Appeal No. 2004-1043
Application No. 09/960,907
b. A plurality of anodes and a
plurality of cathodes, as recited in claims
9,10, 26 and 27;
b. Removing heat from the cell through
the bottom of the liner by passing air over
the outside-surface of the bottom and
discharging the air, as recited in claims 18
and 27; and
c. Controlling the temperature of the
electrolyte using a controller, as recited
in claim 27.
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Weaver discloses a method
and apparatus for producing aluminum wherein the
temperature is controlled to maintain a preferred bath
temperature and also to operate when "off peak power" can
be used. Weaver uses a hollow anode, through which a
cooling fluid is passed to prevent the temperature from
exceeding the desired temperature range (page 3, col. 2,
lines 53-6O). Weaver also discloses that the electrolysis
can be performed "as an intermittent operation with ‘off
peak power’. . . [where] the anode can be heated by burning
combustible material there within to prevent the freezing
of the bath" (page 3, col. 2, lines 61-74).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary
skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have
modified the method of Beck to operate the cell
intermittently while maintaining the bath in a molten state
as taught by Weaver because operating the cell only during
"off peak power" times reduces the operating cost of the
operation.
Regarding claims 1, 10, 18 and 27, Berclaz discloses a
method for producing aluminum using a cell that has an air
space 52 to adjust the temperature of the cell by supplying
11
Page: Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007