data telemetry methods, such as Single Pulse Harmonic Modulation (SPHM), can help conserve power. The latter exploits the relatively high-Q inductive link and self-resonant impulse response generated by the cell's current-carrying structure (with resonant frequencies in the tens of megahertz). SPHM eliminates the need for a local oscillator or mixer in the transceiver, simplifying circuit design and reducing implementation complexity when providing a direct baseband inductive link.

[0049] In one embodiment, adaptive power transmission further mitigates interference and promotes energy efficiency of inter-node inductive link communication. Inductive link parameters are selected for appropriate scalability, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of intra-cell node communication capacity and avoiding inter-cell node interference.

[0050] 3 is a block diagram illustrating two embodiments of a device with units U1 301, U2 302, and U3 303 coupled to a current bar. All arrows indicate signal and power flow. Unit U1 301 includes at least one sensing element for measuring the magnitude of the current and works in conjunction with a measurement device 304, which may include other sensors and signal conditioning electronics.

[0051] In one embodiment, magnetic core control 305 sets the magnetic operating point of a pulse transformer that is part of device U2 302. In another embodiment, the core of the pulse transformer is air, and thus magnetic core control 305 is not present. Therefore, a dashed line is used to represent 305. Unit U2 302 is an energy harvester and includes an energy scavenger 306. Energy scavenger 306 charges a supercapacitor 307 to store the harvested energy. Power conditioner 308 delivers power to all active electronics.

[0052] The communication unit U3 303 is an inductive link based transceiver unit and includes a modem 309, which operates in conjunction with a wireless radio unit 310. The modem 309 allows direct communication between multiple similar devices, for example installed in the same electrolysis cell. The modem 309 and the wireless unit 310 interact via a CPU, and the wireless radio unit includes an antenna 312, which allows wireless transmission of measured information to an external processing unit.

[0053] In another embodiment, the units U1-U2-U3 may be combined into a single magnetically coupled circuit such as a multi-winding transformer mounted on the current bars.

[0054] The signal from at least one sensor is processed by a CPU to determine cell-level metrics, such as anode current imbalance, and communicated to other devices for data aggregation and processing, where the signal can be transmitted using the modem of the inductive link transceiver to other similar devices.

[0055] The current sensor in U1 301 samples the bar current fast enough, e.g., 300 times per second, to detect instantaneous current fluctuations in the anode bar, including small fluctuations that may be due to gas bubble formation at the bottom of the anode butt.

[0056] At least one sensor signal and the processed data from the multiple devices are transmitted to the controlled cell via a wireless module, or sent to another sensor node for processing multiple signals from the same or different characteristics measured at different locations.

[0057] Inductive link transceivers and radio modules can provide active redundancy and full-fledged communication capabilities for sensor nodes installed in current bars.

[0058] In an additional embodiment, the disclosed system is divided into three separate units linked by electrical connections that form a complete node and measure the current flowing through a portion of the cells, including a step of intra-nodal signal processing of the same current time series. This embodiment can be used to measure the physical properties of anodes in aluminum smelters by attaching them to any point along the length of the anode or busbar.

[0059] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the deployment of sensor nodes in an aluminum production cell represents an advanced monitoring network carefully designed for comprehensive monitoring of the cell and its surrounding environment. These nodes are strategically attached to various parts of the cell's busbar, each taking continuous measurements of a specific characteristic from a different location. A unique feature of this system is its distributed signal processing capabilities. Each node is equipped with an ultra-low-power microcontroller to collect data and perform pre-processing using advanced machine learning algorithms.

[0060] Referring to Figure 4, the diagram shows a detailed view of the electrolysis cell system, focusing in particular on the configuration of multiple sensors strategically mounted on various sections of the cell busbar. Each sensor, designated S1 (405), S2 (406), S3 (407), etc., is positioned to optimally monitor a different operating parameter of the electrolysis process. For example, S1 and S2 can indirectly but accurately determine the current flowing through the anode bar (401) located between them, through the anode butt (409), and toward the electrolyte.

[0061] This distributed approach enables efficient data processing even with low power consumption constraints. Additionally, nodes operate under advanced communication protocols that ensure precise time synchronization across the network. This synchronization enables the establishment of a unified logical clock among all nodes, improving the accuracy and reliability of data aggregation.

[0062] The culmination of this system is an advanced computing and communications platform designed specifically for cell monitoring. It can build an accurate representation of the cell environment by leveraging synchronized multi-sensor signals characterized by high accuracy and high sampling rates. The output from our machine learning models can be composite features derived from multiple signal sources, embodying the synergy of distributed intelligence and high-fidelity data communications.

Claims

1. 1. A device for determining at least one physical property associated with an electrolytic cell, comprising: an energy harvester, the energy harvester comprising a retention mechanism including a conductor coil having a number of turns along at least a portion of the retention mechanism, the retention mechanism being configured to be secured around an anode rod or bus bar of the electrolysis cell; at least one sensor configured to measure at least one physical property of said electrolytic cell; at least one microcontroller for performing the calculation of said sensor values, and a transceiver unit configured to transmit information based on said measured at least one physical characteristic; Including, the device.

2. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrolytic cell is a metal production cell, such as an aluminum production cell.

3. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrolysis cell is an energy production cell and / or an energy storage cell, such as a liquid metal battery.

4. 4. The device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the retention mechanism is secured around the anode rod or bus bar of the electrolysis cell by a compression mesh wrap, clamping mechanism or other method.

5. The device of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one sensor, processor and wireless transceiver unit are electrically connected to the energy harvester.

6. The device of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the primary conductor coil has a toroidal or linear shape.

7. The device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a conductor coil having a number of turns defines a hollow core, said core being filled with air or a metal compound.

8. 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductor coil is a primary conductor coil, the device further comprising a secondary conductor coil, the primary conductor coil and the secondary conductor coil configured to function as a transformer and capable of harvesting energy from variations in magnetic flux density in the presence of a static magnetic field.

9. 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the device includes a capacitor, preferably a supercapacitor, configured to store electrical energy from the secondary conductor coil.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the capacitor is configured to provide the electrical energy to the at least one sensor.

11. 1. A method for analyzing an electrolytic cell, comprising: - measuring a physical property of said electrolysis cell at a high sampling rate using at least one sensor; - performing synchronized measurements of said physical property at multiple locations of said cell; - processing said measurements using signal processing techniques to derive calculated properties, said calculated properties being determined by mathematical operations on said measured physical properties, thereby allowing the determination of properties that cannot be measured directly; A method comprising:

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the measurements are communicated to a microcontroller or processor unit.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein processors of different nodes share a single logical clock.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the processed data is sent to an external processor, such as an additional node processing unit or a cloud-based processor, for further aggregation and calculation.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the physical property is measured using multiple sensors placed at different locations on the cell.

16. 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is an ammeter configured to measure current flowing through a segment of the anode rod or bus bar in the electrolysis cell.

17. 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a magnetometer configured to measure a magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the anode rod or the bus bar in the electrolysis cell, such as a Hall effect device, a fluxgate, or a magnetoresistor.

18. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one sensor is a thermometer of any unit including the electrolytic cell, such as a solid-state temperature sensor or a thermocouple.

19. 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is a device for measuring the chemical composition of the gas emanating from the electrolytic cell, such as a photoionization detector or a non-dispersive infrared sensor.

20. A system comprising a device according to any one of claims 1 to 19 and a computing unit configured to receive data from at least one sensor via said wireless transceiver unit.

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