General Description

ECS/FuzzyExpert - Cement Kiln Control

- an application where decades of experience are accumulated to find
the solution for YOUR cement kilns control and optimization challenges

...do you control it ?

900C

The operator interface to ECS/FuzzyExpert is a user-friendly environment containing the

most relevant information on the kiln operation conditions and the control performance.
The user-interface is based on the proven ECS technology enabling powerful facilities for
alarm handling, trend and reporting system, object statistics etc.

low, the controller will then lower the production to

avoid operational difficulties e.g. ring formations
and off-the-spec product quality.
Customization of the solution
The number and type of the control objectives
will be highly dependent on the operation issues for
the given project. Thus, customization of the control
strategy is highly dependent on the results of
intensive interviews and process studies with the
technical staff of the given production line. Here,
the open implementation environment of
ECS/FuzzyExpert with its strong utilization of an
object-oriented and hierarchical methodology has
been used to solve many special process problems.
Both the engineering and the commissioning
phases of the controller for a given process are
considered a joint project where a close cooperation
between the client and FLS Automation ensures
successful results for both parties and transfers
solution know-how and maintenance knowledge to
the clients.

www.flsautomation.com

Application Features
R Measurement validation
R Key Performance Index generation
R Process customized abnormal situation
management
R Process customized operation objective
R Priority Management of the objectives
R Kiln stabilization and fuel optimization
R Calciner operation control
R Clinker quality control

850C

Software Features
R Graphical decomposition in control strategy
design
R Pre-defined building-blocks for fast
configuration purpose
R ECS/OpStation-based operator interface
R Advanced trend and report generation
R OPC interface support for integration with
SCADA systems from the major suppliers
R Communication capabilities to PLC systems
from the major suppliers

FLS Automation

ECS/FuzzyExpert - Cement Kiln Control

rev May 2003/3

Product Profile
General Description

FLS Automation

ECS/FuzzyExpert - Cement Kiln Control

ECS/FuzzyExpert - Cement Kiln Control

General Description

Introduction
Operation control of cement kiln has always been a
challenging task for operators in the cement plants.
Computer-based control of the pyro system in a cement
plant is therefore no longer a question of nice-to-have, but
a practical necessity. This is mainly due to the inherent
complexity of the process unit, and the consequences of
off-spec clinker quality, faulty operation conditions and
production unit shut downs.

developed control strategy design, the current version of

ECS/FuzzyExpert - Cement Kiln Control application has
typically resulted in:

FLS Automation as the pioneer in the utilization of highlevel expert control systems for cement kiln applications
has played a trend setting role in this field.

Operators general impressions of the application are:

Kiln Draft

Production Level

3-8 % increase in production.

2-4 % reduction in fuel consumption.
Up to 30 % reduction in the standard deviation of free
lime
Payback time within 1 year

Ring Fall

Production
Control

High CO
Kiln Inlet

High CO
Pre-heater

High CO
Pre-heater

Figure 2c

Figure 2d
Production Level

Kiln Draft

Calculating Action Size & Timing

Kiln Stability &
Product Quality

Calciner Operation

Figure 2b

Significantly less problems of cyclone jam and kiln

ring formation
Consistency in quality and operation conditions
Improved operation stability

Application
With the experience of two decades, and an increasingly

Process
Limitation

High CO
Kiln Inlet

Calculating Performance
INDEXes

Calculating Action
Size & Timing

Data Validation &

Pre-treatment

Genetrating Process
Related Set-point

Objectives designed to handle

abnormal conditions
Objectives designed for set-point
control and optimization

Preheater
Outlet Temp

O2, CO, NOx

ID-Fan Speed
Damper Position

ECS Process I/O Handling

Execution order of the objectives

Preheater Gas Analyser Status

Process Instrumentation

Process Status Measurements

Process Control Parameters

Figure 2a
Figure 2: Controller design in ECS/FuzzyExpert follows a hierarchical structure to break down the complexity.

