Process Engineering

Training Program
MODULE 9
Coolers
Section Content
1 CTC Clinker Coolers
2 CTC UK Clinker Coolers
3 Clinker Coolers (New CTC 21)
4 Clinker Coolers (New Generations)
5 General Description of a Fuller Cooler
6 FLS Cooling of Clinker
7 Development in Cooler Design
8 Higher Secondary Air Temperature by an Increase in Cooler
9 Cooler Maintenance, Upgrading, and New Designs
10 The Repol RS
11 Controlled Flow Grate System
12 CFG Cooler
13 Cooler Modification at Eiberg Zement, Austria
14 Benchmarking Cooler Efficiencies
15 Journal Articles

HBM Process Engineering Conference

Grate Cooler Technology- An Overview
Grate Cooler Upgrades-HOPE

Presentations
Clinker Cooling
Cooler Design Guidelines
Coolers- New Generation
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 1

CTC Clinker Coolers

 PAPER NO. 9

CLINKER COOLERS

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1. 1 Efficiency

1.2 Air Requirement

1.3 Types of Cooler

2. INTEGRAL OR PLANETARY COOLERS

2.1 Description

2.2 Design and Operating Performance

3. DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS

3.1 Practical Limits to Efficiency

3.2 Clinker Temperature

3.3 Cooler Output Target

3.4 Cooler Heat Balance

3.5 Water Injection

APPENDIX I

K Factor
 CLINKER COOLERS

1. INTRODUCTION

Clinker leaves the rotary kiln red hot at a temperature usually in the range 1250-1400°C. It passes over the kiln
nose ring into the clinker cooler. The purpose of a cooler is not only to cool the clinker but also to recuperate
heat and return it to the kiln in the form of preheated secondary air for combustion. The clinker leaving the
cooler should be cool enough to avoid damage to handling equipment (particularly rubber belt conveyors).
Cold clinker is also beneficial to cement mill efficiency by reducing the milling temperature.

The heat contained in the clinker leaving the kiln depends on its temperature, but will usually be in the range
300-330 kcal/kg. Obviously, it is important to return as much of this heat to the process as possible in order to
keep the overall kiln fuel consumption to a minimum.

1.1 Efficiency

The thermal efficiency (E) of a cooler is defined as:

(A - B) C
E= x 100%or x 100%
A A

where A = heat content of clinker leaving the kiln

B = heat losses from the cooler

B can consist of heat loss in excess or exhaust air, heat contained in the clinker leaving the cooler, radiation or
other losses.

C is the heat content of the secondary air returned to the kiln. Cooler efficiencies are typically in the range
40% to 80%.

1.2 Air Requirement

The transfer of heat from the clinker to the cooling air may be affected cross-current or counter-current. As the
amount of air available for heat recuperation purposes is almost entirely dependent on the kiln fuel
consumption, this sets a limit to the amount of heat that can be recovered, because there is also a limit to the
temperature to which the air can be heated, depending on whether counter-current or cross-current applies.

Fig 1 shows this limit in relation to kiln fuel consumption assuming that the heat insulation in the coolers is
perfect.

It can be seen that the degree of heat recuperation becomes lower with reducing kiln fuel consumption and the
theoretical heat recuperation from a cross-current cooler is lower than that from a counter-current cooler.
Thus, the lowest theoretical fuel consumption in a kiln with a cross-cur-rent cooler is about 100 kcal/kg higher
than in a similar kiln with a counter-current cooler.
These figures have not been achieved in practice, but if the lowest kiln fuel consumption is demanded, then
development of the counter-current cooler would appear paramount. Typical air requirements for combustion
are:

a) Wet process at 1500 kcal/kg - 2.36 kg air/kg clinker

b) Dry process at 850 kcal/kg -- 1.34 kg air/kg clinker

Quantities for recuperation are less than the above as allowance must be made for some inleak and primary
air, although the latter may be taken from the cooler, via the coal mill. The above refers to the cooler as a
recuperator which is not quite the same as a cooling device.

1.3 Types of Cooler

Cross-current cooling is utilized in grate coolers and counter-current cooling in rotary, integral or planetary
and shaft coolers. The different types are shown on Fig 2.

The rotary cooler was invented at the same time as the rotary kiln and is the simplest of counter-current
coolers. The integral cooler is fixed to, and rotates with, the kiln. Both coolers are mechanically simple, have
no moving parts and no dust emission problems as they operate under suction. The kiln ID fan draws in the
amount of secondary air required for the combustion process directly as cooling air.

The grate cooler was invented about 40 years ago and has almost completely replaced rotary and planetary
coolers. It is mechanically independent of the kiln. This cooler operates under pressure with the cooling air
being blown through a layer of clinker supported on a grate. Gas cleaning equipment is needed to reduce
emission from the excess air required for cooling that has to be vented.

2. INTEGRAL OR PLANETARY COOLERS

2.1 Descrimion

Integral coolers became popular in the thirties because they saved on headroom and capital expenditure over
rotary coolers. There were mechanical problems with large outputs however, and with the advent of the grate
cooler they lost favor. They have experienced a resurgence in recent years and can now be built to handle kiln
outputs of 4500 tons; per day and above. All the main kiln plant suppliers now offer this type of cooler to
operate in conjunction with large preheater or wet process kilns.

The cooler consists of 9 to 12 tubes arranged circumferentially around the kiln discharge end, which are
individually connected to the kiln by inlet pipes (see Fig 4). The cooler operates on the same principle as a
rotary cooler and the tubes are generally fitted with metallic and refractory lifters, and are refractory lined for
about half their length. The tubes usually have a length equal to 8 - 10 times their diameter.

2.2 Design and Operating Performance

There are two basic designs of cooler in relation to the kiln. These can be seen on Fig 4. Diagram A shows the
cooler as a continuation of the kiln. The tubes are arranged around a shell which is merely an extension of the
kiln. The kiln itself ends just in front of the cooler inlets. This method of construction utilizes the kiln slope
for clinker transportation. These kiln extensions are utilized for the new large integral coolers and usually
require an extra tyre as shown.

Diagram B shows the inverted type of cooler where the clinker moves uphill by means of lifters.

One of the difficulties associated with integral coolers is the spill back of clinker than can occur as the inlet
approaches the 12 o'clock position. Falling clinker can damage the firing pipe. Methods for preventing spill
back have been designed and are in operation.

Because the tubes are fixed to the kiln, the rotational speed can not be increased independently and. the only
method to uprate the cooler is to increase the number of lifters. Care must be taken however, to ensure that the
recirculation of clinker dust is not increased. Fig 5 gives an indication of the size of tubes required for
different clinker outputs. Table I shows the dimensions and throughput of integral coolers on kilns within BCI.

Fig 5 shows the specific output of integral coolers, both within and outside BCI, plotted against shell surface
area. This graph shows a range of present operation from about 1.25 tpd/m² at 500 tpd to about 2 tpd/m² at
3000 tpd.

For the purpose of rating the maximum output of an integral cooler, higher figures than these have been used
but each case must be separately considered, since the effect of high clinker temperatures varies from one
works to another.

2.2.1 Radiation Losses

There are unavoidable losses by radiation and convection from the shell of the coolers. The loss is kept to a
minimum by properly insulating the first half or third with refractory brick. Heat loss in this way can represent
up to about 25% of the heat entering the cooler.

2.2.2 Air Volume

Air is drawn through the coolers by the main kiln ID fan. If no combustion air passed through the cooler, the
recuperation efficiency would be zero. The higher the percentage of combustion air passing up the cooler, the
higher the efficiency becomes. The actual quantities of air depend on the kiln process; on the wet process with
over 2.3 kg air/kg clinker required for combustion, it is easier to obtain a higher efficiency than on the dry
process when only about 1.3 kg air/kg clinker is required for combustion.

Some of the combustion air is injected as primary air and, if this is not taken off the kiln hood, it reduces the
possible airflow in the coolers. Unfortunately, there are always gaps around the kiln door seal through which
ambient air will enter in preference to passing through the coolers.
2.2.3 Lifters and Buckets
Even if the maximum amount of air passes up the coolers, the recuperation efficiency will be low if the air and
clinker are not in contact for a sufficient period of time. The contact time can be increased by lengthening the
cooler but this increases radiation losses and capital cost. The practical solution is to fit the cooler with
devices such as lifters, to increase the heat transfer rate. See Appendix I for detail regarding K factors.

Cooler efficiency can be greatly influenced by the type, number and condition of lifters. Metal lifters which
may vary in shape, size and number from cooler to cooler are arranged in rings which are staggered along the
cooler. A typical arrangement for Aberthaw coolers is shown see fig 6.

3.0 DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS

One of the great difficulties associated with integral coolers is the spillback of clinker that can occur as the
inlet approaches the 12 o'clock position. The KHD design of cranked inlet elbow allegedly prevents spillback.
Other specifics of the design is a hood suction of -100 to -120 mmwg and an inlet chute air velocity of 10 to
12 m/s.

3.1 Practical Limits to Efficiency

At the current time and a situation which is dynamic is the practical limitation to sustained thermal load and
abrasion resistance of materials of construction for the cooler throats. This sets a limit on secondary air
temperature which is currently about 850°C. For Manresa this would limit cooler efficiency to a maximum of
65%.

The secondary air temperatures are kept below their potential level by

a: Having high radiation losses (70 to 75 kcal/kg) and,

b: Installing only that number of lifters to give a temperature in the range 150°C to 180°C.

When eventually the cooler throat material problem is overcome the limit will become (and is trending that
way now) the ability to fit sufficient internal lifter surface into the cooler tube. In the event better insulation
(additional refractory) will be added to provide for a lower shell loss. At the present time integral coolers run
about 7 to 10% (25 to 30 kcal/kg) below their theoretical maximum efficiency of approx 75%

3.1.1 Efficiency

The essential function of integral or planetary coolers was originally to cool the clinker by radiating the heat to
the surroundings. Of about 330 kcal/kg heat contained in the clinker, more than half was lost by radiation.
This led to high surface temperatures, and problems arose when kiln dimensions were increased. By insulating
the cooler hot zone, surface temperatures were considerably reduced and much larger coolers were possible.
Heat transmission was then effected by the secondary air and, with the high economy dry process kilns,
internal fittings were required for heat transfer purposes.

The use of internal fittings in a modern integral cooler reduces the clinker temperature in relation to the former
types of cooler and the heat loss by radiation is now only about 20%. Fig 6b shows sections through a typical
cooler tube, and indicates the lifter arrangements. As in the rotary cooler, all the cooling air used in integral
coolers is utilized as preheated secondary air for combustion and, with good seals, can represent about 75% of
the total combustion air.

Secondary air temperatures of 600°C for the wet process, and 850°C for the dry process, can be achieved.

Outlet clinker temperatures of 120-150°C are possible and recuperation efficiencies of about 66% on the dry
process and 73% in the wet process can be achieved. The efficiency could be improved by increasing the
insulated length but limits are imposed by the hot strength of the inlet construction materials and the
secondary air temperature is restricted to about 850°C.

In some cases, the clinker is not distributed evenly over the individual tubes and consequently, with varying
loadings, the greatest amount of cooling air is drawn through the tubes with the smallest clinker content and
vice versa. The cooling effect, and therefore the clinker temperature, can vary between the tubes.

Fig 3 shows the degree of recuperation attainable in integral coolers at various temperatures of the cooled
clinker, as indicated by F.L. Smidth for Unax coolers. When the temperature of the cooled clinker drops to
below 200°C, it can be seen that the surf ace heat loss is so great that heat can no longer be recuperated.
Reducing the heat loss by improving the insulation is obviously an area for further development.

The power consumption for the mechanical operation of the cooler is insignificant as is the power required to
draw the air through the tubes.

3.2 Clinker Tempera

As clinker output is increased for a given set of coolers, clinker exit temperature rises. As a rule clinker
temperature can be assumed to increase approximately as the square output viz:

Clinker TEMP 2 = [TPD 2]²

Clinker TEMP 1 [TPD 1]

Based an average output of 940 tpd and a clinker temperature of 160°C, clinker temperature at an output of
1120 tpd and at the BCI kiln target output of 1243 tpd would be :

1120 tpd – 227°C (1.7 tpd/m² of cooler surface)

1243 tpd – 280°C (1.9 tpd/m² of cooler surface)

3.3 Cooler Output Target.

At the current time the best performance of an Integral cooler system is

 2.2 tpd per m² of cooler inner surface

The surface area in this case excludes any contribution from the lifters etc. The implications of operation for
Manresa are that Clinker temperature will rise significantly as outputs are raised. To avoid excessive
temperatures, losses via radiation should be increased and the internal surface should be raised by design
improvements.

3.4 Cooler Heat Balance.

The following is a heat balance for the kiln No.2 plant

Plant: Manresa. (Output 950tpd) Basis: I kg of Clinker and 20°C

INPUT
kg/kg clinker kcal/kg clinker

Air Flow into the Coolers. 1.452 0

Clinker from Kiln @ 1325°C 1.000 330

Total 2.452 330

OUTPUT
kg/kg clinker kcal/kg clinker

Clinker ex Coolers @ 170°C 1.000 29

Air to Coal Mill @ 300°C 0.235 16

Secondary Air @ 720°C 1.217 210

Shell Losses 75

Total 2.452 330

Thus, for the Manresa coolers, the shell losses are 23% of the total heat input and overall the efficiency is of
the order of 63%.

3.5 Water Injection

All the air entering the cooler tubes reports as secondary air. It follows that the addition of water which
produces steam will lead to a potential reduction in combustion temperature unless:
 a: The quantity of coolant is small.

b: The water is added in such a way that vaporization occurs after the clinker has discharged from the
coolers.

