Cooler Control

Objectives of Cooler Operation

The primary objectives of cooler operation are to cool
the clinker and maximize heat recuperation.

Functions of a grate cooler are:

Clinker cooling
Recuperation of heat for use within the kiln system
Clinker transport away from the kiln system

Efficient cooler operation is characterized by:

Maximum heat recuperation
Optimum cooling airflow
Unrestricted availability

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 Grate Cooler Control Parameters and Variables

Control Parameters

Control Variables

Exhaust Fan Speed

Kiln Hood Pressure

Secondary &Tertiary Air Temperature

Grate Plate Temperatures

Undergrate Pressure
Air Flowrate

Grate Speed
Clinker Discharge Temperature
Cooling Air Flowrate 3
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 Grate Cooler Control Parameters
Control parameters are indicators which aid in both
monitoring and control of the clinker cooler.
Main control parameters of a grate cooler are:
Undergrate pressure
Kiln hood pressure
Cooling airflow
Secondary and tertiary air temperature

Secondary control parameters of a grate cooler are:

Grate plate temperature
Clinker discharge temperature

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 Undergrate Pressure (Bed Resistance)
Undergrate pressure is influenced by:
Depth of the clinker bed on the grates A thick clinker
bed requires more force from the cooling fans to pass
through a given clinker bed.
Average clinker particle size A coarse clinker bed
has less resistance than a bed composed of fine
particles
Clinker temperature (increase) An increase in
clinker temperature increases the cooling air volume
which increases bed resistance.
Optimum clinker bed depth should allow free
passage of air through it.

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 Undergrate Pressure (Bed Resistance)
Illustration of Air Flow as a Function of Clinker Size

Low Resistance High Resistance

clinker

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 Range of Operational Parameters (Grate Cooler)

Modern Conventional
Heat Consumption 3000 3500 3500 5000 kJ/kg
Efficiency 71% 76% 68% 64% %
t sec & tert air * 1070 990 890 610 C
t sec air 1230 1170 940 - C
t tert air 950 850 850 - C
t waste air 300 300 240 200 C
grate speed 10 - 15 10 - 20 min-1
first grate pressure 80 - 100 45 - 55 mbar
Specific grate load 45 - 50 35 - 45 t/d m2
Spec. cooling air 1.8 2.3 Nm3/kg
* TA extraction from kiln hood
Installed

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 Holcim HGRS Sizing Rules for Clinker Coolers

Grate size / specific loading <= 45 t/(m2d)

Grate width load: 1000 1500 t/(m d)
Installed cooling air: >= 2.0 Nm3/kg cli
First fan pressure: >=100 mbar

Resulting in estimated
Grate speed 10 to 15 strokes/min
Clinker outlet temperature ~90 oC + t ambient
Efficiency at 3100 kJ/kg ~70 %

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 Cooler Control Variables
Control variables are actuators manipulated to keep
cooler control parameters close to the set point.
Grate clinker cooler variables are:
Airflow rates
- Provide the cooling air needed to cool the clinker as
well as the combustion air for the kiln system.
Exhaust fan speed
- Controls kiln hood pressure
Grate speed
- Influences cooler undergrate pressure with respect
to bed resistance.

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 Grate Speed Control
Grate speed control prevents the clinker bed
resistance from exceeding the pressure capabilities
of the cooling fans by ensuring the bed resistance is
kept constant.
Two options for grate speed control are:
use the undergrate pressure of the 1st
compartment to control the 1st grate speed and
ratio the downstream grate speed according to
the 1st .
Control each drive by the undergrate pressure in
both the 1st and 2nd compartments of each grate
section which then influences the speed of each
drive.

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 Cooler Upset Conditions

Upset conditions are abnormal process conditions

which disturbs operation and lead to loss of
production.
Typical cooler upset conditions are:
Red river
Geyser effect
Snowman formation
High grate plate temperatures

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 Red River
A red river is a red-hot layer
of clinker fines on top of a
cooled black clinker bed
which travels faster toward
the discharge end.
Counter Actions
Increase clinker bed
uniformity/distribution by
increasing the clinker bed
depth within the cooler.
Optimize air distribution
within cooler to ensure
proper aeration is on red Red River
river side.
Ensure clinker chemistry
is correct for given kiln
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 Geyser Effect
The Geyser effect is experienced when too much
air is placed on the grate cooler and air blows
through the clinker bed.
Counter actions
Increase undergrate pressure by slowing down the
cooler grate speed resulting in a thicker clinker bed.
Decrease airflow until the clinker dances on the
clinker bed.
Blow through

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Snowman Formation

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 Snowman Formation
A snowman formation is a mound of molten
material within the cooler inlet which disturbs the
airflow pattern to the kiln resulting in unstable kiln
conditions.
A snowman is detected in the cooler by a sharp
increase in undergrate pressure followed by an
increase in grate speed.
Counter actions are:
Decrease cooler speed
Increase cooler airflow
Mechanically remove

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 Satellite Cooler Operation
Satellite cooler operation cannot be controlled. The
specific quantity of cooling air corresponds to the
quantity of combustion air required.
Range of operational parameters for satellite
coolers are:
Heat Consumption 3500 5000 kJ/kg
Efficiency 55% 68% %
t sec air 730 600 C
Spec. cooling air 0.9 1.3 Nm3/kg clin
Surface load 1.8 - 2.0 t/m2 d
Cross section load 70 - 80 t/m2 d
Air velocity in tube < 4.5 m/s
Air velocity in elbow < 25 m/s
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 Grate Cooler Control Loops
Automated cooler operation consists of control
loops used to stabilize cooler operation.

FN1 FN2 FN3 FN4 FN5 FN6 FN7

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 Cooler High-level Control
Cooler high-level control is a supervisory and
optimizing system which controls the operation of
the cooler automatically
Benefits of cooler high-level control are:
Stable cooler operation resulting in stable kiln
conditions
Lower heat consumption
Stable and high secondary and tertiary air
temperatures
Lower clinker discharge temperatures

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 Cooler High-level Control
LINKman (Expert Optimizer) input signals for cooler
control are:
Secondary air temperature
Cooling air flow rates
Undergrate pressure
Kiln hood pressure
Clinker discharge temperature
Grate speed
Grate temperatures

LINKman (Expert Optimizer) output signals are:

Undergrate pressure
Individual cooling fan set points
2nd grate speed ratio set point

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