Application and optimisation studies of a zinc electrowinning process simulation

Using existing models, a zinc electrowinning cell house was simulated including electrowinning cells, electrolyte storage, and cooling towers. Optimisations and applications of the simulation were investigated as applicable to a cell house. Conditions were identified for achieving optimal current efficiency, energy consumption, and zinc production rate for a single cell and the entire cell house. The minimal energy consumption of the cell house was found to be larger than single cells primarily due to the lack of available control of the acid concentration. Water loss through cooling towers and the movement of a well-mixed non-interacting impurity was also tracked.