Estudo da eficiência do transportador pneumático vertical ascendente de alumina fluorada do Centro de Tratamento de Gases da MOZAL

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis presents the study of the fluorinated alumina airlift in the Gas Treatment Center (GTC) at MOZAL, which consists of analyzing its operation, in order to guarantee the recirculation of alumina in the process of gas treatment from the electrolytic reduction of alumina. When implementing the AP3XLE technology, which aims to increase production by reducing electrical energy consumption, giving the process greater energy efficiency, in order to reach an annual production of 19.000 tons, improvements were made in the airlift and to meet its demand, the addition of compressed air was suggested as an alternative for better fluidization of fluorinated alumina. The present work aims to analyze the efficiency of the fluorinated alumina airlift, consequently analyzing its operating parameters and returning its standardized parameters. To carry out the work, data such as compressor, transport and fluidization pressures and data for analyzing the volumetric flow of compressed air, such as temperature and dynamic and static pressures, were necessary, which were decisive in the analysis. The efficiency analysis was accompanied by improvement proposals and were successfully implemented, using the Trend computer application, which had great importance in monitoring it, as well as in analyzing economic viability. The present work evaluates the efficiency of the fluorinated alumina airlift at GTC 2, presenting an average efficiency of 64.87% and a decrease of 3.96% in compressed air consumption, which corresponds to an energy saving of 157960.07 kWh, equivalent to 1,333,183.01 MZN per month, demonstrating its performance after implementing AP3XLE technology.