Figure 7 illustrates the FLS system of sequential filling of "tanks" attached to each cooler and water discharge
through nozzles close to the clinker discharge point. This system is reported to have minimal effect on the heat
balance but a significant effect on clinker discharge temperature.
 APPENDIX I

K factor.

This factor is used in the design of rotary and integral coolers to determine the surface area for heat
exchange.

K f actor is defined as the ratio of internal surf ace area to shell area i.e. k = 1 for a plain tube. K increases
with the number of internal fittings. It follows that the greater the k factor the greater the heat transfer.
There are faults in this assumption and ideally each section of the cooler should be treated separately. (It
should be noted that the area for heat exchange considers the surface area of all faces and edges of any
internal lifter inserted in the cooler.) The Sections of the cooler are:

1) Hot Region - brick lined usually a cam or lifter brick.

2) Intermediate region - Cast iron lifters; on brick or cast refractory backing.

3) Cool Region - mild steel lifters on mild steel lining plate or possible cast refractory.

Details of the Aberthaw cooler are appended. This cooler achieves a k factor of 1.95.

Design Equation.

The heat transfer factor F is given by:

100 × Q
F=
A × V .8 × Log T

Where Q = heat transferred from clinker to air kcal/min.

A = Total Internals surface area, m²

=K x L x D x n

K = K factor

L = Cooler Length (m)

D = Dia of cooler (m)

n = number of coolers.
V = Average air velocity through any cooler. m/sec

Log T = Log mean differential Temperature.

It is thus possible to calculate dimensions and surface required for a given cooler.
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 2

CTC UK Clinker Coolers

 25

Clinker Coolers

J. Postlethwaite
J.C. Scott
1 INTRODUCTION

Clinker leaves the rotary kiln red hot at a temperature usually in the range 1300 – 1400°C. It passes over the
kiln nose ring into the clinker cooler. The purpose of a cooler is not only to cool the clinker but also to
recuperate heat and return it to the kiln in the form of preheated secondary air for combustion. The clinker
leaving the cooler should be cool enough to avoid damage to handling equipment (particularly rubber belt
conveyors). Cold clinker can also be beneficial to cement mill efficiency by reducing the possibility of
overheating.

The heat contained in the clinker leaving the kiln depends on its exact temperature but will usually be in the
range 300-350 kcal/kg. Obviously, it is important to return as much of this heat to the process as possible, and
to keep the overall kiln fuel consumption to a minimum.

1.1 EFFICIENCY

The thermal efficiency of a cooler is defined as:.

A − B C
E=   × 100% =   × 100
 A  A

where A = heat content of clinker leaving the kiln

B = heat losses from the cooler

B can consist of heat loss in any excess or exhaust air, heat contained in the clinker leaving the cooler,
radiation or other losses. C is the heat content of the secondary air returned to the kiln.

Cooler efficiencies are typically in the range 40% to 80%.

1.2 AIR REQUIREMENT

The transfer of heat from the clinker to the cooling air may be effected co-current, cross-current or
counter-current, but in practice only the latter two methods are used. As the amount of air available for heat
recuperation. purposes is almost entirely dependant on the kiln fuel consumption, this sets a limit to the
amount of heat that can be recovered, because there is also a limit to the temperature to which the air can be
heated, depending on whether counter-current or cross-current applies.

Figure 25.1 shows this limit in relation to kiln fuel consumption assuming that the heat insulation in the
coolers is perfect.

It can be seen that the degree of heat recuperation becomes lower with reducing kiln fuel consumption and the
theoretical heat recuperation from a cross-current cooler is lower than that from a counter-current cooler. Thus
the lowest theoretical fuel consumption in a kiln with a cross-current cooler is about 100 kcal higher than in a
similar kiln with a counter-current cooler.
These figures have not been achieved in practice but if the lowest kiln fuel consumption is demanded, then
development of the counter-current cooler would appear paramount. Typical air requirements for combustion
are:

a. Wet process at 1500 kcal/kg (21.43% S.C.C.) 2.36 kg air/kg clinker

b. Dry peocess at 850 kcal/kg (12.14% S.C.C.) 1.34 kg air/kg clinker

Quantities for recuperation are less than the above as allowance must be made for some inleak and primary
air, although the latter may be taken from the cooler, via the coal mill. The above refers to the cooler as a
recuperator which is not quite the same as a cooling device.

Due to the limits of recuperation mentioned above there are also limits to which the clinker can be cooled, and
this limit is higher in cross-current coolers than in counter-current coolers, especially with low fuel
consumption kilns. If the clinker temperature is not satisfactory, further cooling is necessary by using more air
which cannot be used in the kiln, or by water injection.
1.3 TYPES OF COOLER

Cross-current cooling is utilized in grate coolers and counter-current cooling in rotary, integral or planetary
and shaft coolers. The different types are shown on Figure 25.2.

The rotary cooler was invented at the sane time as the rotary kiln and is the simplest of counter-current
coolers. The integral cooler is fixed to, and rotates, with the kiln.

Both coolers are mechanically simple, have no moving parts and no dust emission problems as they operate
under suction. The kiln I.D. fan draws in the amount of secondary air required for the combustion process
directly as cooling air.

The grate cooler was invented about 40 years ago and almost completely replaced rotary and planetary coolers.
It is mechanically independent of the kiln. This cooler operates under pressure with the cooling air being
blown through a layer of clinker supported on a grate. Gas cleaning equipment is needed to reduce emissions
from the excess air required for cooling that has to be vented.

In recent years the shaft cooler has been developed. This also operates under pressure with air being blown
through the clinker and is independent of the kiln.

2 ROTARY COOLERS

2.1 DESCRIPTION

These were the earliest type of cooler and as counter flow heat exchangers are very simple. The basic design is
similar to rotary kilns and hence ample experience is available to produce sound mechanical designs requiring
a minimum of maintenance. Following the development of the grate cooler and the resurgence of the planetary
cooler, rotary coolers are now very rarely found on new works because of the large dimensions required for
high outputs and the consequence on capital costs. Clinker is red hot on entering the cooler and a brick lining
is required for the first third to half of the length. The remainder is normally provided with internal heat
exchangers such as lifters; and cruciforms.

2.1.1 OPERATION

The rotary cooler is very simple in operation, the only control being the speed of rotation. Airflow rate is
controlled by the kiln I.D. fan and dictated by burning conditions.

2.2 EFFICIENCY

These are counter flow exchangers where a mass of air continually extracts heat from the clinker as it passes
up the cooler. Because the specific heat capacities of clinker and air are virtually identical it is theoretically
possible for a unit mass of air to cool. an equal mass of clinker down to ambient air temperature, and at the
same time the air could be raised to the clinker inlet temperature. Therefore, assuming no radiation losses and
an air/clinker ratio greater than unity, the maximum theoretical efficiency of a rotary cooler is 100%. The
effect of air/clinker ratio on theoretical performance is shown on Figure 25.3. Obviously the 100% theoretical
efficiency is not achievable in practice -actual efficiencies being in the range 50% - 80%. Causes of
inefficiency and low heat recuperation on rotary coolers are due to the following:
2.2.1 RADIATION LOSSES

There are unavoidable losses by radiation and convection from the shell of the cooler. The loss is kept to a
minimum by properly insulating the first half or third with refractory brick. Heat lost in this way can represent
up to about 25% of the total.

2.2.2 AIR VOLUME

Air is drawn through the rotary cooler by the main kiln I.D. fan. If no combustion air passed through the
cooler the recuperation efficiency would be zero. The higher the percentage of combustion air passing up the
cooler the higher the efficiency becomes. The actual quantities of air depend on the kiln process; on the wet
process with over 2.5 kg air/kg clinker required for combustion it is easier to obtain a higher efficiency than on
the dry process when only about 1.3 kg air/kg clinker required for combustion.

Some of the combustion air is injected as primary air and if this is not taken off the kiln hood, it reduces the
possible air flow in the cooler. Unfortunately there are always gaps around the hood to kiln and cooler seals
through which ambient air will enter in preference to passing through the cooler. To obtain maximum
efficiency it is imperative to ensure that the maximum possible percentage of combustion air passes through
the cooler and contacts the clinker. Figure 25.4 shows the relationship between airflow, efficiency and clinker
temperature for a typical rotary cooler.

2.2.3 LIFTERS

Even if the maximum amount of air passes up the cooler the recuperation efficiency will be low if the air and
clinker are not in contact for a sufficient period of time. The contact time can be increased by lengthening the
cooler but this increases radiation losses and capital cost. The practical solution is to fit the cooler with
devices, such as lifters, to increase the heat transfer rate.

The lifters increase the recuperation by two methods

a. They lift and pour the clinker thus increasing the surface area of clinker directly exposed to the air.

b. Increase the surface area of metal in contact with the clinker, thus extracting more heat which is
subsequently transferred to the air stream. To retain efficiency the correct number of lifters must be
installed and well maintained. This is particularly the case where rotary coolers are handling much
greater capacities than the original design figure. The surface area of lifters required is determined by a
K factor as described in Appendix 1.
2.3 DESIGN AND UPRATING

2.3.1 DIMENSIONS

As the diameter increases so does the shell surface area for direct transfer of heat from clinker to cooler and
cooler to air. However, the air velocity decreases and the heat transfer rate between the clinker and the air is
reduced. The overall effect is a reduction in heat transfer, and taking account of increased restriction, volume
loading and dust pick up, a smaller diameter is more efficient and preferred to a large diameter cooler.

The length of the cooler not only effects the shell area but also determines the clinker residence time. Clinker
exit temperatures are reduced with increased length, but obviously this increase the capital cost of the plant.

2.3.2 SPEED

An increase in speed on a given size of cooler and clinker throughput reduces the clinker bed depth. Tests
carried out at Barnstone by Research Division showed that an increase in speed from 1.5 to 5 rpm gave a
considerable improvement in cooler performance, but a further increase to 10 rpm showed no significant
improvement. Even though repair costs may increase with speed a recommendation has been made that rotary
coolers be operated in the range 3-5 rpm.

2.3.3 AREA AND SHAPE OF LIFTERS

Size and shape of lifters determines whether all or part of the clinker bed is lifted and, for a given internal
area, heat loss will be less if only part of the bed is lifted. Cooler efficiency can be greatly influenced by the
type, number and condition of lifters. Metal lifters which may vary in shape, size and number from cooler to
cooler are arranged in rings which are staggered along the cooler. Figure 25.5 shows a simple design of lifters.
A greater surface area for heat exchange can be provided by using a cruciform structure as shown in Figure
25.6. The cruciform should be designed so as not to retard the flow of air or clinker and maintenance
requirements should also be considered.

It is impractical to use metal lifters of the usual type at the inlet end of the cooler since the heat makes them
soft and liable to breakage. In general the heat resistant metals available at present are unsuitable for use as
lifters at the inlet end and efforts are concentrated at the discharge end.

In the hottest part of a rotary cooler there is a high rate of heat transfer from clinker to air due to radiation. In
the next section where the clinker has lost its initial heat, very little heat transfer occurs. As clinker enters the
metal lifter section, heat transfer increases greatly due to the cascading action.

Tests have been undertaken at Barnstone to try and improve the performance in the refractory lined section.
Attempts to use larger refractory bricks (e.g. a 7" (18cm) brick in a ring of 5" (13cm) bricks) as lifters; failed
due to high wear rates and precast refractory blocks bolted to the shell had little success due to mechanical
failure. The conclusion was that although refractory lifters; were beneficial at low speeds, they had little effect
at the higher speeds (5 rpm), and because of maintenance problems it is suggested that they are not a
satisfactory proposition.
2.3.4 DAM RINGS

Dam rings are a means of increasing the hold up of clinker in the lifters and possibly improving cascading and
efficiency. They can only increase cascading if the lifters were not fully loaded when they reached the top half
of the cooler before their installation.

It is suggested that dam rings will not be required in most rotary coolers but may be useful where cooler speed
is increased causing reduced loading of lifters.

3 INTEGRAL COOLERS

3.1 DESCRIPTION

Integral coolers became popular in the thirties because they saved on headroom and capital expenditure over
rotary coolers. There were mechanical problems with large outputs, however, and with the advent of the grate
cooler they lost favor. They have experienced a resurrection in recent years and -they can now be built to
handle kiln outputs of 4,500 tons per day and above. Al 1 the main kiln plant suppliers now offer this type of
cooler to operate in conjunction with large preheater or wet process kilns.

The cooler consists of 9 to 11 tubes arranged circumferentially around the kiln discharge end, which are
individually connected to the kiln by inlet pipes. The cooler operates on the same principle as a rotary cooler
and the tubes are generally fitted with metallic and refractory lifter, and are refractory lined for about half their
length. The tubes usually have a length equal to 8-10 times their diameter.

3.2 EFFICIENCY

The essential function of integral or planetary coolers was originally to cool the clinker by radiating the heat to
the surroundings. Of about 330 kcal/kg heat contained in the clinker, more than half was lost by radiation.
This led to high surface temperatures and problems arose when kiln dimensions were Increased. By insulating
the hot zone, surface temperatures were considerably reduced and much larger coolers were possible. Heat
transmission was then effected by the secondary air and with the high economy dry process kilns, internal
fittings were required for heat transfer purposes.

The use of internal fittings in a modern integral cooler reduces the clinker temperature in relation to the former
types of cooler and the -heat loss by radiation is now only about 20%. Figure 25.7 shows sections through a
typical cooler tube and indicates the lifter arrangements. As in the rotary cooler all the cooling air used in
integral coolers is utilized as preheated secondary air for combustion, and with good seals can represent about
75% of the total combustion air.

Secondary air temperatures of 600°C for the wet process and 850°C for the dry process can be achieved.

