20 Stirling Street 5 Great Valley Parkway

Thebarton Malvern
SA 5031 PA 19355
AUSTRALIA USA
Tel: +61 8 8352 9999 Tel: +1 610 725 8840
Fax: +61 8 8352 9988 Fax: +1 610 725 8846
 Complete Alternate
Fuel Solution
Optimising Combustion with
Alternate Fuels and Monitoring
with On-line XRD
Con Manias, Sanjiv Dhanjal
& David Retallack
FCT-ACTech P/L
 Corporate Context
FCT Holdings

FCT-ACTech FCT-Combustion

Process
On-line Plant Combustion Products
Optimisation & Consulting

Mineral Process
Industries
 Agenda

INTRODUCING FCT
 About FCT-Combustion PL

 About FCT – ACTech PL

 The FCT Process and

Applications
 FCT-Combustion

► Design and supply of kiln and

calciner burner systems.
► Combustion System Consultancy
and problem Solving
► Cement process Consultancy
 FCT-Combustion

Since 1984

23 years in Business
FCT-Combustion
FCT-Combustion
FCT-Combustion
Multi Channel
Burners
Coal/Gas/Waste
Kiln Burner
Burner Face after 1 year in
Cement Kiln
Valve trains & Burner
Management Systems
Kiln Ignition/Pilot
Systems
Burner Carriages
FCT Critical Projects
FCT Critical Projects
FCT Critical Projects
FCT Critical Projects
FCT Critical
Projects
 Cement Process
Cement Manufacture - Process Units

Limestone, Shale, Sand, Ironstone Pre-heater

Flyash

Kiln Gypsum
Blending
Silo

Quarry Raw
Mill Cement Mill
Raw feed Proportioning Clinker Storage
Storage
Kiln Cement
Quarrying Blending Raw Burning
Milling Milling
Kiln Mineralogical
Reactions
 Flame Effects on
Clinker Crystals
1600

Belite
Short Flame
1500
Long flame

1400

Alite
Temperature (C )

Short strong
1300 Long strong

1200

1100

1000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
D istance from firing end, (m)
 Factors Affecting
Burner Operation
 Type of fuel
 Excess oxygen in the kiln
 Momentum ratio between the burner
jets and secondary air
 Kiln,cooler and hood aerodynamics
and relative burner position
 Nozzle Design (Atomizer, Gas Nozzle
etc.)
 Burner Design

Combustion and Heat Transfer

Fuel Nozzles
Primary Air Flow and Pressure
Secondary Air Aerodynamics

Mechanical Considerations
Suitable for harsh environment
Accessible for maintenance
 FCT Combustion

►Kiln Burner Impacts on:

►Fuel Consumption
►Product Quality
►Production Rate
►Kiln Operational Problems
►Emissions
 FCT Combustion

►FCT goes to extraordinary lengths to get the burner

design correct for each kiln.

►FCT custom designs burners for each individual

application to optimise performance
 Air Flow Management

Primary Air
Axial length and mixing
Swirl width and stability

Secondary Air
Uncontrolled
Burner designers only have control over primary air
 Types of Modelling

Physical Modelling

Water Bead Acid/Alkali Mathematical

 Water Bead Modelling

Kiln Hood Aerodynamics

 Acid/Alkali Modelling

Click image to Click image to

start/stop video start/stop video
Existing Condition Optimised Solution
 Mathematical
Modelling
Kiln Wall Heat Flux 70.00

120 New Flame Length, m

60.00

Actual Flame Length, m

100 Existing Flame Length, m
50.00
Wall Heat Flux, kcal/m2s

80 Existing Burner 40.00

Multichannel Burner
60 30.00

20.00
40

10.00
20
0.00
0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Excess Air, %
Axial Distance from Burner Tip, m

Heat Release Flame Length

 Combustion
Summary
►Fuel is a major cost for industry, and optimisation
will give rapid payback

►Trial and Error is a slow and high risk path to

optimisation and could be costly

►Combustion Optimisation benefits the economy

AND the Environment
 Combustion Design
Summary
Modelling is a cost effective tool to improve
plant combustion performance.

