Modelling and Simulation of the Operational Benefits of Online Correction of Metallurgical Short Circuits in Copper Electrowinning

Abstract

Metallurgical short circuits (MSCs) are common in industrial copper electrowinning, causing reduced current efficiency, increased energy consumption, lower product quality, and damage to electrode hardware. Early detection and correction of MSCs are beneficial but may require additional equipment. This study simulated the Optibar electrical connection with randomly propagated MSCs and compared two correction strategies: the ‘Online’ strategy (correcting MSCs after 8 hours of forming) and the ‘Harvest cycle’ strategy (correcting at the end of the cathode harvest cycle). The ‘Online’ strategy improved specific energy consumption (SEC) and current efficiency by 3.8% and 6.7%, respectively, over the ‘Harvest cycle’ strategy. For an operation producing 100 ktpa of copper cathode, this translates to an estimated financial benefit of $57.6 million. The MSC duration decreased from 6.06 to 0.57 hr.cathode −1 with the ‘Online’ approach.