Outlet clinker temperatures of 120-150°C are possible and recuperation efficiencies of about 66% on the dry
process and 73% in the wet process can be achieved. The efficiency could be improved by increasing the
insulated length but limits are imposed by the hot strength of the inlet construction materials and the
secondary air temperature is restricted to about 850°C.
In some cases the clinker is not distributed evenly over the individual tubes and consequently with varying
loading, the greatest amount of cooling air is drawn through the tubes with the smallest clinker-content and
vice versa. The cooling effect and therefore the clinker temperature can vary between the tubes.

Figure 25.8 shows the degree of recuperation attainable in integral coolers at various temperatures of the
cooled clinker, as indicated by F L Smidth for Unax coolers. When the temperature of the cooled clinker drops
to below 200% it can be seen that the surface heat loss is so great that heat can no longer be recuperated.
Reducing the heat loss by improving the insulation is obviously an area for further development.

The power consumption for the mechanical operation of the cooler is insignificant as is the power required to
draw the air through the tubes.
3.3 DESIGN AND OPERATING PERFORMANCE

There are two basic designs of cooler in relation to the kiln. These can be seen on -Figure 25.9 Diagram A
shows the cooler as a continuation of the kiln. The tubes are arranged around a shell which is merely an
extension of the kiln. The kiln itself ends just in front of the cooler inlets. This method of construction utilizes
the kiln slope for clinker transportation. These kiln extensions are utilized for the new large integral coolers
and usually require an extra tyre as shown. The old type of cooler as used at Kirton Lindsey had no supporting
shell and was just fixed to the kiln at one end.

Diagram B shows the inverted type of cooler where the clinker moves uphill by means of lifters.

One of the difficulties associated with integral coolers is the spill back of clinker that can occur as the inlet
approaches the 12 o'clock position. Falling clinker can damage the firing pipe. Methods preventing spill back
have been designed and are in operation.

Because the tubes are fixed to the kiln the rotational speed cannot be increased independantly and the only
method to uprate the cooler is to increase the number of lifters. Care oust be taken, however, to ensure that the
recirculation of clinker dust is not increased. Figure 25.10 gives an indication of the size of tubes required for
different clinker outputs. Table 25.1 shows the dimensions and throughputs of integral coolers on kilns within
BCI.

Fig. 25.10 shows the specific output of integral coolers both within and outside BCI plotted against shell
surface area. This graph shows a range of present operation from about 1.25 TPD/m² at 500 TPD to about 2.0
TPD/m² at 3000 TPD.

For the purpose of rating the maximum output of an integral cooler, higher figures than these have been used
but each case oust be separately considered, since the effect of high clinker temperatures varies from one
works to another.
4 GRATE COOLERS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

This type of cooler is independent of the kiln; the clinker leaves the kiln and is deposited onto a moving grate
through which air is being blown. There are two basic designs utilizing different methods of transporting the
clinker along the grate. One method used by Polysius uses a grate consisting of plates mounted on an endless
chain which operates in a manner similar to the Lepol grate. The second and more common method is the
reciprocating grate. This consists of alternate rows of fixed and moving grates, the moving grates pushing the
clinker along the grate by virtue of the reciprocating action. This design is used by Fuller, F L Smidth, Allis
Chalmers, Claudius Peters and others.

The majority of coolers of this type within BCI were manufactured by Fuller and due to the similarity between
the designs of reciprocating coolers this part of the paper concentrates on the Fuller Cooler.

4.2 EFFICIENCY

As explained earlier in this paper the clinker cannot be cooled to a sufficient degree in the recuperation zone
of a grate cooler with the kiln secondary air requirements. To maintain a clinker temperature of 100°C - 50°C,
between 3 and 4 kg air/kg clinker are required, as indicated on Figure 25.11. If all this air were returned to the
kiln the cooler would be almost 100% efficient as shown in Figure 25.12. When, however, only about 2 kg
air/kg clinker is required by the kiln for combustion the maximum theoretical efficiency as shown by Figure
25.12 is only about 80%.

Although the efficiency drops as the kiln air requirement is reduced the temperature of the secondary air
should increase. The aim with grate coolers is therefore to maximize the temperature of the air that is returned
to the kiln.

The exhaust air from grate coolers can often be usefully employed and this can increase the effective
efficiency of the cooler, although not necessarily with a direct effect on the kiln prime fuel consumption.

Primary air for firing and drying coal and transporting it through the coal milling system is usually taken from
the cooler, and exhaust air at about 2000C can usefully be used in stone drying or milling operations. For the
purpose of coal drying, the air should not be taken at a temperature in excess of that required or the kiln
secondary air temperature will be affected and this will have an adverse effect on fuel consumption.

4.2.1 COOLERS AND PRECALCINER KILNS

On modern precalciner kilns the fuel is burnt in two parts. The primary fuel is injected at the kiln outlet as on
normal plants and a secondary fuel is burnt in the calcining chamber at the base of the preheater; the various
designs are explained in the Paper 24. Air for combustion is required by the secondary fuel. This air can either
be taken up the kiln or ducted separately to the secondary burner chamber. This latter method is preferred as it
reduces volumes and velocities within the rotary kiln. For higher efficiency this so called tertiary air should be
preheated and therefore can come from the cooler. This is easily done on a grate cooler by introducing another
air take off between the kiln throat and the exhaust air duct. This type of arrangement is obviously not.
possible with integral coolers and therefore, precalciner kilns generally use grate coolers.
4.3 FULLER COOLER

4.3.1 DESCRIPTION

The Fuller cooler consists of one, two or in the case of very high output kilns, three grates. Each grate is
composed of alternate rows of fixed and moving plates. The stationary plates are fixed to the cooler casing
structure while the moving plates are bolted to a common framework. Each plate has a lip about 50mm high as
its front edge and this pushes the clinker along the grate as the moving plates oscillate backwards and
forwards. The moving frame is driven on an eccentric by a variable speed motor. The normal thrust of the
grate is 125mm.

Clinker falls directly onto the grate through which air is blown. Below this grate the area is divided into a
number of chambers which are separated by air-tight seals. The clinker leaves the cooler via a rotary hammer
crusher with a curtain of chains in front to provide a protective barrier for the refractory lining against lumps
thrown back by the crusher. Figure 25.13 shows the essential details.

4.3.2 PLATES

Various designs of plate are utilized throughout the grates. The majority are flat with tapered holes of 9.5 mm
diameter at the tapered end. The taper is 70 and the plates vary from 12 to 19 mm in thickness. Ordinary
drilled holes soon become blocked and so holes are tapered when the plates are cast.

Most coolers now use bridge plates in conjunction with deep bed operation. They are used to bridge moving
plates down each side of the cooler. They are blank plates and when used are preceded by normal blank plates
to produce a stationary band of clinker one plate wide along the side of the cooler. In between the stationary
bands the moving bed is narrower and therefore thicker at normal speeds. It is unwise to use bridge plates over
a portion of a chamber as this creates different clinker bed thickness and preferential air distribution through
the thinner part of the bed. Figure 25.14 shows the bridge plate fitted in a cooler. The stationary clinker
reduces wear on the side castings and provides a seal where a normally thin bed of clinker would be liable to
'spouting. It should be noted that the bridge plates are left and right handed. In areas where they are used fan
power requirements can be reduced by using adjoining plates with extra holes.

Plates at the hot end of the cooler are normally made of heat resisting steel (25/12Cr Ni or 25/20) and those
towards the back of wear resistant cast iron.

4.3.3 GRATES

Grates may be inclined, horizontal or a combination of the two. Combination grates evolved with the use of
Fuller coolers for large kiln outputs. The individual grates may be inclined at different angles or horizontal
and driven at different speeds. Another development is the use of an air cooled hammer crusher between the
last two grates, rather than at the end of the cooler. This means only small sized clinker is on the final grate
and better cooling is achieved.
Very early Fuller coolers were constructed with a 15° slope but coolers such as Cauldon No.1 were installed
with a 10° grate. This was considered necessary for the transportation of the clinker. However, the slope on
this particular cooler has presented problems with airsliding which imposes a limit on throughput, lower than
that of a horizontal grate. This risk- could be reduced-by decreasing the angle or flattening the existing coolers
but it is a very costly modification. Sometimes the clinker is fine and of such a particle size that it will not
convey properly on a horizontal grate. This led to the development of the combination cooler with an inclined
grate at 5° or 3° in the recuperation zone. The Hope and Northfleet coolers were installed as 825S/1050H and
have been found to operate satisfactorily at Hope. At Northfleet, severe airsliding problems were experienced
and the inclined grates were flattened to three short horizontal grates all on the same drive. The 10' x 50'
horizontal grate remained as before.

4.3.4 AIRFLOW

Beneath the grate the cooler is divided into chambers, and on modern coolers it is usual for each chamber to
be supplied by a separate fan. To-ensure the correct air distribution, the chambers should be sealed so that
there is no infiltration from one to another. One method of reducing air leakage between chambers is to reduce
the pressure differential between those chambers. Because the expansion and hence velocity of the cooling air
decreases with the declining temperature of the clinker bed, undergrate pressure is high at the hot end of the
cooler and falls proportionately towards the exit end. The inter chamber pressure differential can be reduced
by increasing the number of chambers but obviously there is a limit to this number. The length of each
chamber in proportion to the cooler length can be calculated from Figure 25.15 based on Hope Works. The
total number of chambers depends on the cooler length. From the graph the approximate position of each
division wall can be found. For uprating or improvement of existing coolers, actual positions of new walls
must be finalized relative to physical considerations such as the positions of existing spillage gates, access
doors, framework and the fact that for the best seal the top of the division wall should be attached to the rear
of a fixed row of plates.
Air loadings to each chamber can be found from the design velocities, these usually range from approximately
107 m³/min/m² of plate area at the hot end to 46 m³/min/m² at the cold end. The plate area takes account of the
leakages through blank plates by adding an allowance of 50% of the area of blank plates which abut live
plates. The total area multiplied by the velocity gives the volume required. The volumes on each chamber may
be adjusted to give the overall requirement. This is discussed further in the section relating to uprating. Figure
25.16 shows typical temperatures, pressures and chamber lengths for a 6 compartment cooler.

4.3.5 SPILLAGE

With all grate coolers there is a certain amount of clinker fines that form the spillage through and between the
plates. This is released from the undergrate chamber onto a drag conveyor by means of spillage gates. There
are three main types of gate used on coolers at the present time. The single and double flap designs are used
when the drag scraper is external to the spillage compartments. Both require sufficient headroom which
usually entails providing a tunnel below ground level.

The single flap gate (Figure 25.17) when open is only air-tight whilst there is sufficient spillage to form a seal.
When all the spillage has run out the seal is broken and cooling air is lost. The flap can be operated
automatically but it is difficult to release only the correct amount of spillage to maintain the seal.

The double flap (Figure 25.18) maintains a seal at all times and is found on all the later coolers operating at
the higher pressures. The flaps can be automatically opened by a motorized cam or by pneumatic control.

Obviously this type of seal requires more headroom than a single flap and it may not be possible to fit them to
many existing coolers.

When the drag scraper passes through the undergrate compartments the spillage is removed continuously and
it is more difficult to maintain a good seal between chambers. A letter-box type seal shown in Figure 25.19, is
used in this situation; this requires no headroom.
4.3.6 SHELVES AND HEARTHS

Some coolers were originally equipped with a shelf or hearth at the hot end. The intended purpose was to take
the impact of heavy lumps falling onto the plates and to direct clinker onto the grate when the cooler was not
correctly off-set to the kiln. These structures were susceptible to clinker build-up known as 'snowmen' and are
nowadays discouraged. With deep bed operation there should be sufficient depth of clinker on the grate to
withstand the shock of large lumps. To prevent 'snowmen' forming the hearth can be removed and the grate
extended by one or two rows to the hot end. This has been successfully carried out on Cauldon No.1 cooler,
and at Masons and Westbury.

4.3.7 INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL

A three mode control is used for Fuller grate coolers.

a. Cooler grate speed is controlled automatically with respect to undergrate chamber pressure. In most
cases this is the first chamber pressure but second chamber pressure is occasionally used. On a
combination cooler with more than one grate, each grate can be controlled independently with the
pressure of the first chamber to each grate, or the speed of the first grate can be controlled by the
undergrate pressure and the speed of remaining grate or grates controlled from the first grate by a ratio
controller.

b. The cooling fans are controlled to give constant volumes. This is particularly important on those
chambers which control the grate speed, as a change in air volume will affect the undergrate pressure. A
venturi can be used in the ductwork or more normally a piezometer ring is placed in the fan inlet cone to
control the damper setting.

c. To prevent the kiln hood from pressurizing, the hood suction is controlled by the cooler exhaust air
volume.

Monitoring of cooler plate temperatures is often employed as a back up to visual indication that overheating is
occurring. Hope Works can currently measure the temperature of plates at 20 positions through the cooler.

4.3.8 OUTPUT RATING

The maximum capacity of existing grate coolers is limited by one or more of the following factors.

a. The amount of clinker the grate can convey; we have no factual information as to the ultimate conveying
capacity of a grate but it is very unlikely that this will limit outputs.

b. The availability of sufficient fan capacity to ensure that the air/clinker ratio is adequate at the maximum
tonnage (not less than 3.5:1).

C. The standard of air sealing below the grate. Seals must be capable of containing the high pressures
associated with the deeper clinker beds necessary for maximum capacity.

d. The level of clinker exit temperature which is acceptable for the clinker conveyors and cement mill feed.
e. The grading of the clinker. The finer the clinker the more readily it will fluidize for a given air velocity.
A fluidized clinker bed on a totally inclined or partially inclined grate will tend to airslide at such a rate
as to prevent proper cooling.

f. The exhaust air capacity. The exhaust fan capacity must be sufficient to maintain a balance at the kiln
hood when the cooler is being supplied with adequate cooling air.

g. The exhaust air dust collector. The dust filter must be matched to give an acceptable dust emission at the
exhaust air capacity in item f. above

It would obviously be too complicated to have a cooler rating which incorporated all the above factors. What
is required is a simple expression which will tell use what output the cooler should handle if all the latest
technology is applied. The unit used for specific grate output is TPD/m² grate area. Details of existing Fuller
coolers and outputs are listed as follows:

Table 25.2 Fuller coolers on wet process kilns throughout BCI.

