Day 1

Pyroprocessing I
Calciner _ Process and Technology

Diwakar Mishra
October 2010
 Pyroprocessing I

PRECALCINATION
IN
PREHEATER

?
 Pyroprocessing I

PRECALCINATION

Another possibility to increase the performance of a Rotary

Kiln installation is to add a SECONDARY HEAT SOURCE,
upstream, which will fulfil a maximum of reactions.

The secondary furnace dries

then Decarbonates

This is PRECALCINATION, that takes place in a cyclone

tower.
 Pyroprocessing I

Precalciner
Mainly: Investment reason
 Efficient way to increase capacity of existing plants

 Lowest investment cost for a new line

Some: Performance Reason

 Slightly lower heat consumption compared to preheater
kilns
 More options for some alternative fuel types

 More NOx reduction possibilities

 Pyroprocessing I

Air Through
(A.T)
Meal
Limitations are
flame cooling due to excess of draft
hearth velocities Tower
technological limitations on kiln diameter

Decarbonated
Fuel 2 Precal matter
Cooler
exhaust

Fuel 1
Kiln Eventual
By-pass

Clinker
Cooler

Clinker Air
 Pyroprocessing I

Air Through
(A.T)
 Advantages:
 System is very simple.
 Any type cooler can be utilized.
 Possibility of this system to cope with certain circulating phenomena.
 Substantial decrease of the thermal load of the burning zone
 Improved lining life.

 Disadvantages:
 Maximum fuel input in the precalciner is not practical.
 The bypass will be of same size as in conventional preheater kilns.
 Burning in excess O2.
 Pyroprocessing I

Air Separate
(A.S.)
Meal
With Tertiary air

Tower

Kiln gas:
Before or after precal
Fuel 2 Precal depending on
Cooler manufacturers
exhaust Tertiary air

Fuel 1 Decarbonated
Kiln matter
Eventual By-pass

Cooler Clinker

Clinker Air
 Pyroprocessing I

Air Separate
(A.S.)
 Advantages:
 Reduced specific gas quantity through the kiln.
 Feasible to design production units of large capacity.
 The thermal load on the burning zone can be reduced.
 The lining life is substantially increased.
 More efficient, smaller bypass.

 Disadvantages:
 Planetary coolers are ruled out.
 Some systems air flow has to be regulated (tertiary damper).
 Slightly higher pressure loss.
 Pyroprocessing I

One or two strings

Meal Meal

Precal Kiln
Tower tower

Fuel 2
Precal
Cooler
exhaust Tertiary air matter

Fuel 1
Tower By-pass

Clinker
Cooler

Clinker Air
 Pyroprocessing I

Calciner Kiln
 Pyroprocessing I

Preheater Kiln
 Pyroprocessing I

Rotary Kiln Zones

Calcination

Transition

Sintering

Cooling
Preheater
Calciner

2 6 6 1
Calciner Kiln
Preheater

7 3 4 1
Preheater Kiln
0 Kiln Length in D 15
 Pyroprocessing I

Type / Basic Design Parameter

 AS / AT

 ILC / SLC or combinations

 Vessel or Riser Type (gas speed)

 High Temperature Zones (hot spot,…)

 O2 rich zone / Reducing Zones (NOx reduction)

 Fuel splitting / Meal splitting / Tertiary air splitting

 Pyroprocessing I

Calciner Burn Out / Combustion

Efficiency

Function of:
 Retention Time (Fuel)

 Temperature

 Oxygen Content

 Mixing (Rawmix / Fuel)

