Effect of Anode Structure Optimization on the Performance of Bottom Cathode Rare Earth Electrolytic Cells: A Study Based on Numerical Simulation and Experimental Models

As the importance of rare earth metals in high-tech equipment and defense industries continues to increase, optimizing the performance of rare earth electrolytic cells has become increasingly crucial for enhancing energy efficiency and production effectiveness. Based on the issue of gas stagnation at the anode bottom in the bottom cathode rare earth electrolytic cells, this study proposes an optimized anode structure aiming to improve bubble emission, flow field characteristics, and the stability of the electrolysis process. The bubble dynamics and flow field characteristics of three anode structure designs (conventional anode, single slotted anode, and double slotted anode) were comparatively analyzed by using room-temperature electrolysis experimental and numerical simulation. The results of the room-temperature electrolysis experiment and numerical simulation show that the optimization of the anode structure significantly reduces both the bubble coverage rate and the maximum bubble layer thickness at the anode bottom. Notably, under the double slotted anode design, the bubble emission rate and overall fluid circulation were significantly enhanced. Furthermore, high-temperature molten salt electrolysis experiments validated the optimization effect of anode slotting, demonstrating its ability to significantly improve current efficiency and the stability of the electrolysis process. The numerical simulations align with experimental results, indicating that optimizing the anode structure can effectively enhance the performance of the rare earth electrolytic cell, providing a theoretical foundation and practical reference for the design and improvement of the novel bottom cathode rare earth electrolytic cell.