Table 25.3 Fuller coolers on dry process kilns in BCI.
Table 25.4 Details of Fuller coolers on kilns of over 2000 TPD capcity.

The data in these tables show that a wide range of specific output exists for coolers both within and outside
BCI. It must, of course, not be assumed that a cooler with a low specific capacity is necessarily a "poor" cooler
as it may be associated with a kiln which has an output below par.

The highest specific capacity achieved within BCI is 39 TPD/m² at Cookstown. The previous rating set for
Fuller coolers was 40 TPD/m². We have data relating to works in Japan where coolers are operating at a
specific output of up to 48 TPD/m². This is only achieved however, with a clinker bed depth of 800 mm and
an undergrate pressure of 600 mm w.g. This is a considerably deeper bed than we have any operational
experience of and utilizes considerable fan power. In most cases it would not be necessary to increase the
throughput of grate coolers above the rating of 40 TPD/m² even if the kilns could achieve their rated outputs.
(See Table 25.5). Therefore for most purposes and for the standard range of bed depth and undergrate
pressures now in use, we would still use the rating of 40 TPD/m² for flat and 5° inclined coolers, assuming fan
capacity is available. This rating can be exceeded' in special cases where kiln uprating is undertaken but it
obviously requires considerable improvement in other areas in the above list of limitations.

On the earlier Fuller coolers with a 100 inclined grate there have been problems with airsliding which led to a
rating of 35 TPD/m².

Example - see Figure 25.23

The general method of uprating and improvement in operation of a Fuller cooler is given below for an 850 H
cooler on a kiln with rated output of 1350 TPD.

The total cooling air quantity is based on a 4:1 air/clinker ratio although normal operation will be at a 3.5:1
ratio. The extra air is available for flushes and if the output target is exceeded in the future. The number of
chambers and chamber lengths are estimated from Figure 25.15. In this case we have five chambers. The deep
bed recuperation zone will cover the first three chambers of 6, 6 and 8 rows, long. The chamber walls will be
fitted to the back of static rows of plates.
Bridge and blank plates will extend the length of the first three chambers. Blanking across the hot end of the
cooler will depend on the pattern of clinker distribution from the kiln and may only be found by trial and error.
It is usual however, to blank the first row, because the trajectory of the clinker takes it away from the back
wall; the corners of the hot end may also need blanking. The purpose of these blank plates is to prevent the
first chamber-air from preferentially passing through the thin bed of. clinker that forms on these areas. It is
very important that the air passes through the clinker bed and does not by-pass it; if this occurs there is a
deterimental effect on kiln and cooler performance.

The air loading to each chamber is expressed in m³/min/m². A graduation of loading from first to last chamber
is aimed for and typical figures are 110, 95, 75, 60, 45m³/min/m². Loadings in excess of 135 m³/min/m² cause
dust and fluidization problems.

These velocity loadings can be multiplied by the live plate area in each chamber (an allowance of 50% of dead
plate area abuting live plates is added), to determine the total volume. These figures, can then be adjusted to
give the correct 4:1 air to clinker ratio. The fan duties are based on the 4: 1 ratio volumes and new fans should
always have a potential speed increase of 10% built in, should higher pressure drops or further increases in
output be obtained.

In this type of cooler the secondary air usually taken from the first three chambers, (1.66 kg air/kg clinker in
the example - typical secondary air for dry process 1.3) and the exhaust fan requirements can be calculated
accordingly.

4.3.9 UPRATING OF FULLER COOLERS

Virtually all modifications and uprating exercises on existing coolers have aimed at deep or deeper bed
operation. The object of this is to increase secondary air temperatures and efficiency by creating a greater area
and time of contact between the clinker and air in the recuperation zone of the cooler. Deeper bed operation
can be achieved by slowing down the grate but the normal method is to use bridge and blank plates as
previously described. This creates stationary bands of clinker on each side of the bed and a thicker narrower
bed moving at normal speeds. Deep bed operation requires higher undergrate pressures and so fan uprating
may be necessary. Deep bed operation through the installation of bridge and blank plates also ensures a more
even distribution of cooling air. through the grate plates and reduces the occurrences of overheated plates.

The modifications therefore include:

1. Installation of bridge and blank plates.
2. The creation of three chambers under the deep bed recuperation zone (where possible).
3. Fans-for the deep bed section capable of overcoming the higher restrictions.
4. Improvement of air seals between chambers and at spillage outlets.

The advantages are:

a. Better cooling of the clinker.
b. Increased heat recuperation.
c. Better protection of the grate from heat effects and large lumps.
d. Possibly less dust pick up with the deeper bed serving somewhat as a filter.
e. Reduction in size of the cooler.
4.4 POLYSIUS RECUPOL COOLER
4.4.1 DESCRIPTION

This cooler was designed by Polysius to operate on the same principle as the Lepol grate, it is shown in Figures
25.24 and 25.25. The grate is enclosed in a mild steel housing supported by a sectional frame. The travelling
grate consists of an endless chain, made up of cast steel chain links and transverse steel connecting rods and
spacer pipes which carry moveable slotted grate plates of heat resisting cast iron. The grate chain is sealed
against the casing by moving chrome-steel side sealing plates and stationary sealing elements. The upper and
lower strands are supported on suitably spaced rollers, the grate being driven by a set of sprocket wheels
connected to a variable speed drive. The continuous grate allows the plates to cool down on the return run
preventing overheating which can occur on reciprocating coolers where plates are continuously in the hot
zone. If plates do fail they can be speedily replaced as it is possible for a maintenance operator to enter the
chamber beneath the grate without having to cool down the whole cooler.

4.4.2 OPERATION

Clinker enters the cooler from the kiln via a water cooled chute and falls onto the slotted plates through which
air is being blown. The function of the chute is to give some protection to the grate from falling lumps of
clinker and it is cooled to prevent the sticking of hot clinker and the formation of “snowmen”. The area
beneath the grate is divided into chambers in order that the air velocity can be regulated along the length of the
cooler. One or more fans is used depending on the size of the cooler. Control of air to the chambers is by
means of dampers in each of the inlet ducts. There is little advantage to be gained by having a separate fan for
each chamber since a limit is imposed on air velocity by the method of fixing plates, i.e. plates are liable to be
lifted at their free end. This can be overcome by clipping the plates down, but at Weardale this practice was
halted because it tensioned the chain on the return run and caused excessive mechanical wear.

Spillage through or between the plates can either fall through the return section of the grate and collect above
a spillage gate or may by-pass the return section before being directed to the drag conveyor below the clinker.
The latter method is preferable as the former requires many seals and requires the grates to be unattached at
one end which restricts the use of high air velocities.

A problem associated with Recupol coolers is that of achieving a uniform depth of clinker across the width of
the grate. There is no mechanical movement in the grate to level out any heaps that form below the throat, and
it is not practicable to fit any mechanical devices. The normal method of leveling the bed is with high velocity
air supplied in pulses through nozzles situated just below the grate. This transforms the clinker into a similar
state to a fluidised bed and distributes it evenly over the width of the grate. At Cauldon Works two fans are
used with 15 and 20 HP motors delivering 30 m³/min and.40 m³/min at a pressure of about 1000 mm w.g. A
damper rotating at 60 rpm provides two pulses per second. The nozzles are several centimeters in width and
have lengths equal to 0.5 and 1.0 times the cooler width. At Weardale they have three high pressure fans but
have found that better cooler operation is obtained with a continuous jet and have removed the pulse dampers.
Undergrate pressures are relatively low on a Recupol cooler, typically 150 mm w.g. and the bed depth is
subsequently not as great as found on other types of grate cooler.

Without the plates being clipped there is a tendency for the pulse fans to lift the plates. This results in:

a. A loss of cooling air from each chamber if the plate remains lifted and reduced cooling of the clinker
remaining on the bed.

b. Excessive spillage, especially at the hot end. This spillage undergoes little cooling in the drag scraper
and contributes to a high clinker temperature.

c. Plates being broken as a result of lifting.

d. Reduced secondary air temperatures, affecting the kiln performance.

4.4.3 OUTPUT RATING

Table 25.6 gives the performance of Recupol coolers known to us and it can be seen that the highest specific
capacity is 35.2 TPD/m². The Polysius rating for these coolers is 30-32 TPD/m². The BCT recommendation is
a maximum capacity of 31 TPD/m². It is possible to operate the cooler above this level of throughput but only
at the expense of clinker temperature. At capacities of 34-35 TPD/m² clinker temperatures will be in the range
200-300°C which is generally unacceptable. The cooler can of course be operated in conjunction with an after
cooler, when capacities in the range 40-45 TPD/m² can be obtained with clinker temperatures about 450°C.

4.5 ALLIS CHALMERS SHAKER COOLER

4.5.1 DESCRIPTION

The shaker cooler manufactured by Allis Chalmers is a grate type of cooler in which the clinker transportation
is achieved by shaking the grate in a similar manner to a shaker conveying system. Figure 25.26 shows
diagrammatically the shaker cooler.

The combined grate and below grate air chamber are suspended on support arms which allow the lower
section of the cooler to rock backwards and forwards. Large coil springs attached between the moving section
and the foundations check this rocking movement. The cooler is driven through a variable speed motor.

The cooling air is supplied by a single fan at the hot end of the cooler. A flexible Joint in the air supply
ducting allows for the movement of the grate. Distribution of the air through the grate is controlled by
dampers positioned at intervals along the undergrate chamber. In some cases these dampers are mechanically
rotated continuously. Exhaust air is drawn off from the top of the cooler.

There are many problems associated with the operation of this type of cooler. It is not possible to operate with
a deep bed of clinker since overloading of the grate damps the action of the springs which prevents the clinker
from moving. There can be no effective air seal at the cold end of the air chamber since there must be a
clearance between the fixed and moving sections to allow clinker to be conveyed out of the cooler. This
prevents high pressure air, a pre-requisite of deep bed operation, from being supplied to the cooler. The below
grate pressures are around 100 mm w.g. at the hot end with a gradual decrease to below 25 mm w.g. at the
cold end.

Since there is no really effective method of sealing between the fixed and upper section of the cooler and the
lower moving grate section, considerable air inleak occurs. This has a cooling effect on the secondary air at
the hot end of the cooler.

The heat recuperation efficiency of these coolers is very low. The tendency is to operate them with a high air :
clinker ratio (up to 7:1 is fairly common) as a means of achieving cool clinker at the expense of heat
recuperation.

Table 25.7 gives the dimensions and outputs of a number of these coolers.

The average rating is 13.1 TPD/m² of grate, with 50% of the coolers operating above 14 TPD/m². An
achievable rating for these coolers is 15 TPD/m². The abilfty to reach this rating figure depends on what
clinker temperatures can be tolerated and on the mechanical condition of the cooler.

5. SHAFT COOLERS

The idea.of cooling clinker in a shaft cooler is not a new one. Shaft kilns represent a combination of a burning
apparatus and a clinker cooler in one unit. However, this type of cooler is not used by BCI and indeed has nut
yet achieved wide use within the modern cement industry.
Development of the Walther-Baratherm cooler began in the 1960's and progressed through from 100 TPD to
500 TPD sizes on pilot plant. In 1974 a 3000 TPD unit was installed on a dry process plant at Beckum and it
is now a proven piece of machinery. Polysius have also developed their own shaft cooler.

5.1 DESCRIPTION

The cooler is shown in Figure 25.27. The clinker from the kiln falls directly into the shaft where a column of
clinker rests on the roller grates and is cooled by air blown counterflow up through the clinker bed. The shaft
is divided into two zones. The upper zone has a constricted cross section in the shape of a cone so that the
clinker is maintained in a state. of partial fluidization by the increased air velocity. The lower zone, cylindrical
in shape, has a much larger diameter and therefore a much lower air velocity. There, the clinker slowly
descends and is steadily discharged through the roller grates. The fluidised bed in the cooler performs the
following functions:

a. It prevents agglomeration of the hot clinker

b. It distributes the clinker uniformly over the cross section of the shaft
C. It achieves rapid cooling of the clinker

5.1.1 ROLLER GRATES

The cooler has four grates arranged cross-wise with an aerated pyramid in the center. Each grate comprises
seven square section spindles, each carrying 23 profiled rings forming the rollers.

The drive consists of a hydraulic pump driving a hydraulic motor which drives each shaft through a magnetic
clutch and reversing gear box. The rotational speed of the spindles of each grate can be varied between 0 and
42 rev/hour. The speed is altered simultaneously for all the spindles of a grate but each roller can be
individually stopped or reversed and is also fitted with an overload device. The rollers crush any lumps to
below 30 mm on discharge.

5.1.2 CLINKER DISCHARGE

As the interior of the cooler is at a positive pressure in relation to atmosphere, a seal of clinker has to be
maintained within the four discharge chutes beneath the grates. The ducts may be sealed in various ways. The
so-called shell gate and carriage system has been successful and-a short apron feeder could also be used.

5.1.3 COOLING AIR SUPPLY

The air for cooling is distributed over the whole cross-section of the cooler by the grate area as a whole (about
60% of the air) and also by the pyramid mounted at the center of the cooler (about 40% of the air).

The cooling air is delivered by one single stage fan to each grate delivering air at a rate of 8.3 m3/sec at a
pressure of 0.2 bar. The pyramid is supplied by four rotary blowers supplying air at a rate of 2.8 - 5.6 m³/sec at
a pressure of 0.29 bar. These pressures used on the present installation give clinker temperatures in the range
250 – 350°C. Where clinker temperature of 100 – 150°C are required, a deeper bed depth will be necessary
and higher pressure fans will be required.
5.1.4 CONTROL

The secondary air temperature is determined by the level of the clinker in the cooling shaft. To control the
level the pressure drop is measured at four points around the cooler. This signal, via a transducer and
controller adjusts the speed of the grate rollers and this regulates the clinker discharge rate.