Calciner Gas Analyser Status

Calciner Outlet Temp.
Calciner Fuel
O2, CO, NOx

TAD Pos.
TA Temp.
Kiln Fuel

Hood Temp
Kiln Feed

Spyrometer Temp (1 -n)

O2, CO, NOx

Kiln Inlet Temp
Kiln Inlet Gas Analyser Status

For this purpose, ECS/FuzzyExpert has a hierarchical

structure for the decomposition of a complex control
strategy. In case of a kiln control system, the decision
making block shown in figure 2a is composed of
typically 4 control groups, that are related to a specific
part of the process (figure 2b).

Dealing with complexity

Every single kiln has special operation characteristics,
limitations, operation problems, and control
requirements. Consequently, the control system to deal
with this complexity has to be implemented in an
environment where break-down of complexity is feasible.

Control Performance of the Calciner Outlet Temperature

Calciner Outlet Temp. Process Value [C]

Calciner Outlet Temp. Set-point [C]

Calciner coal feed [t/h]

Torque, AMPs
Kiln Speed

Fan Speed
Free Lime
Analysis
Under-grate pressure (1-n)

Grate speed

The number of control-relevant information in a pyro system can be more than 40 process measurements and actuators.
A human operator is practically not able to handle all this information every 5 sec. However, his decision making
knowledge for the given process is vital. ECS/FuzzyExpert is the environment where the operators process
know-how is integrated into a computer-based advanced control strategy.

900 900

16.0

890 890

14.2

Ordinary PID Controller

880 880

12.8

870 870

11.2

860 860

9.6
8.0

850 850
14.00

15.00

16.00

17.00

18.00

19.00

20.00

21.00

22.00

Time

Controller Structure
The generic structure of an ECS/FuzzyExpert-based
control strategy is schematically shown in figure 1: Using
the process I/O drivers of the system, process raw
measurements are introduced into the controller. For a
typical kiln controller the number of digital and analog
input signals is 30-40. In order to take the practical
conditions of the measuring devices into account, a
validation and pre-treatment of the relevant signals are
performed before they are used in the control strategy. In
order to ease the structuring of the controller, a number of

Each control group is a collection of

control objectives (figure 2c/2d) that
are specially designed to

so-called key performance indexes are calculated. Kiln

Operation Stability Index and Kiln Heat Consumption
Index are examples of these indexes. The key performance
indexes will hereafter represent the process conditions in
the following decision making process. Here, the size of
actions, typically changes in the set-points and the
adequate timing of the action execution, is decided. The
timing of the actions is highly dependent on the process
dynamics. The decided actions are then transformed into a
set of feasible set-points in the process.

900 900

16.0

890 890

14.2

ECS/FuzzyExpert Controller

880 880

12.8

870 870

11.2

860 860

9.6

850 850

8.0
14.00

15.00

16.00

17.00

18.00

19.00

20.00

21.00

22.00

Time

Being an important parameter for the stability of the kiln, the calciner outlet
temperature is tightly controlled by a dedicated control group in
ECS/FuzzyExpert. (Operational results from a site installation in 2002)

! Handle abnormal conditions, e.g. ring

fall or high CO in kiln inlet or
! Reach operation targets, e.g. free lime
control.
Similar to the human control where
handling the abnormal conditions gains
the highest attention, the so-called
priority manager in ECS/FuzzyExpert
handles the organization of objective
achievements in a control group. For
instance, in case of high CO in the preheater, a drastic action on the ID-Fan is
needed. The priority manager will
therefore suppress the achievement of
lower priority objectives such as kiln O2
control to recover the situation in the
pre-heater.
The purpose of the control objective,
Process Limitations shown in figure 2c,
is to handle the physical limitations of the
operation in the normal conditions. For
instance, if the ID-Fan is running in full
speed and the Kiln Draft Index is still