Additional Target: Low NOx

 Pyroprocessing I

Combustion levers: 5 T rules

 Total O2 content
 a higher oxygen content provides a greater driver for

the combustion reaction

 Turbulence
 greater mixing of oxygen and fuel

 Tenuity of fuel particles

 greater surface for reaction

 Temperature of combustion
 higher the T° faster the reaction

 Residence time of fuel particles

 increased residence time provide increased burnout
 Pyroprocessing I

Calciner gives advantage for AF firing, but

Wood chips
Fluff RDF

Fluff RDF

Sewage sludge
Animal meal
 Pyroprocessing I

Important Fuel Properties

Size
Volatiles
N-content
Heat Value
Moisture
Ash content

Retention Time in calciner of our

region ?
Example SLC
MILAKI
 Pyroprocessing I

Example - In Line Calciner

Ideal
 Pyroprocessing I

3
Calciner Operation
424 °C 1,473 mn /kgcl.
3737 Pa 0,099 kg/kgcl.
3,3 %O2

Calciner operation
TOC
387,3 kJ/kgcl.
1,655 kg/kgcl.  Keep exit T by fuel

 Keep O2 after calciner by TA damper

617 °C
2857 Pa
 Adjust chamber T by meal / fuel splitting

 Optimize NOx reduction

747 °C
2322 Pa

 Optimize calcination degree

 Ensure lifting of meal in tertiary air

865 °C
1597 Pa 261,2 kJ/kgcl. Coal
3,0 %O2 1315,5 kJ/kgcl. Pet coke
0,028 mn3/kgcl.

942 °C 1245,5 kJ/kgcl. Coal

0,468 mn3/kgcl. 247,4 kJ/kgcl. Pet coke
94 % 0,0434 mn3/kgcl. 239 °C
1,193 mn3/kgcl.

1202 °C
2,4 %O2

110 °C

2,05 mn3/kgcl.
35 °C
 Pyroprocessing I

Good Indicators of calciner operation

 Exit gas temperature or/and hot meal temperature on target, stable
with +/- 5°C.
 CO calciner exit gas < 500 ppm.
 TOC (unburned Carbon) in hot meal < 0,2%. Combustion efficiency
> 95%.
 Calcination degree on target.
 Stable pressure profile – no critical build ups.
 Stable operation (meal lifting in tertiary air, …).
 Stable fuel splitting kiln / calciner, with > 50% for the calciner.
 Stable O2 after calciner, preferable below 2%.
 Hot meal SO3 / Chlorine in acceptable range.
 Stable temperature in hot spot area (combustion chamber).
 Low NOx emission respectively reduction of NO formed in the kiln.
 Pyroprocessing I

Design evolution to burn lumpy

solid wastes
 High inlet velocity to the precalciner, around 30 m/s
 avoid drop out of fuel particles to the kiln inlet
 Low velocity in main section, 4 m/s
 increase fuel residence time in the precalciner
 High oxygen environment
 increase burn out rate, although negative impact on NOx
 Gas residence time > 3.5 secs (4 - 4.5 secs to allow for NOx
reduction)
 allow burnout of CO
 High temperature combustion zone
 rapid burnout of fuel
 Vertically upwards gas stream
 avoid material drop out
 Pyroprocessing I

Design evolution to burn lumpy

solid wastes
 Good substitution rate achieved in inline vessel type
calciner
 35 to 75% of calciner fuel replacement
 Pyroprocessing I

Calcination Degree (1)

Definition:

% of kiln feed CO2 which is already calcined in the hot

meal.
 Pyroprocessing I

Calcination Degree

CD = 100 (% CO2 kf - % CO2 HM) / % CO2 kf = 85,7%

Simple formula should not be used!

 Pyroprocessing I

Calcination Degree

 CO 2kf  CO 2hm 
100 * CO 2kf 
CD %  100 *    90,23%
 100  CO 2hm 
 

CO2kf: CO2 of kiln feed

CO2hm: CO2 of hot meal at bottom stage
CD%: „Calcination Degree“
 Pyroprocessing I

Calcination Degree

Imagine some aspects which can impact the

result.

?
 Pyroprocessing I

Calcination Degree
There are many impacts on the result:

 Dust circulation (preheater exit, kiln bottom cyclone)

 TOC kiln feed and hot meal
 CO2 or LOI analyzed
 Formula used
 Kiln feed analyzed or fixed value used
 Timing of kiln feed / hot meal sampling
 Sampling error and analytical error
 Pyroprocessing I

Calcination Degree
The target for calcination degree remains plant specific,
but typically should be 90 – 92%.

 Too low:
 Risk of weak kiln

 Too high:
 Risk of stabilized phases before entering the

sintering zone  Dusty clinker, more difficult to

burn
 Risk of excessive kiln inlet temperature, esp. when

using AF