Control of the secondary air rate is achieved within very narrow limits from the kiln hood pressure, through a
master controller witch varies a system of regulating vanes in the inlet throat of each fan. The quantity of air
through set ratio controllers to each. With this each grate can be varied by pre arrangement, it is possible to
vary the fan delivery rates, in relation to one another, in accordance with the temperature of the clinker and the
coolers, while maintaining the overall airflow at a constant level.

A third control loop maintains the level of clinker in the exit chutes at the correct height so as to maintain an
effective air seal.

5.2 OPERATION AND EFFICIENCY

The mechanical moving parts of the counterflow shaft cooler are subject to only minor dynamic forces and the
refractory lining is not severely used. The operational availability is quoted as 95%, with a set of rollers lasting
about two years. Repair costs are about 12p per ton (1977) and electric power consumption about 10-14 kWh
per ton, depending on clinker temperature at the discharge.

The thermal efficiency is about 80% using about 1.0 m3 (N.T.P.) air per kg clinker. Radiation losses are low
and because there is no exhaust air, the need for dedusting equipment is eliminated.

6 CLAUDIUS PETERS 'G' COOLER

This development in clinker cooling is worth a brief description although it is not used by BCI Limited. It was
developed with the intention of retaining all the benefits of a grate and eliminating the disadvantages
associated with the exhaust air. The principles of the system are that a grate cooler only of sufficient size to
achieve recuperation with the secondary air is used. The clinker leaves the grate at about 450-500% and is
crushed before being cooled to below 100% in the after cooler where there is no direct contact between the
clinker and the cooling air. No clinker dust is entrained by the cooling air and no dedusting equipment is
required.

The cooler combination is shown in Figure 25.28. The after cooler is kept filled with clinker; the drag chain
on top distributes the material and a series of undercut gates at the bottom undertake the discharge. Transport
of the clinker through the cooler is by gravity - hence the name 'g-cooler'. The gates are controlled by a level
indicator.
The cooler consists of a number of identical compartments each equipped with numerous transverse lens
shaped channels for the passage of air. Each column of compartments is supplied with cooling air by an axial
fan. The air flow through the column follows a zig-zag path as shown.

Large clinker lumps are prevented from entry by grizzly bars at the top and retention time of clinker within the
cooler is two to three hours, giving a speed of 2-3 cm/minute. The slow passage gives good heat transfer and
low wear rates. A column normally consist of 5 compartments with clinker cooling from 450-100°C. The
cooling air leaves the top at approximately 120%.

The 'g-cooler' has its major use when cement plants are uprated. If the capacity of the existing cooler is
considerably exceeded, by changing to flash calcination for example, a 'g-cooler' can boost the cooling
capacity whether the existing unit is a grate, planetary or rotary cooler.

The advantage that can be gained from the use of this type of secondary cooler is that water can be used
instead of air as the cooling medium. The greater specific heat capacity will reduce the size of the unit and
warm water will become available for process or other uses, such as in fish farming.

7 THE EFFECT OF COOLING RATE ON CEMENT STRENGTHS

There has been considerable effort over the years on research studies relating to the cooling of cement clinker
and the effect on compressive strengths. Appendix 3 is a copy of a paper by 0.L. Jepsen of F.L. Smidth
(Zement Kalk Gips 2/1976) which details the conclusions found by several investigators. The final conclusion
in this paper is that no significant difference in cement strength is found by varying the rate of cooling. The
manufacturers of grate cooler may not agree with this statement, indeed the Fuller cooler was originally sold
on its merits as an air-quench cooler.

Our Research Division state that a marked increase in 28 day strength is shown by rapid cooling with A/F
ratio over 2.0. The effect decreases to a minimum at A/F of 1.4 but increases again at lower A/F. These effects
have b een proven under laboratory conditions where very fast cooling is possible.

Every different works clinker will behave in a different manner and-therefore a general statement that air
quenching or rapid cooling increases 28 day strengths is not valid.

APPENDIX I

K FACTOR

‘K’ factors are used in the design of rotary coolers to determine the surface area for heat exchange required for
a given surface. It is defined as the ratio of total internal surface area to shell area, i.e. K = 1 for a plain tube
and increases with the number of internal fittings.

From the performance of rotary coolers and consideration of the parameters influencing the transfer of heat
from clinker to air, an empirical relationship was obtained for a velocity dependent heat transfer coefficient F.

1000 Qa
F=
AV .8 ∆Tm
where Qa = heat transferred from clinker to air (Btu/min)
 A = total cooler internal area (ft²)
V = average air velocity (ft/sec)
∆Tm = log mean temperature difference (°F)

Tests have provided a value F = 20 for satisfactory rotary cooler design. The cooler internal area may be
expressed in the form

A = π DLK

where D = effective cooler diameter

L - cooler length

Therefore
1000 Qa
KL =
20πDV .8 ∆Tm

Thus for a given L, Qa, D and V a value of K can be used to find ∆Tm or vice versa.

APPENDIX 2

COOLER UPRATING AT EL FUERTE

A recent example of cooler uprating was at El Fuerte Works in Mexico during 1979. The No.2 kiln is a four
stage Humboldt preheater which was uprated by enlarging the cyclones. This necessitated uprating the cooler
to handle the increase in output from 660 TPD to 900 TPD.

The cooler is a Fuller combination designated 61OS/828H with 5° inclined grate. The existing four
compartments were retained but deeper. bed operation was used, this involved replacement of the fans on
chambers 1 and 2 and speeding up the fans on chambers 3 and 4 with new motors. Automatic volume control
was employed and new dust filters and exhaust fan were installed.

Original and uprated specifications are shown tabulated below.

Cooler Specification - Original

Cooler Type - Fuller 61OS/828H

Kiln Production - 660 TPD
Cooler Specific Load - 26.4 TPD/m²
Bed Depth - 305 mm sloping, 230 mm horizontal
Air fo clinker ratio - 4.9 : 1
Kiln fuel consumption - 1050 kcal/kg (net)
Clinker temperature 1350 to 65°C

Cooler Design
 Total
Compartment 1 2 3 4
Width (plates) 6 6 8 8 -
Length (plates) 3 6 12 13 34
Pressure (mm w.g.) 381 330 254 178 -
Air loading m3/min/m2 1ll 107 85 62 -
Air flow m3/min (Actual) 197 379 806 632 2014
Air flow m3/min (N.T.P.) 185 356 757 594 1892
Air/Clinker ratio 485 733 1.985 1.558 4.961

Cooler Specification Uprating

Cooler Type - Fuller 61OS/828H

Kiln Production - 900 TPD
Cooler Specific Load - 36.0 TPD/m²
Bed Depth - 350m sloping, 250m horizontal.
Air to clinker ratio - 4.0 : 1
Kiln fuel consumption - 900 kcal/kg (net)
Clinker temperature - 1350 to 65°C

Cooler Design
Total
Compartment 1 2 3 4
Width (plates) 6 6 8 8 -
Length (plates) 3 6 12 13 34
Pressure (am w.g.) 432 330 254 178 -
Air loading m3/min/m2 134 108 88 74 -
Air flow m3/min (Actual) 238 384 831 763 2216
Air flow m3/min (N.T.P.) 222 361 780 716 2079
Air/Clinker ratio .426 .693 1.500 1.377 4.00
APPENDIX 3

CEMENT STRENGTHS AND THEIR RELATION TO COOLING RATE AND TYPE OF COOLER
by 0 L Jepson (Zement Kalk Gips 2/1976)

INTRODUCTION

In recent years a number of articles on the effect of the clinker cooling rate on the strength of the cement made
from the clinker have been published.

Japanese research 1-3) indicated that a low rate of cooling resulted in higher early strengths and lower 28-day
strengths, whereas a high rate resulted in lower early strengths and higher 28-day strengths. It should be noted
that in those laboratory tests the low cooling rate was only 4° - 5°C/minute, while the high rate corresponded
to air quenching.

This means therefore that both of the cooling rates investigated were outside the range of conditions
encountered in the clinker coolers used in industrial practice. Actually, the rate of cooling of the clinker after it
has passed the burning zone of the kiln is usually about 20°C/minute.

Ono, Kawamura and Soda 1)found the best strengths for ordinary and for rapid-hardening portland cements to
be obtained with a moderate rate of cooling the clinker, and Enkegaard4) has shown that this rate confirms
closely to that of a kiln with a long burner pipe, irrespective of whether the cooler is of the grate or the
planetary type.

More recently, Sylla5) has published the results of two series of tests performed in cement works, in which the
investigators experimented with varying lengths of the cooling zone in the kiln. In the two series the
temperature of the clinker at the outlet end of the kiln varied within the range of 1410°-1450°C and
1320°-1440° respectively.

In both cases the lowest outlet temperature resulted in the best strengths, whereas no significant difference in
strength was ascertainable between clinker taken from after the cooler and from the kiln inlet, respectively,
and cooled either with compressed air or with water.

Sylla's tests were performed with two clinker compositions differing greatly from each other in respect of lime
standard, silica modulus and alkali content; the results confirm the validity of those obtained by Ono,
Kawamura and Soda and by Enkegaard.

Whether a further increase in strength can be obtained by longer cooling zones in the kiln than were tested by
Sylla must remain an open question until further research.

It should be mentioned, however, that the moderate cooling rate which, according to Ono, Kawamura and
Soda, gave the best strengths for ordinary and for rapid-hardening portland cement corresponds to cooling the
clinker in the kiln at a rate of 17°-20° C/minute down to 1200°C. In practice this means a 15 m long cooling
zone in the kiln, as cooling takes place at a rate of about 2O°C per metre of cooling zone.

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
The object of the tests reported in this article was to investigate whether the rate of clinker cooling, which is
regarded as so important by a number of author is, is indeed a matter of much significance in industrial clink..
coolers.

In the tests a certain sample quantity of clinker was taken at the kiln outlet. This sample was spread on a steel
plate and cooled with compressed air. 30 minutes later a comparison sample of clinker was taken at the outlet
of the cooler.

Chemical analyses were carried out on both samples, and the clinker was then ground (with gypsum) to
cement in a laboratory mill; the product had a specific surface area of 3000 cm²/g.

The temperature of the clinker at the kiln outlet was measured only in a small number of cases, as the samples
were mostly taken by members of the cement works -staff who seldom had the necessary equipment available
for -performing such measurements. The object of the tests was, primarily, to find out whether the rapid
cooling of the clinker taken direct from the outlet of the kiln resulted in higher cement strengths than did
normal cooling in the clinker cooler of the kiln.

In order to give the tests as general a character as possible, cement manufacturing plants producing clinker of
wide ranging composition were chosen:

Lime standard 90-100%

Silica modulus 2.2 - 6.0
Iron modulus 1.4 - 2.3
Na2O 0.18 - 0.40%
K2O 0.15 - 1.4%
Na2O equiv. 0.27 - 1.3%

The results of the strength tests are presented in Table 25.8 and in Figure 25.30.

Al-l the strengths have been converted with the aid of the CAJ conversion table into ISO/RILEM values. In
Table 25.8 the third column indicates whether the plant was equipped with a planetary or a grate cooler "b"
and "a" denote “before” and "after" the cooler, respectively. The 3-day and 28-day compressive strengths are
given in the fifth and seventh columns, while the value A listed in the sixth and eighth columns indicate the
percentage increase or decrease in compressive strength of the samples taken after (downstream of) the cooler
as compared with those taken before the cooler.

it should be noted that the deviations A in the 28-day strengths in 24 out of 25 cases are within a range of
variation corresponding to the normal scatter in the determination of these strengths. Thus the normal range of
variation in major research projects, such as those conducted by the Cement Association of Japan 6),
corresponded to a coefficient of variation of about 2%. At the 95% level of significance this corresponds to a
variation range of + twice the coefficient of variation or a range of 8%.
1 kilopond (kp) 1 kilogramme-force (kgf)
In the 3-day strengths the results show greater scatter; here more of the values A are outside a variation range
of about 10% than in the 28-day strengths (the coefficient of variation for determining the 3-day strength
is about 2.5%).

In further support of the hypothesis that the rate of cooling in industrial clinker coolers is of no importance to
the strength properties of the clinker, the numerical data contained in Table 25.8 were statistically processed
with the aid of the so-called “sign test”7). This method consists of listing the number of negative and positive
deviations from zero (Table 25.9). Then, with the aid of the number of valid observations and a table
published W), the maximum permissible number of positive deviations can be found below which a
significant negative deviation ∆ can exist. More particularly, the last column in the table states the maximum
number of positive values below which a significant negative value of ∆ can exist with 95% probability.

For example, if there had been only two instead of seven positive deviations ∆ for the 3-day strengths obtained
with the grate cooler, the negative deviation would be significant.

The results presented in Table 25.9 on the basis of the sign test indicate, for both types of clinker cooler, that it
is not possible, on the basis of the available numerical data, to infer the existence of a significant difference
between quenched samples and samples taken from clinker that has passed through the cooler.

CONCLUSIONS

In view of the results presented here it is not possible to infer that the quenching of clinker taken direct from
the kiln outlet has any significant' effect on strength.

TABLE 25.9 INDICATIVE TEST

Nor is there, with reference to the samples taken from the kiln outlet, any ascertainable difference in quality
between the grate cooler and the planetary cooler as regards the strength development of the cement.

The- test results are characterized by the fact that all the deviations found in the 28-day strengths are situated
within a range of variation equal to + twice the coefficient of variation.

