How to optimize a clinker cooler

Pyroprocessing 1/5
PR-PYR P06-20 V1

Introduction
ƒ A clinker cooler has 2 major functions:
ƒ 1. Cooling of clinker
ƒ 2. Heat recovery toward the kiln, precalciner, coal mill, raw mill and cogeneration.
ƒ A separate document to measure the cooler performance is available. The scope of this document is to
evaluate the cooler efficiency indicators , and the k-factor:
1 How to measure cooler efficiency
ƒ Knowing the efficiency is not always sufficient to define cooler optimization measures , therefore it is
necessary to make a heat and mass balance on the cooler. Please refer to:
1 How to make a cooler balance
Objectives
ƒ The scope of this procedure is to describe how to interpret the results of a cooler balance, including the
efficiency indicators and how to derive actions for cooler performance improvements.
ƒ Reminder: poor cooler performance can also be caused by other factors not directly linked to the cooler
operation, e.g. clinker nodulization in the kiln …

ƒ The following problems are not covered in this document: snowmen, red rivers, popcorn effect. Please
refer to:
1 How to avoid red rivers, snow men and pop corn effect

Safety aspects
ƒ Full personal protective equipment for clinker sampling
ƒ Ensure that you are offset the inspection doors and windows when cleaning.
ƒ Ensure permanent contact with the control room

Prerequisites
ƒ Stabilize the cooler operation
ƒ The most important prerequisite is to know the cooler. A good heat and mass balance is a must,
including all efficiency indicators.
ƒ Historical data about the cooler: audit results, records of maintenance activities or cooler modifications
(Original Supplier information, design data, guarantees, etc.)
ƒ Inspection windows at the back of the cooler and the sides are essential. Make sure the access is safe.
ƒ 1. to be able to observe the clinker bed
ƒ 2. check chambers for fall through and assess if it is of mechanical or operational origin
ƒ A camera installed at the front and/or back wall of the cooler is useful
ƒ Confirmation, that all instrumentation (drive speed, cooling air fans, hood pressure) is working properly
and accurately, and control loops tuned properly
1 How to adjust cooler control loop and setpoints
 How to optimize a clinker cooler
Pyroprocessing 2/5
PR-PYR P06-20 V1

Tools
1 Vade Mecum for Pyroprocessing (Cement Portal)
1 Lafarge spreadsheet for Pitot tube measurements
1 Lafarge spreadsheet for cooler balances
ƒ Thermodynamic tables, including specific thermal capacities of clinker and air at different temperatures.

In this procedure you may find references to other information (tools, other “How to” procedures, knowledge
documents, etc) which are available from their respective domain of the Web Cement Portal (e.g. Grinding,
Pyroprocessing..) or from the BRS database (indicators).

Procedure Template developed by

 How to optimize a clinker cooler
Pyroprocessing 3/5
PR-PYR P06-20 V1

Action Steps

1. Define your objective by benchmarking

ƒ In principle, try to achieve a cooler operating mode, where
ƒ The grate speed low
ƒ The fans running close to their maximum capacity.
ƒ For good operation, in general clinker must be well granulated (or nodules). Mix targets must be well
controlled and in some cases mix targets must be changed to avoid fine dusty clinkers. This is especially
true for fixed inlets (critical).
ƒ Use databases to compare the cooler performance with others of the same type/size. Compare η, ρ and
k-factor.
ƒ Compare actual cooler data with historical audit results.
ƒ Identify best proven performance
ƒ Once the potentials for optimizations are identified, go step by step:
ƒ Modify only one parameter
ƒ Observe
ƒ Take notes
ƒ Evaluate results
ƒ Decide about further actions
ƒ Optimization objectives could be one or many of the following:
ƒ Increase heat recovery
ƒ Decrease clinker temperature
ƒ Improve kiln stability
ƒ Reduce power consumption
ƒ Reduce vent flow
ƒ Improve equipment reliability

2. Maximize bed depth to a stable level

ƒ To increase heat exchange between air and
clinker
Kiln discharge
ƒ To slow down the grates and reduce wear
ƒ Target 6 to 10 strokes per minute, stroke
floor
length around 120 mm, clinker speed
about 1 to 1.2 m/min.
ƒ Limited by the fan’s maximum static pressure
ƒ Observe the fans amps
ƒ Keep reserves for kiln pushes (30%)
ƒ Track the bed depth by measuring it (see
picture opposite).

