CFD modelling and simulation of industrial-scale copper electrorefining process

•The electrolyte flow and the cupric ion concentration fields have been simulated.•We examine how the difference in the circulation ways affects the flow pattern.•The flow pattern in the electrode gap is formed mainly by natural convection.•“Side inlet to top outlet” circulation forms vortex flows below the electrodes.

Both electrolyte flow and cupric ion concentration fields have been numerically calculated with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in an industrial-scale copper electrorefining cell. In this CFD model, both of the natural convection induced by the electrochemical reactions and the forced convection caused by the electrolyte circulation are taken into account. In order to examine how the difference in the ways of the electrolyte circulation affects the electrolyte flow pattern associated with the concentration field, three different ways of the electrolyte circulation, “bottom inlet to top outlet”, “top inlet to bottom outlet”, and “side inlet to top outlet”, have been modeled.Calculation results have revealed that both “bottom inlet to top outlet” and “top inlet to bottom outlet” circulations have characteristic flow patterns that are locally formed near the inlet. On the other hand, “side inlet to top outlet” circulation forms the inherent two vortex tubes in the space below the electrodes. It is also found that the electrolyte flow patterns in the inter-electrode spaces are formed mainly by the natural convection, and they are insensitive to kinds of the electrolyte circulation way.