The variations displayed by the 3-day strengths are somewhat greater, but it has been established that these
variations are not due to the type of clinker cooler employed, since repeated measurements performed on the
same kiln yielded positive as well as negative values of

From the available measured results it is to be inferred that the rate of cooling of the clinker after it has been
discharged from the kiln is of minor importance.

Having due regard to the results found by Sylla5) and by Ono, Kawamura and Soda1), it can be concluded that
it is primarily desirable to give the cooling zone in the kiln a suitable length so that the clinker leaves the kiln
at a temperature that is lower than the burning temperature and is, indeed, as low as practicable.

REFERENCES

1) Ono, Y.. Kawamura, S. and Soda, Y.: Microscopic observations of alite and belite and the hydraulic
strength of cement. Proc. V. Intern. Sympos. Chem. Cem., Tokio (1968), Part 1, 275.

2) Ono, M. and Nagashima, M.: Effect of cooling conditions of clinkers on strength of cement. The VI. Int.
Congr. on the Chemistry of Cement, Moscow (1974). Suppl. paper, Sekt. 1, 1-4.

3) Tomita, K., Ogawa, T., Abe, S. and Sagigya, I.: The effect of cooling rate of cement clinker on the
strength of cement. Cem. Assoc. Japan, Rev. 23. Gen. Meeting (1969). 81.

4) Enkegaard, T.: The modern planetary cooler. Cem. Techn., Vol. 3, Nr. 2
(1972).

5) Sylla, H.-M.: Einfluss der KlinkerkUhlung auf Erstarren und Festigkeit von Zement. Zement-Kalk-Gips
28 (1975), 357.

6) The Cement Association of Japan: Third International Cement Test, 71-OC, August 1972.

7) Crow, E.L., Davies, F.A. and Maxfield. M.W.: Statistics Manual, Dover Publ. Inc., New York, 56.
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 3

Clinker Coolers
 CLINKER COOLERS

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Thermal Efficiency “’

1.2 Air Requirement
1.3 Types of Coolers

2. ROTARY COOLERS

3. INTEGRAL COOLERS

3.1 Efficiency
3.2 Design and Operation
3.3 Uprating Integral Coolers
3.4 Rating of Integral Coolers

4. CONVENTIONAL GRATE COOLERS

4.1 Efficiency
4.2 Uses for Grate Cooler Excess Air
4.3 Fuller Cooler
4.4 Polysius Recupol Cooler
4.5 Allis-Chalmers Shaker Cooler

5. COMPARISON OF COOLER DESIGNS

APPENDIX I K Factors
APPENDIX II Uprating a Conventional Cooler

Inferences
1. INTRODUCTION

Clinker leaves thekilnred hotat atemperature usually inthe range of 1300-1400”C

(2372-2552”F). It passes over the nose ring of the kiln to the clinker cooler. The
purpose of a cooler is not only to cool the clinker, but also to recuperate heat and
return it to the kiln in the form of preheated primary, secondary, or tertiary air for
combustion. The clinker leaving the cooler should be cool enough to avoid damage to
handling equipment (particularly rubber belt conveyors). Cold clinker can also be
beneficial to cement mill efficiency by reducing the possibility of overheating.

The heat contained in the clinker leaving the cooler depends on its exact temperature
but will usually be in the range of 300-350 kcal/kg (1.079-1.259 mmBTU/ston).
Obviously, it is important to return as much of this heat to the process as possible, and
to keep the overall kiln fuel consumption to a minimum.

1.1 THERMAL EFFICIENCY

The thermal efficiency (q) of a cooler is defined as :

(A-B) c
n= ------ - x 100% = --- x 100%
A A

where A = heat content of the clinker leaving the kiln

B = heat losses from the cooler

“B” can consist of heat loss in any excess or exhaust air, heat contained in the clinker
leaving the cooler, radiation or other losses. “C” is the heat content of the secondary,
and in the case of precalciner kilns, tertiary air returned to the kiln. Conventional
cooler thermal efficiencies are typically in the range of 40°!6 to 800A.

1.2 Air Requirement

The transfer of heat from the clinker to the cooling air may be co-current, cross-
current, or counter-current, but in practice only the later two methods are used. As
the amount of available air for heat recuperation purposes is almost entirely dependant
on the kiln fuel consumption, this sets a limit to the amount of heat that can be
recovered. There is also a limit to the temperature to which the air can be heated
depending on whether counter-current or cross-current applies.

Figure 1 shows this limit in relation to kiln fuel consumption assuming that the heat
insulation in the cooler is perfect. It can be seen that the degree of heat recuperation
becomes lower with reducing kiln fuel consumption and the theoretical heat
recuperation from a cross-current cooler is lower than a counter-current cooler. Thus,
the lowest theoretical fuel consumption in a kiln with a cross-current cooler is 100 kcal

1
3fboa

320

300

22(

20

18

Fuel consumptionk callkg

Recuperation Relation Consumption

I

higher than in a similzir kiln with a counter-current cooler. These figures have not been
achieved in practice but if the lowest kiln fuel consumption is” demanded, then
development of the counter-current would appear paramount. Typical air requirements
for combustion are:

a) Wet process at 1500 kcal/kg (5.4 mmBTU/ston) and 21.43% S.C.C. -2.36 kg
air/kg clinker

b) Dry process at 850 kcal/kg (3.05 mmBTU/ston) and 12.14% S.C.C. - 1.34 kg
air/kg clinker.

Quantities for recuperation are less than the figures above as allowances must be made
for some inleak and primary air, although the latter may be taken from the cooler, via
the coal mill. The above refers to the cooler as a recuperator which is not quite the
same as a cooling device.

Due to the limits of recuperation mentioned above there are also limits to which the
clinker can be cooled, and this limit is higher in cross-current coolers than in counter-
current coolers, especially with low fuel consumption kilns. If the clinker temperature
is not satisfactory, further cooling is necessary by using more air which cannot be used
in the kiln, or by water injection.

/
1.3 Twes of Coolers

Counter-current cooling is utilized in rotary or integral coolers and cross current

cooling in reciprocating grate coolers. The different types are shown in Figure 2.

The rotary cooler was invented at the same time as the rotary kiln and is the simplest
of counter-current coolers. The integral cooler is fixed to, and rotates, with the kiln.
Both coolers are mechanically simple, have no moving parts and have no dust emission
problems as they operate under suction. The kiln I.D. fan draws in the amount of
secondary air required for the combustion process directly as cooling air.

The reciprocating grate cooler was developed in the United States in 1937 and has
almost completely replaced rotary and planetary coolers. It is mechanically
independent of the kiln. This cooler operates under pressure with the cooling air being
blown through a layer of clinker supported on a grate. Gas cleaning equipment is
needed to reduce emissions from the excess air require for cooling that has to be
vented.

3
 I

h. Orum~ Rokuy

x----

COOli~ air

B. Pkmet~ or Integol COOW

6s .—. —.— “—”

o
e \ .
“—. —.— “—”

C. Grde
Exhaust*to precipito~

FIGURE 2 Types of Coolers

2. ROTARY COOLERS

These were the earliest type of cooler and as counterflow heat exchangers are very
simple. The basic design is similar to rotary kiln and hence ample experience is
available to produce sound mechanical designs requiring a minimum of maintenance.
Clinker is red hot on entering the cooler and a brick lining is required for the first third
to half of the length. The remainder is normally provided with internal heat exchangers
such as lifters and cruciform.

The rotary cooler is very simple to operate, the only control being the speed of rotation.
Airflow rate is controlled by the kiln I.D. fan and dictated by burning conditions.

Following the development of the grate cooler and the resurgence of the planetary
cooler, rotary coolers are now very rarely found on new works because of the large
dimensions required for high outputs and the consequence on capital costs.

3. INTEGRAL COOLERS

Integral coolers, also called planetary or satellite coolers, became popular in 1930
because they saved on headroom and capital expenditure over rotary coolers. As larger
kiln capacities were required on new cement plants, the subsequent large integral
coolers were plagued with mechanical problems and they lost favour w}th the advent of
the grate cooler. However, they have experienced a resurrection in recent years and
now can handle kiln outputs of over 4,500 TPD. All main kiln plant suppliers now offer
this type of cooler to operate in conjunction with air through precalciner kilns, large
preheater kilns, long dry kilns, or wet process kilns.

The cooler consists of 9 to 11 tubes arranged circumferentially around the kiln discharge
end (Figure 3). The tubes are individually comected to the kiln by inlet pipes. The
cooler operates on the same principle as a rotary cooler and the tubes are generally
fitted with metallic or refractory lifters, and are refractory lined for about half of their
length. The tubes usually have a length equal to 8-10 times their diameter.

3.1 Efficiency

The essential function of the integral cooler was to cool the clinker by radiating the
heat to the surroundings. Of about 330 kcal/kg (1.19 mmBTU/ston) heat contained in
the clinker, more than half was lost by radiation. This led to high surface temperatures
and problems arose when kiln dimensions were increased. By insulating the hot zone,
surf ace temperatures were reduced and much larger coolers were possible. Heat
transmission was then affected by the secondary air and with the high economy dry
process kilns, internal fittings were required for heat transfer purposes.

5
The use of internal fittings in a modern integral cooler reduces the clinker temperature
in relation to the former types of cooler and the heat loss by radiation is now only
about 20%. Figure 4 shows sections through a typical cooler tube and indicates the
lifter arrangements. As with the rotary cooler, all the cooling air used in integral
coolers is utilized as preheated secondary air for combustion, and with good seals, can
represent about 75°A of the total combustion air. Secondary air temperatures of 600”C
(1 112°F) for the wet process and 850”C (1562”F) for the dry process can be achieved.

Clinker outlet temperatures of 120-150°C (248-302”F) are possible and recuperation

efficiencies of about 66% on the dry process and 73% in the wet process can be
achieved. The efficiency could be improved by increasing the insulated length but limits
are imposed by the hot strength of the inlet construction materials and the secondary
air temperature is limited to 850”C (1562”F).

In some cases the clinker is not distributed evenly over the individual tubes and
consequently with varying loadings, the greatest amount of cooling air is drawn through
the tubes with the least amount of clinker. The cooling effect and therefore the clinker
temperature can vary between the tubes.

Figure 5 shows the degree of recuperation attainable in integral coolers at various

temperatures of the cooled clinker, as indicated by FLS/Fuller for Unax coolers. When
the temperature of the cooled clinker drops to below 200”C (392”F), it can be seen that
the surface heat loss is so great that heat can no longer be recuperated. Reducing the
heat loss by improving the insulation is obviously an area for further development.

3.2 Desire and Che ration

There are two basic designs of this cooler in relation to the kiln. These can be seen on
Figure 6. Diagram A shows the cooler as a continuation of the kiln. The tubes are
arranged around a shell which is merely an extension of the kiln. The kiln itself ends
just in front of the cooler inlets. This method of construction utilizes the kiln slope for
clinker transportation. Kiln extensions are utilized for new large integral coolers and
usually require an extra tire as shown. The old type of cooler had no supporting shell
and was fixed to the kiln shell at one end. Diagram B shows the inverted type of cooler
where the clinker moves uphill by means of lifters.

The operation of the integral cooler is simple. Clinker enters the cooler tubes as the
kiln turns via an opening, called the cooler throat, that is flush with the kiln. Oversize
pieces of clinker and kiln coating usually tumble at the entrance of the cooler and are
eroded until they are small enough to fit into the cooler tube throat. Ambient air is
drawn through the ends of the individual cooler tub= by the kiln I.D. fan. There is
counter-current heat exchange from the hot clinker to the cooling air as the two media
make contact. The cooling air exits the cooler throat and enters the kiln as secondary
air. Simultaneously, the clinker is lifted and cascaded through the airflow along the
length of the individual cooler tubes due to the slope and rotational speed of the kiln.
The design of the cooler tube outlet causes a separation of the coarse and fine fraction

7
 I

A-

E-F

F GURE 4 Unax ntegral Cooler Tube Internals

I

350

300 Heat in
cooled
clinker

25(I

/
E’

?ecuperded
10( heat

400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

Clinker temperdure 0(

FIGURE 5 Recuperation in Unax Integral Coolers

A

FIGURE 6 Integral Coolers - Design with Respect

of clinker. The fine clinker falls onto a conveyor while the oversize clinker passes
through a hammer crusher before being discharged onto the conveyor.

There are several benefits of installing an integral cooler. A major benefit of this type I
of cooler is that it requires no gas clean-up system. Because all of the air that is drawn
into the kiln is used for combustion, there is no exc~ air to dedust. The power
consumption for the mechanical operation of the cooler is relatively insignificant as is
the power required to draw the air through the tubes. Generally, the integral cooler
adds only 0.5 kWh/t clinker to the power consumption of the kiln drive and the I.D. fan.
This type of cooler also saves on installation costs because it require-s little or no civil,
electrical, or process control equipment. Finally, the integral cooler is simple to
operate and demands no special qualifications or knowledge from the control room
operator.

Like any operational system, the integral cooler has its shortcomings. One of the
difficulties associated with integral coolers is the spill back of material that can occur
as the inlet approaches the 12 o’clock position. Falling clinker can damage the firing
pipe. Several methods to prevent spill back have been designed and are in operation.
Also, because the tubes are fixed to the kiln shell, the rotational speed cannot be
increased independently and the only method to uprate the cooler is to increase the
number of lifters. In the area of installation, its refractory costs are very expensive
and it is more costly to erect than other types of coolers. Finally, it cannot be used on
air separate precalciner kilns because there is no facility to draw off waste air for
drying or combustion requirements.

