The existing roof vent arrangement at the Massena aluminum smelting plant allowed rainwater to enter the Pot Room, creating operational and safety concerns. Alden (now Verdantas) was engaged to develop a roof vent geometry that would eliminate rainwater intrusion while ensuring that pot room temperatures remained within specified limits for worker safety. The challenge was to confirm that the proposed vent modification would not increase temperatures beyond acceptable thresholds. 

Our Solution 

Verdantas (formerly Alden Research Laboratories) performed a detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study to evaluate thermal and fluid flow distributions within the Pot Room. The CFD model was built from plant drawings and included all major basement, pot room, and roof venting geometries, as well as the surrounding ambient environment under quiescent atmospheric conditions. Thermal losses from the pots to the pot room air and from the pot room to the environment were incorporated into the analysis. Simulations compared existing and proposed venting arrangements, assessing airflow through floor and wall-mounted vents and its impact on worker-level temperatures. The results confirmed that the modified roof vent system would maintain pot room temperatures within limits, with no more than a 2°F increase in worker-occupied spaces. 

Project Highlights 

• Used CFD modeling to simulate heat transfer from pots to air passing through the pot room. 

• Verified that the modified roof vent system maintained man-level temperatures within specified limits. 

• Delivered a solution that eliminated rainwater intrusion without compromising thermal comfort or safety.