PREHEATER AND

PRE-CALCINER KILN
SYSTEMS
Reactions in the kiln system
Drying
Pre-heating
De-carbonation
clinkering (sintering)
Cooling

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Kiln Chemistry
Decarbonation

Decarbonation or calcination as it is sometimes termed,

is the primary energy intensive reaction of cement kilns.
During this process, Calcium Carbonate is dissociated
into Calcium Oxide (lime) and Carbon Dioxide
according to the reaction:
CaCO3 CaO + CO2

This reaction absorbs around 400 kcal/kg of heat.

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 Clinkering
C2S Formation
As lime becomes available from the
decarbonation process, some of the more
finely divided silica present begins to react
with the lime forming C2S. This reaction,
which is between two solids, is assisted by the
presence of the fluxes (in the early stages,
these fluxes are primarily alkali sulfates).

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Clinkering
C3S formation
As the C2S moves progressively down the kiln into
the burning zone proper, C2S starts to react with
further lime (CaO) to form C3S. At this point, the
high level of free lime present decreases sharply.
The clinker then moves past the burning zone to
the nose ring and by this time, the crystals of C3S
(Alite) have frozen into the final structure of
cement clinker.

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Kiln Chemistry
Sequence of reactions
C2S CaCO3 Free Silica Free Lime C3S

100

80

60
%
40

20

0
Distance down the kiln
Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme
 Good quality clinker
Small uniformly sized C3S and C2S

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 For Optimum Clinker Quality:-
The kiln feed chemistry must be of low
variability
The raw meal must be adequately ground
The fuel ash (if present) must be uniformly
incorporated into the clinker
The clinker must be rapidly cooled from the
burning zone temperature

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Cement kiln - temperature profile
Temp C
2000 Gas
Cooler

1000 Material

Cooling Burning Calcining Preheating Drying

zone zone zone zone zone

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 Suspension Preheater
THIS REPLACED BY THIS
Typical APCC wet kiln Suspension preheater duct

Raw Meal - surface

Hot Gas 400 - 500 m2/kg

Raw Meal in

Raw Meal - exposed

surface

around 2.7 m2/kg Hot Gas

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Cyclones
Cleaned gas

Cyclone inlet

Gas and meal

Vortex finder

Meal to next riser

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme
Cyclone
Designs

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Suspension Preheater
330 - 360 C, 760 mmwg

530 - 560 C, 540 mmwg

680 - 720 C, 370 mmwg

800 - 840 C, 220 mmwg

1010 - 1100 C, 50 mmwg

Conventional Temperature / Pressure drop

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

PRECALCINER KILNS
1.- WHAT ARE THEY?
2.- HOW DO THEY WORK?
3.- WHY INSTALL THEM?
4.- WHAT LIMITS KILN
PERFORMANCE?
 BCI precalciner kilns in malaysia

1985 - Kanthan Kiln3- 2,500 TPD 1997-Kanthan Kiln 4 - 6,100 TPD

1993 - Uprated 3,350 tpd 2000-Target - 7,500 - 7.750 TPD

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Calciner vessel
35%
Back-end Fuel

7-8% 02_ Limit is flame temp if O2 is higher

65%
AIR THROUGH PRECALCINER

AIR SEPARATE PRECALCINER

Calciner vessel
Back-end Fuel 60%
Tertiary Air duct

2 % - 02
40%

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 DECARBONATION

CaCO3 + HEAT

CaO + CO2
LIME CARBON
DIOXIDE

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 PREHEATER KILN
Raw Material to Kiln-
- 20-30% Decarbonated - without auxiliary firing.
- 40% Decarbonated - with auxiliary firing.

PRECALCINER KILN
Raw Material to Kiln-
- 85- 94% Decarbonated - with 2-4 seconds gas
residence time

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 DECARBONATION VS TEMPERATURE

100

80

60
LEVEL OF
DECARBONATION 40

20

800 820 840 860 880 900

TEMPERATURE IN CYCLONE AFTER CALCINER (C)

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

Precalciner Operating Temperature

Normally 860 to 900 C. Use lowest temp consistent

with good decarbonation.
With low residence time Precalciners i.e. (< 2 sec)-a
higher gas exit temperature is more likely (900 C).
Why not run at 1000 C to achieve 100%
decarbonation?