3.3 Umating Intefzral Coolers

3.3.1 Cooler Dimensions

As the diameter increases so does the shell surface area for direct transfer of heat from
clinker to cooler and cooler to air. However, the air velocity decreases and the heat
transfer rate between the clinker and the air is reduced. The overall effect is a
reduction in heat transfer, and taking account of increased restriction, volume loading,
and dust pick-up, a smaller diameter is more efficient and preferred to a larger
diameter cooler. The length of the cooler not only effects the shell area but also
determines the clinker residence time. Clinker exit temperatures are reduced with
increased length, but obviously this increases the capital cost of the plant.

3.3.2 Dam Rings

Installing dams rings in kilns with integral coolers is another method of increasing heat
transfer back into the kiln. Most dam rings are constructed from large 70-80% high
alumina bricks. The height of dam rings varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.
The most common practice is to make the ring height about two times the thickness of
the refractory lining, thus most dam rings are around 450-500rnm (17.7-19.7 inches)
high. It is preferred that the height of the ring results from installing large one-piece

11
bricks. In this way, the life of the ring is improved because dam rings constructed from
laying several bricks tend to have fine clinker forging its way in between the joints and
breaking the ring (Figure 7).

Generally, dam rings are located in the kiln about one to two meters in front of the
cooler tube inlets. The location provides a pre-cooling zone between it and the inlets
of the cooler tubes. As a result, hot clinker is held up from discharging into the
integral cooler tubes and has more time to release its heat to the kiln through radiation
and convective heat transfer.

In cases where the clinker is not distributed evenly over the individual tubes and
consequently with varying loadings, darn rings can help by retaining the clinker and
providing good clinker distribution to each of the cooler tubes. In order to receive this
benefit, the darn ring must be adequately maintained otherwise preferential filling of
certain cooler tubes might occur.

3.3.3 Lifters

Even if the maximum amount of air passes up the cooler, the recuperation efficiency
will be low if the air and clinker are not in contact for a sufficient period of tide. The
contact time can be increased by lengthening the cooler but this increases radiation
losses and capital cost. The practical solution is to fit the cooler with devices, such as
lifters, to increase the heat transfer rate. There are two essential characteristics of
good lifters. They should be able to increase radiation and convective heat transfer and
to maintain a long life. The lifters will increase the recuperation by two methods.
First, they lift and pour the clinker thus increasing the surface area of clinker directly
exposed to the air. Also, they increase the surface area of metal in contact with the
clinker. By exposing more surface area to the hot clinker, more heat is subsequently
transferred to the air stream. To retain efficiency, the correct number of lifters must
be installed and well maintained. This is particularly the case when integral coolers are
handling much greater capacities than the original design figures. The surface area of
the lifters required is determined by a “K” factor. The “K!’ factor calculation’ is used
in the design of integral coolers to determine the area for heat exchange required for
a given surface. An example of determining the “K” factor of an integral cooler is
sho’wn in Appendix 1.

The size and the shape of a lifter determines whether all or part of the clinker bed is
lifted. For an internal surface area, the heat loss will be less if only part of the clinker
bed is lifted. Cooler efficiency can be greatly influenced by the type, number and
condition of the lifters. Metal lifters may vary in shape, size, and number. They are
usually arranged in rings which are staggered along the cooler. It is impractical to use
metal lifters of the usual type at the inlet end of the cooler since high temperatures
make them soft and liable to breakage. In general, heat resistant metals available at
present are unsuitable for use as lifters at the inlet end. Therefore, lifters tie
concentrated after the hot zone to the discharge end of the cooler tube. In the hottest
part of the integral cooler, there is a high rate of heat transfer from clinker to air due
to radiation. In the next section where the clinker has lost its initial heat, VeIY little

12
 “11

J
I
J m
I
UJ
6
8

i
\
I
I
I
I
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4
-
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I
I,
I
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I
1
I
I

I
I

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heat transfer takes place. & clinker enters the metal lifter section, heat transfer
increases greatly due to the cascading action.

3.3.4 Cooler Throat Veloci~

The ,cooler tube throats should be designed so that the velocity of cooling air from the
cooler tubes is as low as possible. High throat velocities result in unnecessary dust
recirculation into the kiln. This can cause poor visibility in the kiln, poor flame
characteristics, and in some kilns, friable coating and rings. As the kiln throughput
increases, higher loadings on the cooler tubes occur and the throat velocity through each
will increase. If the velocity is too high, a reduction in the number of cooler tubes and
the increase of the total cooler throat area can be achieved. However, this is a time
consuming operation and is a very expensive option to pursue.

3.3.5 Kiln Hood Seal

Unlike grate coolers which have two fans to control the kiln hood suction, the kiln I.D.
fan controls the airflow through the integral cooler tubes. As a result, kilns with this
type of cooler have hoods that are under suction. Unfortunately, there will always be
gaps around the kiln hood through which ambient air will enter in preference to passing
through the cooler tubes. To obtain maximum efficiency, it is imperative to ensure that
the maximum possible percentage of ,combustion air passes through the cooler and
contacts the clinker. It is easy to realize the detrimental effect of drawing ambient
air for combustion as a result of a poor seal. This is especially true if the cooler tub~
are extremely loaded as inleaking air through the hood seal will be easier to obtain than
the hotter air through the cooler tubes. Therefore, maintenance of the hood seal should
be paramount during cooler uprating work.

3.3.6 Variation Laading vs Outlet Temperature

There are several factors which can effect the temperature of the clinker exiting the
integral cooler. Some of the variables that have already been mentioned are the cooler
tube diameter and length, lifter quality and quantity, cooling airflow, and dam rings.
Another factor which can alter the clinker outlet temperature is the loading of the
cooler tubes. Figure 8 shows the effect ,of the clinker outlet temperature due to
different loading conditions on the Zapotiltic No. 2 integral cooler. It can be seen that
for a given cooler tube geometry, there is an adverse effect on the amount of heat
transfer in the cooler tubes as the cooler throughput is increased.

As discussed earlier, changing the dimensions of an integral cooler due to higher kiln
throughputs can be costly. One method of controlling the clinker outlet temperature
without changing the geometry of the cooler tubes is to install an internal water spray
system. This system is standard equipment on most integral coolers. It consists of
ring-shaped channels surrounding the cooler tubes from which water is led into the
individual cooler tubes. Water is not used in normal operation but may be used when

14
 .—

ZAPOTILTIC COOLER No. 2

350
s
0

Lu
300

250

1-
1-
ILl
-1 200
1-
3
0
150

I I I I 1 I
1 I I I I
100
2024 2099 2240 2322 2415 2506 2600 2702 2831 2904 3003
DAILY CLINKER PRODUCTION (TPD)

FIGURE 8 Cooler Throughput V.S. Clinker Temperature

there is a surge of clinker, the kiln capacity has been increased, or the clinker outlet
temperature is higher than desired.

3.4 Rating of Inte~al Cooleni

The method of rating integral coolers is to compare the internal surface area of the
cooler tubes to the output of the kiln. The internal surface area that is calculated for
BCI ratings is measured from the discharge area of the cooler tube to the cooler throat.
TabIe 1 shows the dimensions and throughputs of integral coolers within BCI. Figure 9
shows the specific output of integral coolers plotted against shell surface area. This
graph shows a range of present operation from about 1.25 TPD/mz at 500 TPD to about
2.0 TPD/mz at 3000 TPD. For the purpose of rating the maximum output of an integral
cooler, higher figures than these have been used but each case must be considered
separately since the effect of high clinker temperatures varies from one works to
another. Figure 9 also gives an indication of the size of tubes required for different
clinker outputs.

4. CONVENTIONAL GRATE COOLERS

This type of cooler is independent of the kiln. The clinker leaves the kiln and is
deposited on a moving grate through which air is blown. There are three different
designs utilizing different methods of transporting the clinker along the grate. One
method used by Polysius uses a traveling grate consisting of plates mounted on a chain
which operates in a manner similar to the Lepol grate. The second and more common
method is the reciprocating grate cooler. This cooler consists of alternating rows of
fixed and moving grates. The moving grates pushing the clinker along the grate by
virtue of the reciprocating action. This design is used by all major equipment suppliers
to the cement industry. The final grate cooler design which shall be discussed is the
Allis-Chalmers shaker cooler, which as its name suggests, transports clinker by a
shaking action.

The majority of grate coolers within BCI are reciprocating grate cooks which are
manufactured by Fuller. Due to the similarity of the reciprocating grate cooler design,
the first portion of this paper concentrates on the Fuller cooler.

4.1 Efficiency

As explained earlier in this paper, the clinker cannot be cooIed to a sufficient degree
in the recuperation zone of the grate cooler with the kiln secondary air requirement.
To maintain a clinker temperature of 100°C to 50”C (212°F to 122°F), between 3 to 4
kg air/kg clinker is required, as on Figure 10. If all of this air were returned to the kiln
as secondary air, the cooler would almost be 100% efficient as shown in Figure 11.
However, if only 2 kg air/kg clinker is required by the kiln for combustion, the
maximum theoretical efficiency is only about 86%. Although the efficiency drops as

16
 I TABLE1 BCI INTEGRALGOOLERS 1

I Works Kiln
Number
Kiln
Process
Cooler
Designation
Number
of
Tubes
Tube
Diameter
m “
Tube
Length
m-
Inside Shell
Surface
m2
Area
Kiln Average
output
TPD
Cooler Specific
output
TPD/m2
Aberthaw 6 Suspension Preheater KHD 10 1.75 14.20 780.7 1,670 2.14
Ashaka 1 Suspension Preheater Polysius 9 1.80 17.78 904.9 1,390 1.54
Ashaka 2 Suspension Preheater Polysius 9 1.80 17.78 904.9 1,424 1.57
Athi River 1 Wet FLS 11 1.20 6.30 261.3 453 1.73
Athi River 2 Wet FLS 10 1.35 7.30 309.6 655 2.12
El Melon 8 Long Dry FLS 10 1.50 8.09 387.2 748 1,96
Manresa 2 Suspension Preheate r Polysius 10 1.60 13.10 658.5 917 1.39
Shagamu 1 Wet FLS 10 1.80 14.40 814,3 1,322 1.62
Shagamu 2 Wet FLS 10 1.80 14.40 814.3 1,275 1.57
Sharjah 1 Eingle stage preheate r FCB 10 1.48 11.50 534.7 797 1.49
 x

x o
x x Wet process
o xx Xo o Dry process

501

, 4
v ,

1000 2000 3000 4000

Output T.F!D.

FIGURE 9 Integral Cooler - Output V.S, Shell Surface

 , 1 1 , 1
I

) 1 2 3 4 5 6
Air/clinker mtio

FIGURE 10 Theoretical Relationship of Clinker Temperature V.S. Air/Clinker Ratio

 THEORETICAL PERFORMANCE OF GRATE COOLER
100

,, 80

60

40

20

I ( t i 1 I ! I I I
I I I I I I I 1 I 1 I I I I

0 I I I I I I 1 I I I 1
I 1 1

2 3 4
0 1
SECONDARY AIR / CLINKER RATlO (kg airlkg clinker)
———
.—...——
.—_——.. —.— —— ——— —.—

of a Grate Cooler
FIGURE 11 Maximum Theoretical Thermal Efficiency
 1’

kiln air requirement is reduced, the temperature of the secondary air should increase.
The overall aim of the recuperation portion of a grate cooler is to maximize the
temperature of the secondary air that is returned to the kiln so that fuel savings may
be obtained. Therefore, a compromise between efficiency and secondary temperature
is unavoidable. The following example shows a conventional reciprocating grate cooler
heat balance and the resulting thermal efficiency versus the theoretical cooler
efficiency. To make the balance equal, the secondary air heat content is calculated as
the difference between the total heat content into the cooler and the other variabl-
contributing to the heat out of the cooler. The heat content of the secondary air is
used to solve for the secondary air temperature.

Clinker production = 1817 TPD

= 75,708 kg/hr
Total cooling air = 214,233 kg/hr
= 2.83 kg/kg clinker
Cooler exhaust air = 108,930 kg/hr
= 1.44 kg/kg clinker
Secondary/Tertiary
-- air = 105,303 kg/hr
= 1.39 kg/kg clinker
Datum temperature = 20 “c

Into cooler

Mass flow Specific heat Temp. Heat content

kg/kg clinker , kcal/kg-°C ‘c kcal/kg clinker

Clinker 1.00 0.252 1280 317.52

Air 2.83 0.241 35 10.23
TOTAL 327.75

Out of cooler

Clinker 1.00 0.195 180 31.20

Exhaust 1.44 0.242 244 78.06
Radiation 3.00
Sec. air 1.39 0.251 638 215.49
TOTAL 327.75

Heat recuperated as Secondary air

----- ------ ----- ----- ----------------- --- x 100%
Heat content of clinker into the cooler

67.9%

By definition the theoretical thermal efficiency of a cross-current cooler is given by the

equation:

n= l-e-p
where e= the natural base of logarithms
P= the mass ratio between secondary air and clinker (kg air/kg
clinker)

21
According to this equation, thetheoretical thermal efficien~” for asemndary air to
clinker ratio of 1.39 is 75.1%. From this comparison, the thermal efficiency of this
grate cooler is very good.

4.2 Uses for Grate Cooler Excess Air

The exhaust air from grate coolers can often be usefully employed and this can increase
the effective efficiency of the cooler, although not necessarily with a direct effect on
the kiln prime fuel consumption.

Primary air for firing and drying fuel and transporting it through the coal milling system
is usually taken from the cooler, and exhaust air at about 200”C (392”F) can be used for
stone drying or milling operations. For the purpose of coal drying, the air should not
be taken in excess of that required or the kiln secondary air will be affected and this
will have an adverse effect on fuel consumption.

For precalciner kilns, the tertiary air required for combustion of the fuel in the
precalciner vessel can be obtained by introducing another takeoff between the cooler
throat and the exhaust air duct. This type of arrangement is obviously not possible with
integral coolers and therefore, precalciner kilns generally use grate coolers.