►Low risk
►Examine plant operation off line
►No disruption to plant
►Well proven
►Solutions can be found off line

►Payback can be as short as a few months

 Alternative Fuels

Numerous types
Petroleum Coke
Tires
Liquid Hazardous waste
Hog fuel sawdust
Wood municipal waste
Sewage Sludge

Maximum benefit when fired as is, because

processing costs money
Large and irregular particles
Variable heat value
Undesirable chemicals

Alternative Fuel must have optimised burner

 FCT Multi-Fuel
Burner Nozzle
Axial Air
Coal Channel

Guide Pipe for

Pipe for Waste Sprayer
Solids
Swirl Air

Pilot Gas Ports

 Alternative Fuel
Issues
Due to the combustion nature of alternative fuel,
burner design becomes extremely critical. Even so, as
the % substitution increases, a point can be reached
when the flame is unsatisfactory for clinkering
Also, waste materials and waste fuels can often alter
the clinker mineralogy and cement behaviour
A continuous knowledge of the clinker quality is the
best information by which to control the use of waste.
FCT offers On-Line XRD (COSMA) to provide this
very information, thereby allowing the OPTIMAL use
of alternative fuel or other waste materials
Waste Fuel Effects
 Control of Waste Fuel
Chemistry & Bogue calculations do not accurately
reflect true mineralogy
On average
Actual Alite 13% higher than calculated by Bogue
Actual Belite 6% lower than calculated by Bogue
Actual Aluminate & Ferrite 2% lower than calculated

Bogue errors unpredictable with alternative fuels

COSMA On-Line XRD measures true mineralogy in all
conditions allowing the plant to maximise alternative fuel
usage
 COSMA

►Direct Mineral Phase Analysis

►Continuous Real Time Analysis
►In Plant On-Stream Location
►Linked to Plant PLC
►Data Trending
►Elemental Analysis also
 COSMA - Field
Installation
1

XRD
 COSMA for CLINKER
1
2
1. Clinker sampling point
3
Continuous
2. Clinker sampler 4
Sample Prep
3. Crusher
7 Station
4. RSD 5

5. Grinder (P50 50 microns)

6. Sample receival hopper 6
7
7. Sample return (pneumatic)
 COSMA - Sample
Presentation

Feedscrew Turntable

Moving sample maximizes number of particles analyzed

COSMA - Continuous
XRD Scanner
 X-Ray Diffraction

WHY XRD?
The performance of a Cement Plant and
Cement Product is Governed by
Mineralogy
NOT
Chemical Composition
 COSMA

WILL DIRECTLY ANALYSE

CLINKER
C3S, C2S, C3A, C4AF, CaO, and their various forms
Other Crystalline Minerals if required
CEMENT
C3S, C2S, C3A, C4AF, CaO, Ca(OH)2, CaCO3,
CaSO4.2H2O, CaSO4.1/2H2O, Other Crystalline
Minerals if required
 COSMA

WHY CONTINUOUS ON LINE?

On-Line Analysis allows
►plant control action from COSMA in real
time
►largely reduced sampling problems
►better XRD count statistics - better accuracy
►Trended data
 Mineral Trends
70.0

65.0

60.0
Percent

55.0

50.0

45.0

40.0
05-N ov 09-N ov 13-N ov 17-N ov 21-N ov

XR D Alite Lab Bogue C 3S

 Mineral Trends
30.0

25.0

20.0
Percent

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0
05-N ov 09-N ov 13-N ov 17-N ov 21-N ov

XR D Belite-beta Belite-gam m a Lab Bogue C 2S

 XRD vs Bogue

18.0

16.0

14.0

12.0
Percent

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0
5-Nov 6-Nov 7-Nov 8-Nov 9-Nov 10-Nov 11-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov 14-Nov 15-Nov

Aluminate Aluminate Bogue_C3A Ferrite Ferrite Bogue_C4AF

 COSMA vs XRF
4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5
Percent

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
5-Nov 6-Nov 7-Nov 8-Nov 9-Nov 10-Nov 11-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov 14-Nov 15-No

SO3 Averaged XRD SO3, RMSD = 0.18, Std Dev = 0.16 Lab_SO3
 Gypsum Analysis

8.0 260

250
7.0

Finish Mil Exit Temperature (degrees F)

240
6.0
230

5.0
220
Percent

4.0 210

200
3.0

190
2.0
180

1.0
170

0.0 160
6-Nov 7-Nov 8-Nov 9-Nov 10-Nov 11-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov 14-Nov 15-Nov 16-Nov
Date