Procedure Template developed by

 How to optimize a clinker cooler
Pyroprocessing 4/5
PR-PYR P06-20 V1

ƒ Old 10 degree sloped Fuller coolers can only achieve 175-200 mm of practical bed depths
ƒ Newer conventional coolers can maintain 500-700 mm
ƒ Coolers with fixed inlets could maintain 700-1200 mm
ƒ Depending on design, consider installing dead grates, high nose grates or cooler dams (instead of
alternating moving and fixed rows – make 3 consecutive fixed rows near end of grate section) – to not
only help control red rivers but also encourage a deeper bed for the same grate speed.
ƒ For fixed inlet coolers, horse shoe design, refractory curb and air blaster distribution are important
There is a point at which the increase in cooler efficiency through a higher bed depth is no longer
worth the price of the extra power cost for the cooling fans. Therefore keep monitoring the cooler’s
power consumption and evaluate the costs and benefits

3. Maximize cooling air in the recuperation zone

ƒ Analyze the blowing density chart calculated on the Lafarge cooler audit spreadsheet.

Blowing density along cooler

a good example
2,5
Blowing density

2,0
(Nm³/s/m²)

1,5

1,0

0,5

0,0
0 20 40 60

Cumulative area (m²)

ƒ 1st chamber target: 1.8 to 2.0 Nm³/m²/s (or m/s)

ƒ better grate plates protection
ƒ better clinker distribution
ƒ clinker fluidization is acceptable
ƒ ensure that we can see a light bubbling through the clinker bed allowing good clinker distribution
ƒ 2nd chamber target: 1.2 to 1.8 Nm³/m²/s
ƒ better grate plates protection
ƒ avoid clinker fluidization
ƒ 3rd chamber target: ca. 1 Nm³/m²/s
ƒ 4th and other chambers: < 1 Nm³/m²/s
ƒ Always visually observe changes on the air distribution.
ƒ Check for fans operation point at or close to maximum capacity.
ƒ Ensure that no pop corning or volcanoes are created due to excessive air blowing density or excessive
bed depth. This is more common on older Fuller designs. This effect is made worse with fine clinkers.
This is less of a problem with modern coolers (air beam or reduced fall through (RFT) type plates).

Procedure Template developed by

 How to optimize a clinker cooler
Pyroprocessing 5/5
PR-PYR P06-20 V1

4. Minimize total cooling air

ƒ Decide on the target clinker temperature (no need to go far below the max. temperature)
ƒ Minimize cooling fans in the cooling zone (not recuperation zone)

5. Optimize grate speed control loop for uniform bed depth

ƒ Set up a PID control loop for the cooler grate speed.
ƒ Select the most upstream stable pressure as a process variable. Generally:
ƒ For first generation cooler, under-grate pressure for compartment 2 or 1
ƒ For 2nd generation cooler, air beam pressure in compartment 2.
ƒ Use the speed of the first grate as controller output
ƒ Couple the speed of grate 2 (if applicable) with grate 1.
ƒ Visually observe the impact of different set points for under-grate pressure on the cooler bed depth.

6. Ensure a constant air/clinker ratio

ƒ Operate cooling fans in automatic mode by a PID control loop
ƒ Set point: air flow rate
ƒ Controller output: fan speed or damper position
ƒ Install automated cascade set points with kiln throughput (usually handled much better through Cooler
Lucie)

Procedure Template developed by