INTRODUCTION
The purpose of a cooler is , obviously to cool the clinker .
This is important for a several reasons –
a) From an engineering point of view , cooling is necessary to
prevent damage to clinker handling equipment such as
conveyors .
b) From both a process and chemical point of view, it is
beneficial to minimize clinker temp. as it enters the
clinker mill.
The clinker gets hot in the mill & excessive mill
temperatures are undesirable . It is clearly helpful as the
clinker is cool as it enters the mill.
C) From an environment and cost view of point –
The cooler reduces energy consumption by
extracting heat from the clinker ,enabling it to be used
to heat the raw materials .
D) From a cement performance view of point , faster
cooling of the clinker enhances silicate reactivity .
SOME IMPORTANT DEFINATIONS
COOLING AIR
PRIMARY AIR
SECONDARY AIR
TERTAIRY AIR
MIDDLE AIR
WASTE AIR
FALSE AIR
SPECIFIC AIR
SPECIFIC LOADA
RADIATION LOSSES
COOLING AIR
Cooling air is the air which passes the clinker
thus being heated up while cooling the clinker. It
corresponds approximately to the combustion air
requirement, only grate coolers allow additional air
for better cooling.
PRIMARY AIR
Primary air is the air which is required for the proper
functioning of the burner. Ambient air insufflated by a
separate small fan plus the air from a pneumatic transport
system, amounting from <10% upto >30% of the air reqd.
to combust that fuel.
SECONDARY AIR
Secondary air is the hot air entering the rotary kiln via
clinker cooler. Its flow is determined by the combustion
of the burning zone fuel. While cooling the clinker it
reaches temperature of 600 to over 1000°C depending
on type and condition of the cooler.
TERTAIRY AIR
Tertiary air is that part of the combustion air which is
required for combusting the precalciner fuel. It is
extracted from kiln hood or cooler roof, and then taken
along a duct parallel to the kiln to the precalciner. IT
reaches temperatures near or equal to the level of the
secondary air.
MIDDLE AIR
Middle air is extracted from the cooler roof if drying of
process materials requires a temperature level which is
higher than the waste air. If the quantity is small upto
450°C can be expected at normal cooler operation.
WASTE AIR
Waste air (grate cooler only) is also called cooler exit air
or cooler excess air. The total cooling air flow from the
fans is normally higher than the flow required for
combustion. The extra air which has normally a
temperature of 200 to 300°C must be vented to ambient
via a dedusting system.
FALSE AIR
False air is cold air entering the system via kiln outlet
seal, burner opening, casing or clinker discharge. It
either dilutes secondary air thus reducing recuperated
heat or adds load to the waste system of grate coolers.
SPECIFIC AIR
Specific air volumes are air flows per kg of clinker
(m3/kg clinker,Nm3/kg clinker). Independent of the
kiln size, air flow of cooler systems can be directly
compared.
SPECIFIC LOADS
Specific loads express the relation of clinker
production to a characteristic dimension of the
cooler.
RADIATION LOSSES
Radiation losses from the cooler casing/shell are
particularly important for planetary coolers, where they
actively support the cooling of the clinker. Page C - 2 of
22
EFFICIENCY EXPRESS
Efficiency expresses the quality of heat transfer
from clinker to the air which is used for combustion
in the burning zone and precalciner firing.
FUNCTIONS OF CLINKER COOLER
QUENCHING OF CLINKER –
To control the expansive character of MgO by
stabilizing it in a glassy state .
RECUPERATES –
Heat from Clinker in secondary air resulting in
stable kilin operation & fuel economy .
COOLS the clinker to low temperature for easy
handling .
CONVEYS the clinker .
BREAKS - large chunks of clinker .
EFFECT OF COOLING
A CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Slow Cooling -
a) MgO – Pericles crystals, instead of in glassy state.
b) C3A , C4AF – Remain in crystalline form .
C) C3S , BCeS – Less active and stable
B PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Slow cooling
a) hydraulic activity – less
b) partial size – bigger
c) grinding energy – more
d) sulfate resistance - less
e) expansion – more
f) strengths – high early & low late strength.
PROCESS PARAMETERS AFFECTING GRATE COOLER PERFORMANCE -
GRANULOMETRY OF CLINKER .
TEMP. OF CLINKER AT COOLER INLET .
CLINKER DISTRIBUTION ON GRATE .
FLOW OF COOLING AIR .
COOLING AIR DISTRIBUTION .
TEMP OF COOLING AIR .
GRATE SPEED / RETENTION TIME OF CLINKER .
CLINKER BED HEIGHT .
UNDERGRATE PRESSURE
CONTROL LOOPS FOR GRATE COOLER
I) CONSTANT COOLING AIR FLOW –
Total cooling air to recuperation chambers remain
constant .
FLOW IS HELD CONSTANT BY CONTROLLING INLET
VANES .
II) CONSTANT CLINKER BED HEIGHT
UNDERGRATE PRESSURE IS A MEASURE OF
CLINKER BED HEIGHT .
CLINKER BED HEIGHT IS CONTROLLED BY
GRATE SPEED .
III) CONSTANT HOOD PRESSURE HELPS IN :
STABLE BURNING ZONE
MAINTAINS REQUIRED AIR FLOW FROM COOLER TO
KILN .
CONSTANT KILN HOOD IS MAINTAINED
ADJUSTING COOLER , INDUCED DRAUGHT FAN
DAMPER / SPEED
IV) CONSTANT GRATE SPEED RATIO
PREVENTS ANY CLINKER ACCUMULATION
ON INTERMEDIATE GRATE.
CLINKER INLET TEMP = 1400C
CLINKER TEMP. AMBIENT TEMP.= 20 C
COOLING AIR
QUANTITY
Nm3/ kg clinker
KW H/T Specific Energy
RECUPERATION DOCCUMENT IN
INITIAL PART OF COOLER
COOLING DOMINENT IN LATER PART OF
COOLER
COOLER OPTIMISATION
SECONDARY / TERTIARY AIR FLOW
AND TEMPERATURE
MAXIMIZE
CLINKER OUTLET TEMPERATURE
MINIMIZE
COOLER VENT AIR FLOW
AND TEMPERATURE
MINIMIZE
Cooler efficiency
SENSIBLE HEAT = M * Cp * T
M - MASS FLOW RATE
Cp - SPECIFIC HEAT
T- TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE
I COOLING EFFICIENCY =
Sensible heat of clinker sensible heat of clinker out of
int. cooler cooler
sensible heat of clinker into cooler
RECUPERATION EFFICIENCY =
SENSIBLE HEAT OF SECTION AIR
SENIBLE HEAT OF SENSIBLE HEAT OF
CLINKER INTO TOTAL COOLING
COOLER AIR
RESIDENCE TIME IN COOLER
60 ahy
T=
R
WHERE –
a = area of which the cooler grate surface
h = bed depth
y = clinker density
R= kiln output kg per hr.