XRD Gypsum XRD Hemihydrate Exit Temp

 Cement Analysis
Mill exit cement after a power trip, July 28,2004

4 80

3.5
70

3
60
SO3
2.5 Portlandite
50
Value (%)

Gypsum

Alite %
Hemihydrate
2
Anhydrite
40 Lime
1.5 Alite-tricl
Alite-monoc
30
1

20
0.5

0 10
20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30 0:00
Time
 Limestone Addition
CM3 XRD
Calcite and Loss

3
Percent

Calcite
Loss

0
03-Nov 00:00 03-Nov 12:00 04-Nov 00:00 04-Nov 12:00 05-Nov 00:00 05-Nov 12:00 06-Nov 00:00
Date
 Free lime excursion
60 2.5
Percent Alite,Belite

Percent Free Lime

50 2

40 1.5

30 1

20 0.5

10 0
25-Jan 26-Jan 27-Jan 28-Jan 29-Jan

Alite Belite-b Free Lime

Cement Plant Control
 Free Lime
Schematic Optimum Free Lime vs. 28 Day Strength and Grindability
S
150% T
R
E
N O Incr
G
ea sing
v CS
T e 3 (t
h eo
H re tic a
r l str Gri
en g nda
130% th ) bili
b t y(
actu
55 u al)
C em
MPa r ent
n Stre
Optimum %Free Lime ngt
I h (a
ctua
n l)
g
110%
W.r.t.
3002/kg
50
G
R
I
N
D
A
B
I
L
I 45
T
Y 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 3.0
% Free Lime Strength1-2.ppt
 COSMA Benefits
in Kiln control
Kiln Control
► Increase Average Free Lime
► 0.1% increase in av = 1% fuel saving
= 1% increased Production
► Optimise Alite/Belite percentages and forms
► Make more Monoclinic Alite?
► Optimise Aluminate percentage and forms
►Make more Cubic Aluminate?
 COSMA Payback

FOR TYPICAL PLANT

Average Free Lime is 0.7% (say)
Optimum is 1.2% (say)
Fuel saving approx. 5%
Production Increase approx. 5%
For 1,000,000 tpa plant, with $7/t fuel costs, this
represents $350,000 p.a. fuel saving, and 50,000t
more clinker by controlling free lime better.
Additional benefits with clinker reactivity, cement
strength, improved grindability. Could lead to 5 -10%
increased finish mill production & reduced kwh/t.
 COSMA Benefits
in Kiln control
► Kiln Control / Optimization
► Effective use of optimization & expert systems
► Fuel Savings / Increased Production
► Reduced NOx emissions
► Prolonged Refractory life
► Reduced Laboratory Testing
► Improved Product Quality
 Summary
FOR CLINKER APPLICATIONS
► Monitor Free Lime Continuously
► Monitor C3S, C2S, C3A, C4AF etc Continuously
► Feed information into kiln controller continuously
► Produce more uniform free lime with minimum fuel

WILL RESULT IN
► Fuel Savings
► Electrical Power Savings
► Increased Production
► Better Refractory life
► Lower NOx
► More Uniform Product
 Capabilities

FCT has distinctive competencies in

combustion science and process engineering
► Unique ability to physically model combustion
and heat transfer – design or diagnostic
► Cement & Lime Process expertise
- Plant design and Optimisation
► Patented Real Time Continuous On-LineMineral
Analysis
 Recent Customers
Cement Other (industrial)
Lafarge Alcoa
Buzzi-Unicem Georgia Pacific
Heidelberg Group Global Stone
Blue Circle Southern Graymont
CIMA Tolko Manitoba
Adelaide Brighton Cement PT Inco
OYSA Nigde Cimento American Colloid
Akcansa Cimento PCS Phosphate
Kars Cimento Metso
Cimsa Queensland Nickel
Ashgrove cement Alcoa
Baticim Cimento BHP Billiton
Adocim Queensland Alumina
Cimentas
Baticim
20 Stirling Street 5 Great Valley Parkway
Thebarton Malvern
SA 5031 PA 19355
AUSTRALIA USA
Tel: +61 8 8352 9999 Tel: +1 610 725 8840
Fax: +61 8 8352 9988 Fax: +1 610 725 8846