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Preheater exit gas Preheater exit gas 440 C
360 C

Normal operation Abnormal operation

760 net kcal/kg clinker 830 net kcal/kg clinker

Calciner exit gas 880 C Calciner exit gas 1000 C

Back-end Fuel

Kiln fuel

High BET and risk of blockages

AIR SEPARATE CALCINER

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DECARBONATION OF CaC03
TEMPERATURE AND CO2 ATMOSPHERE

5 3 SEC

RATE OF 4
DECARBONATION
(mg/min - cm) 950C
3
7 SEC
2
850C 900C
1 800C 40 SEC

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

PARTIAL PRESSURE OF CO2 (atm)

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 FUEL CONSUMPTION VS GAS WITHDRAWN FROM RISER DUCT

950

925 30% DUST LOSS

900
FUEL
CONSUMPTION
(KCAL/KG NET)
875
30% DUST LOSS
850 10% DUST LOSS
10% DUST LOSS
825

800

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

% OF KILN GAS TAKEN FROM RISER DUCT

Precalciner kiln Preheater kiln

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme
BY-PASS GAS REMOVAL
PREHEATER
P.H.
PH VOLATILES
+ALL COMBUSTION GASES
+ 70% OF CO2

HORNO
KILN

PRECALCINER

VOLATILES
P.C, + 40% OF COMBUSTION GASES
PH
+ 15% OF CO2

HIGHER
CONCENTRATION
BYP/CPASS
OF VOLATILES

HORNOKILN

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 ADVANTAGES OF PRECALCINATION
Higher tonnage from given kiln tube
More stable operation
Lower refractory usage
Better average t/d on annual basis
Lower variability in clinker quality
Better with raw materials with high sulphur/chloride etc-
lower fuel penalty with bypass
Better for NOx reduction
More flexibility with alternative fuels

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

Air Separate Pre-Calciner
(Prepol)

Calciner vessel

Back-end Fuel

Tertiary Air duct

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 RAW MATERIAL FROM CYCLONE 3

CYCLONE 4

Calciner vessel

Back-end Fuel
Tertiary Air duct

AIR SEPARATE CALCINER - FLS IN LINE CALCINER

ILC
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 FLS Low NOx ILC
NO+C=N+CO
NO+CO=N+CO2
Exit Nox = 450-550
Stage 4 meal
mg/Nm3 at 10% dry stack
split to control
gas O2-subject to fuel VCM
Nox reduction
zone temperature Extended loop over
precalciner for CO
conversion to CO2
Main precalciner
zone for decarb.

Tertiary air entry

Stage 5 Cyclone
Reduction zone
900-950 C

Calciner fuel entry

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

DESIGN OF PRECALCINERS

Residence time for fuel combustion

Lower grade fuels require more residence time.
Avoid raw feed short circuit
Good mixing :
Oxygen
Fuel
Raw feed
Residence time for decarbonation-tpd/m3

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 Some recent PC kiln problem
areas
KK3-Commissioned 1985- 2500 tpd
Tertiary Air duct blocked with dust
Kiln ran as an AT not AS system
Output limited by ID fan, pressure loss, hearth
velocity, cooler efficiency etc
How can we fix this and achieve target of 3,100 tpd?

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 KK3 UPRATING
2500 TPD TO
3350 TPD

New Stage 1
Cyclones

Modify Riser Duct

and Tertiary Air Modify Stage 4
Duct Entry Cyclone

New ducting to new

Preheater fan
at ground level

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 MODIFICATIONS TO DEDUSTING TERTIARY AIR

NEW DEDUSTING CYCLONE

TERTIARY AIR

NEW DEDUSTING CYCLONE

TERTIARY AIR

HORNO

N 3 KILN IMPROVEMENTS KANTHAN

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme
 CONVERSION N3
KILN - RAWANG
Before = 350 m3 for 4,000 tpd
After = 870 m3 for 5,250 tpd

TRUNK DUCT

CYCLONE 5

OUTLET

FLASH
FURNACE

VORTEX
CHAMBER

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 PROBLEMS OF BLOCKAGES IN KILN RISER AND KILN BACK-END

UPPER STAGE 3 UPPER STAGE 3

MEAL FEED MEAL FEED

EFFECT OF LOWER
ENTRY FOR STAGE
3 MATERIAL

BUILD UP AREAS

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme

 MODIFICATIONS TO KILN BACK END

MATERIAL FROM CYCLONE 3

MATERIAL FROM CYCLONE 3

DISPERSION BOX
BEFORE
AFTER
MATERIAL

MATERIAL

ACCELERATOR FOR
TERTIARY AIR GASES IN RISER DUCT
FUEL FUEL

SHORT CIRCUIT

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 VIEW FROM CALCINER

AJUSTABLE ORIFICE ASSEMBLY

Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme
 KILN INSTABILITY PROBLEM-STAGE 4 AREA

MATERIAL FROM CYCLONE 2 BEFORE AFTER 875 C

797 C
IMPROVE MEAL DISPERSION

DISPERSION PLATE
BEFORE 918 C

AFTER 878 C
SHORT CIRCUIT
TO KILN

CYCLONE 4

CYCLONE 4 BEFORE 850 C

MATERIAL
AFTER 858 - 868 C
Alexandria Portland Cement - Operator development programme