ed CTA Cement Seminar Process Technology Kiln Crosses and TumbiersCONTENTS Introduction 1. KILN CROSSES 1.1 Principle of Function 1.2 Some Design Characteristics of Crosses 2. KILN TUMBLERS 2.1 Principle of Function 2.2 "Some Design Characteristics of Tumblers Literature Test Questions Index 10 13 14 15INTRODUCTION This paper is to be understood as a continuation of that one describing kiln chain systems. Like the chains, also the kiln crosses and tumblers are further types of internal kiln fittings which are used for upgrading of the kiln operation. Like the chains, they also contribute to a better heat exchange in the kiln tube. As well the crosses as also the tumblers have their specific advantages and drawbacks, which will be described in the following chapters.1. KILN CROSSES 1.1 Principle of Function Like the chain systems, crosses are used in wet process and in Tong dry kilns, They can be installed in the inlet part of the kiln tube, upstream of the calcining zone. As an example, one of the possible arrangements of a cross is shown in the following sketch. Figure 1 The cross devides the respective part of the kiln tube into several channels. The raw meal moves through the channels against the stream of hot kiln gas. The installation of crosses increases considerably the available surface area which is heated up by the kiln gas and passes over its accumulated heat to the raw meal. This way, the crosses intensify the heat exchange in a similar way as a chain system. In comparison with the chain system, the crosses have two main advantages: - A Tower dust development. As long as the crosses are mechanically in good condition, the material is not dropped into the stream of gas but it slides gently on the flights of the cross from the kiln circumference towards the kiln tube center and vice versa. Therefore, the dust load of gases is not significantly increased in the crosses.- A low wear rate and thus a long life time. The crosses are manufactured of massive steel plates and - contrary to chains - there is no steel-on-steel friction during kiln operation, On the other hand, the crosses have two important drawbacks: - No dust catching efficiency. Mainly at the feed end of the kiln, the wet surface chains hanging like a web across the stream of gas can have a high dust precipitating efficiency. The crosses have no comparable dust catching properties. - No self cleaning ability. Because of the friction between adjecent links, the chains can have a good self cleaning ability and can be installed in zones where the raw material is present as liquid slurry or even as a sticky paste. The stiff crosses do not possess any self cleaning ability and can only be used in such parts of kiln tube, where the material is present as dry meal or dry surface granules. Because of the above mentioned properties, in wet process kilns the crosses can only be used in combination with chains. At the kiln feed end, chains must be installed in order to keep the dust emission low, to transport the wet, sticky material and to keep the shell (lining) surface clean. Deeper in the kiln tube, at the point where the material ‘is no more sticky, the chains can be followed by a section of crosses. In long dry kilns, the system of internal kiln fittings could theoretically consist of crosses alone, But even here, the combination with chains is preferred - at least a short chain section is installed at the kiln feed end. The reason threfore is, that even dry surface chains have at Teast some dust catching efficiency. 1.2 Some Design Characteristics of Crosses Some of the possible arrangements of kiln crosses are presented in the Figure 2. The number of channels and thus the number af cross flights is design dependent - most systems use up to ten flights. Generally, bigger kilns have more flights than smaller ones.Figure 2 During kiln operation the crosses are heated fo high temperatures (at the downstream end of the zone up to some 800'C and more). Therefore, their design must respect the thermal expansion (dilatation). In the sence of kiln diameter, the dilatation is compensated by the flexibility of the connecting plates between adjacent cross flights. In the sence of kiln axis, the individual cross flights can only have a limited length (very approximately some 1/5 . D) and appropriate overlapping of neighbour plates enables to compensate the expansion. The total length of the zone of crosses can vary in a wide range. Normally, the length: of this zone is between 2 and 5 kiln diameters, but zones with a length of up to 100 and more have also been installed. Long zones can be divided by intervals into sub-sections (which makes the maintenance easier). The individual cross flights are equipped with transversal reinforece- ment plates (see figure 3). These plates are arranged in inclined positions, assisting the transport of material.Figure 3 APOE 550 /sgeent The central tunnel of a cross can be left open or closed by means of blinding plates at both ends of the section. Smaller tunnels (in smaller kilns) can easily be closed, this measure helps to bring the entire amount of gas into contact with raw meal. Bigger kilns need, because of stability, bigger central tunnels. Blinding of them would decrease the free cross section considerably and thus increase the gas velocity. For this reason, such bigger free tunnels are left open in most cases. Special tools can be installed at both ends of the zone of crosses to assist the entry and the discharge of raw material. At the upper (inlet) end, small inclined plates - conveyor plates - help to draw the material into the cross. At the downstream (discharge) end, small plates fastened around the central tunnel like a collar help to avoid dropping of material into the stream of kiln gas.According to the operating temperatures, the crosses must be manufactured of heat resistant alloys. For the hot end of this zone, special material qualities might be required. - It should be mentioned, that a special design of a 3-channel cross uses refracory bricks ‘instead of steel. 2. KILN TUMBLERS 2.1 Principle of Function The tumblers are a further type of internal kiln fittings, which can be used in long wet and dry kilns and besides of it also in some suspension preheater kilns. Tumblers can be installed deeper into the kiln tube than chains or crosses. As an example, one of the possible arrangements of tumblers is shown i figure 4. crane | [Ean Figure 4When the kiln tube rotates, the tumblers move across the material bed. They spread the bed, increase its surface and decrease its depth. They mix the material and eliminate the inactive core in the middle of the layer of material. They help to increase the temperature of core and thus to decrease the temperature of bed surface. Besides of this, the installation of tumblers increases the lining surface. This way, the tumblers help to intensify the heat exchange in the respective kiln section. Contrary to the kiln chains or crosses, the tumblers are limited to the area close to the kiln shell, with considerably milder gas temperatures than the center of the kiln tube. For this reason they can be installed deeper into the kiln tube, into the calcining zone, or generally into such sections, where the high gas temperatuers do not allow an installa~ tion of chains or crosses. In the section where raw meal is decarbonized the tumblers contribute to a stabilization of the flow of material. The CO, leaving the material makes the bed more fluid, which leads to rushes. The tumblers retard (by friction) the flush movement and they can stop it by mixing the fluid portion into the more stable one. In comparison with the chain system the main advantages of tumblers can be summarized as follows: - Tumblers can be installed deeper into the kiln tube, in sections where temperatures would be too high for chains or crosses. This enables a better preparation of the raw meal for the sintering - process. - Tumblers help to eliminate or reduce the CO, caused raw meal flushes and thus to improve stability of kiln’ operation as well as the tuning possibilities. The constancy of temperature profile can have a positive influence on the lining life time. - In the zone of tumblers there is no steel-on-steel friction during kiln operation and therefore one of the main wear factors is missing. On the other hand, the tumblers have some important drawbacks: - Tumblers have no dust catching efficiency. - They have no self cleaning abilitiy. For this reason, they can only be used in such parts of the kiln tube, where the material is present as dry meal or dry surface granules. - A zone of tumblers cannot intensify the heat exchange as much as an equally long zone of chains or crosses. For the same effect, a considerably (several times) longer zone has to be installed.-10- Because of the properties described above, in wet process kilns the tumblers can only be used in combination with chains (or with chains and crosses). It.is advantageous to place them below the other types of kiln fittings, in such a section where (because of the temperature profile) the life time of chains or crosses would be insufficient. The use of tumblers in suspension preheater kilns has different reasons. Where secondary firing (with a cheaper fuel, e.g. old rubber tyres) is used, the tumblers help to retain the lumps of fuel, to turn them, to mix them with the raw meal bed, and thus improve the burning conditions, to reduce the portion of CO and to reduce the gas temperatures at the kiln inlet. The drop in gas temperatures shifts the section of coating formation from the suspension preheater into the rotating part where it is Tess dangerous. Consequently, the tumblers do not reduce the final specific heat consumption, but they enable to increase the portion of the cheaper secondary fuel. 2.2 Some Design Characteristics of Tumblers As to prevent an unnecessary increase of internal dust circulation, the tumblers should not lift the raw meal above the 3 (respectively 9) o'clock position. For this reason, the name "lifters", which still can be found in some older texts, is misleading. As to avoid lifting of material the leading edges of tumblers should have an appropriate slope (see figures 4 and 5). The ceramic tumblers can be of two types - precast or superimposed. Depending on the kiln diameter, some six to twelve tumblers can be installed on the kiln circumference (generally, bigger kilns have more tumblers per circumference than smaller ones). The height of a tumbler should not exceed some 8 inches. The length of a zone of tumblers amounts frequently to some 5 - 10 % of total kiln length, Precast tumblers are normally installed as long tumbling ledges (see Figure 4). They are installed before the kiln lining is placed. The Vining can follow the round shape of kiln tube or form straight segments.ee [omnes es cs mt rons an \ renee snus nS ons Figure 5 Superimposed tumblers (figure 5) can also be installed as long tumbling Jedges. They are placed onto an existing kiln lining. They can be used in case if the good condition of lining would not justify stripping which would be necessary for installtion of precast tumblers. Steel tumblers (see figure 6) have a different shape. They consist of a holder welded onto kiln shell, a base and the tumbler proper which is fastened by means of two screws. Contrary to ceramic tumblers, the steel ones do not build long ledges but are installed as individual pieces. They can be installed in a pattern parallel with the kiln axis or inclined, at an angle retaining the raw meal and increasing its residence time in this zone. The steel tumblers are manufactured of heat resistant alloys: In comparison with the ceramic tumblers they have a better mechanical stability which becomes an important advantage in contact with lumps of fuel.-12- Figure 6-13- Literature Numerous TC-VA documents of the group E 37 Leaflets from several suppliers, mainly: - Kennedy van Saun = F.L.Smidth - Fuller Company - Fes = Polysius > Magotteaux Tyler G.A. (Kaiser Refractories) : Use of refractory tumbling ledges to improve fuel efficiencies and production rates. llth 1.C.S. Proceedings, June 1976, p. 32 - 38 De Fries J. and others: Einfluss von Drehofeneinbauten in der Calcinationszone auf den Drehofen- betrieb Zement-Kalk-Gips 36 (1983), p. 501 - 505 Memorandum of Aalborg Portland: Operational experience obtained with a 16 m long tumbler zone installed in kiln No. 85 at Rordal Datenbankblatt-Collection of TC-VA-14- Test Questions Describe the principles of function of crosses and tumblers. Name and explain the main advantages and drawbacks of crosses and tumblers. In which part of a wet process kiln tube can crosses be installed, in which tumblers? Explain why not in other parts. Besides the wet process kilns, in which types of kilns can crosses be used, in which tumblers? Describe the function of tumblers if installed in a suspension preheater kiln. What is the influence of crosses, what is the influence of tumblers on the internal dust circulation of a kiln? Explain why.Index Advantages of crosses Advantages of tumblers Central tunnel of crosses Ceramic tumblers Dust catching efficiency Drawbacks of crosses Drawbacks of tumblers Height of tumblers Length of zone of crosses Length of zone of tumblers Lifters Long dry kilns - use of crosses Precast tumblers Rushes of raw meal I> lo D I> 10, 17 5 5 9 10 10 10 10 -15-In Self cleaning ability Slope of tumblers SP kilns - use of tumblers Steel tumblers Superimposed tumblers Thermal expansion - its compensation in crosses Tumbling ledges t= Wet kilns - use of crosses Wet kilns - use of tumblers Page: cee 10 10 nv u -16-