4.3 Fuller Cooler

The Fuller cooler, as shown in Figure 12, consists of one, two, or in the case of very
high output kilns, three grates. Each grate is composed of alternate rows of moving and
fixed to the cooler casing structure while the moving plates are bolted to a common
framework. Each plate has a lip about 50rnm (2 inches) high m its front edge and this
pushes the clinker along the grate as the moving plates oscillate backwards and
forwards. The moving frame is driven on an eccentric by a variable speed motor or a
hydraulic drive. The normal thrust of the grate is 125rn.m (5 inches).

Clinker falls directly on the grate through which air is blown. Below this grate, the
area below is divided into a number of chambers which are separated by air tight seals.
The clinker leaves the cooler via a rotary hammer crusher or a roller crusher which
reduces the size of large clinker formations.

4.3.1 Grate Plates

4.3.1.1 Conventional Grate Plates

Grate plates are used to control the air flow from the cooling fans to the overhead
clinker bed. The majority of these plates have holes drilled through them and are known
as live plates. Various designs of live plates are used throughout the grates. The
majority are flat with tapered holes of 9. 5mm (Yu inch) diameter at the tapered end.
The taper is 7° and the plates vary from 12 to 19mrn (4 to VAinch) in thickness.

22
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1[
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..
ik
..........
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AH ‘ ‘-–
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Grate plates are constructed with a compromise between wear and the~al resistance,
depending on their location in the cooler. Plates at the recuperation end of the cooler
are normally made of heat rwisting steel (25/20 Cr Ni or 25/12 Cr Ni). Grate plates
at towards the end of the cooler are made of wear resistant cast iron.

New conventional grate plat~ attempt to increase the plate resistance by decreasing
the diameter of the plate holes. This allows for better air distribution to all plates in
conjunction with a deeper bed operation. However, it may be necessary to uprate the
fan’s pressure capability which will possibly cost more power drawn. The following
table illustrates several different grate plate characteristics:

FREE AREA OF CONVENTIONAL GWiTE PLATES

Plate type Holes Diameter (mm~ Free area (%)

Original Fuller plates 58 9.5 4.4

49 9.5 3.7
Double Fuller plate 110 8.0 3.0
Claudius Peters plate 75 7.0 3.1
Latest Fuller plate 44 10.0 3.7
Latest Double plate 94 10.0 4.0
Citosan plate 100 6.0 3.0
Kobe 56 10.0 4.7

Most coolers have used bridge plates in conjunction with a deep bed operation. They
are used to bridge moving plate-s down each side of the cooler. They are blank plates
and when used are preceded by normal blank plates to produce a stationary band of
clinker one plate wide along the side of the cooler. In between stationary bands, the
moving bed is narrower and therefore thicker at normal speeds. It is unwise to use
bridge plates over a portion of a chamber as this creates different clinker bed
thicknesses and preferential air distribution through the thinner part of the clinker bed.
Figure 13 shows a bridge plate fitted in a cooler. The stationary clinker band that is
formed is beneficial by reducing wear on the side castings and providing a seal where
a normally thin bed of clinker would be liable to “spouting.” It should be noted that the
bridge plates are left and right handed. In areas where they are used, fan requirements
can be reduced by using adjoining plates with extra holes.

4.3.1.2 Shakemear Slotted Grate Plates

The Shakespeare Foundry’s Slotted grate plate can be used in any zone of a grate
cooler. As Figure 14 illustrates, the plate measures 420mm X 297rnm (16.5 inches X
11.7 inches) and has 15 recessed slots measuring 40gm X 5mm (1.6 incha X .2 inch=).
Shakespeare Slotted plates are also thicker than conventional grate plates. This plate
is 30rnm (1.18 inches) thick as compared to 12rmn (0.47 inches) thick for normal grate
plates. The plate is cast of 25/20 Cr Ni. This plate invokes a higher pressure drop than
conventional grate plates. The cooling air follows an peculiar “S-shaped” path through

24
 Side, plate

Normal plate
- /(withoti holes)

row
holes)
7 -0
. O-o a-o
Moving row
(extra holes)

(extra holes)
Normal plate
(without Ides) ‘~

FIGURE 13 Sketch of Bridge Plate Fitted in Cooler

 I

1
/

I OWG Ns SFO02

FIGURE 14 Shakespeare Slotted Grate Plate

the gap of the plate. Air enters perpendicular to the underside of the plate, curves at
a right angle, and follows a path along the channel of the curve in front of it. In this
manner, the cooling air exits horizontal to the plate surface. These plates also feature
an interlocking design so that adjacent plates comprising a cooler row fasten together.

Therefore, there are no gaps between the plates and riddlings spillage to the undergrate
compartment is reduced.Hope Works has had great success by installing these grate
plates on their inclined grate section of No. 1 cooler. The Shak~peare Slotted plates
have lasted more than two years in this area whereas conventional single width and
double width grate plates have lasted only six months. Also, the interlocking feature
of this plate has helped to reduce the amount of riddlings that fall to the undergrate
chamber.

4.3.1.3 FLS/Fuller Reduced Fall Through (RFT) Grate Plates

The RFT grate plate is used in the cooling zone as a retrofit to an existing grate cooler.
This plate features a recessed design which promotes long wear life and grate protection
from hot clinker (Figure 15). It has an open bottom because it is chamber aerated like
a conventional grate plate. The lifetime of these grate plates are expected to be twice
the normal life of standard grate plates. The pocket design also has the effect of
reducing material spillage. Some installations have reduced their spillage gate
frequency by 90%. These plates will fit most FLS/Fuller coolers. For other coolers,
it may be required to replace the support beams. The R~ plate is supplied to cooler
retrofits with the standard T-bolt fastener. RFT grate plates have been installed in
coolers at HarIeyvilIe and Tulsa in the United States.

4.3.2 Grates

Each moving frame and the associated stationary plates are referred to as a grate. A
complete cooler unit can consist of one or more grates where each grate will have a
separate drive for the moving frarne. Combination grates evolved with the use of Fuller
coolers for large kiln outputs. The individual grates may be inclined at different angIes
or horizontal and driven at different speeds. Today, most traditional grate coolers vary
the inclination of their first grate from horizontal to an incline of 5° from the
horizontal plane of the cooler.

The active grate width at the inlet end of the cooler should be proportional to the inside
diameter of the kiln. A factor of 0.5 to 0.6 tire= the inside diameter of the kiln is used
to determine the optimum grate width. Some coolers have used a refractory formation
in the recuperation zone called a “horseshoe,” because of the similar shape. The
castable ‘horseshoe” usually creates a narrow grate area against the back wall of the
cooler. As the “horseshoe” continues down the side walls of the cooler, the castable
tapers so that the exposed grate area of the cooler becomes greater. The idea is to
narrow the inlet area of the recuperation zone so that a deeper bed of clinker is formed.
The deeper bed should increase the residence time of the cooling air with the bed of hot
clinker and produce higher secondary air temperatures. Another benefit of the

27
FIGURE15 FLS/Fuller RFT Grate Plate
narrowed inlet is that the coarse and fine fractions of clinker are captured together so
that segregation is less likely. As the reciprocating motion of the cooler moves the
clinker down the length of the cooler, it should spread the clinker laterally so that the
fines and coarse fraction of the clinker are better mixed. The width of the cooler
grates after the recuperation zone usually increases as a deeper bed is not required.

4.3.3 Reducing Oversize Clinker

With most conventional coolers, clinker discharges from the grate to a set of inclined
grizzly bars. Oversize clinker slides down the bars to a hammer crusher, which breaks
the oversize clinker pieces by impact (Figure 16). The reaction of the hammers
impacting the large pieces of clinker throws the broken pieces back to the grate for
additional cooling. Chains forming a curtain are hung from the cooler roof a short
distance back into the grate and along the cooler sides in order to minimize damage to
the refractory coating by impact from the clinker pieces.

Another option of reducing oversize clinker is by using a roller crusher (Figure 17). The
roller crusher consists of several hydraulically driven crusher rolls. The rolls are usually
cooled by individual fans mounted on the outside of the crusher. It can be used for
installations where temperatures approach 800°C (1472”F). The number of rolls depends
on the capacity of the clinker to be crushed. One of the main features of this crusher
is that the rolls work with a low rotational speed so that no refractory damage from
airborne clinker occurs, no chain curtains are required, and dust generation is minimal. ~
An advantage that the roller crusher has over the hammer crusher is that this type of
crushing system r-ults with a uniform clinker particle size. It also results in low power
consumption. A shortcoming of this system is that the capital cost for the roller
crusher is much higher than that of a similar sized hammer crusher.

A deviation from the traditional placement of grates is the installation of an air-cooled

roller crusher between the last two grates rather than at the end of the cooler. The
controlled clinker particle size in the after cooling zone reduc~ the residence time of
the clinker needed for cooling to a given clinker exit temperature. This means that only
small sized clinker is on the final grate and better cooling is achieved. Reductions in
cooling air, exhaust gases, and the size of exhaust gas cleanup plant are featur- of this
system. However, this arrangement requires significant headroom between the grates
where the roller crusher is installed. A step created from the end of the grate previous
to the roller crusher to the beginning of the grate after the roller crusher can be a
meter or more.

4.3.4 Airflow

Beneath the grate, the cooler is divided into chambers with a dedicated cooling fan
supplying air. To ensure the correct air distribution, the chamber should be sealed so
that there is no air infiltration from one to the other. One method of reducing air
leakage between chambers is to reduce the dif ferential pressure between the chambers.
Because the expansion and hence the velocity of the cooling air decreases with the

29
declining temperature of the clinker bed, undergrate pressure iS high at the recuperation
end of he cooler and falls proportionately towards the exit end. A general rule of thumb
to avoid leakage between chambers is to have a differential pressure between adjacent
chambers of 50mrn w.g. (2 inches w.g.). The intercharnber differential pressure can also
be reduced by increasing the number of chambers but there is a limit to this number.
The length of each chamber in proportion to the cooler length can be calculated from
Figure 18. The total number of chambers depends on the cooler length. From the
graph, the approximate position of each division wall can be found. For uprating or
improving existing coolers, actual positions of new walls must be finalized relative to
physical considerations such as the positions of existing spillage gates, access doors, and
framework. For the best seal, the top of the chamber wall should be attached to the
rear of a fixed row of plates.

In order to maintain the correct airflow patterns for the cooler, higher air loadings are
required for compartments at the hot end of the cooler as compared to those at the cool
end. Air loadings for each chamber can be found from design velocities. Typical
velocities for each chamber of active grate are:

m3 /min/mz ft3/min/ft2

Chamber 1 120 to 90 394 to 295

Chamber 2 100 to 90 328 to 295
Chamber 3 95 to 85 312 to 279
Chamber 4 85 to 65 279 to 213,
Chamber 5 70 to 60 230 to 197
Chamber 6 60 to 45 197 to 148

where the volumes of air are in terms of actual cubic meters per minute and air is
assumed to be at a temperature of 20°C (68”F). The actual velocities which are used
will depend to some degree on the grate angle, cooler maintenance, and clinker particle
sizes. The plate area takes into account the leakages through blank plates by adding
an allowance of 50% of the area of blank plates which are adjacent to live plates. The
total area multiplied by the velocity gives the volume required. The volumes on each
chamber may be adjusted to give the overall requirement. Figure 19 shows typical
temperatures, pressures and chamber lengths for a six compartment cooler.

4.3.5 Spillage

With all grate coolers there is a certain amount of riddlings that form the spillage
through and between the plates. This is released from the undergrate chamber to a drag
conveyor or on older coolers, a screw conveyor, by means of spillage gates. There are
three main types of spillage gates used on coolers at the present time. The single and
double flap designs are used when the drag scraper is external to the spillage
compartments. Both require sufficient headroom which usually entails providing a
tunnel below ground level.

32
 (/)’
c
o
.—
+
.-
tn
o—
o
+
Smqlullq)
 \

5th 6th
St 2nd 3rd 4th
1500‘
II I
: 1
I i

! -600
*

“ 500
I
I

-400

-300

500
200

100

I
#

(
I 1, I 1 1 , v 1 1

55
40
I

5 10 15 20 25 30 3s 45 50
Cooler length - rows of plates

FIGURE 19 Typical Air Pressures and Material Temperatures Through a 6 Compartment Cooler
The single flap gate (Figure 20) when open is only air-tight while there is sufficient
spillage to form a material seal. When all the spillage has run out, the seal is broken
and cooling air is lost. The flap can be operated automatically using a timing
mechanism which attempts to maintain enough material to form a seal.

The double flap (Figure 21) maintains a seal at all tim~ ~d is found on modern
conventional coolers operating at higher pressures. The flaps can be automatically
opened by a motorized cam or by pneumatic control. This type of seal requir- more
headroom than a single flap and it may not be possible to fit them to existing coolers.

When the drag scraper passes through the undergrate compartments, the spillage is
removed continuously and it is more difficult to maintain a good seal between chambers.
A “letter box” seal (Figure 22) is used in this situation. This seal requires no headroom.

4.3.6 Grate Cooler Instrumentation and Control

A three mode control is used for grate coolers:

a) Cooler grate speed is controlled automatically with respect to undergrate

chamber pressure. In most cases, this is the first chamber pressure but second
chamber pressure is occasionally used or a combination of both chamber
pressures. On a combination cooler, each grate can be controlled independently
/ with the pressure of its first chamber controlling the speed of each grate.
Alternatively, the speed of the first grate can be controlled by its undergrate
pressure and the remaining grate or grates from the first grate by a ratio
controller.

b) The cooling fans are controlled to give constant volumes. This is particularly
important on those chambers which control the grate speed, as a change in air
volumes will affect the undergrate chamber. Normally a piezometer ring is
placed in the fan inlet cone to control the fan volume. This fan volume is
changed by a feedback signal adjusting a variable inlet vane damper placed in the
fan inlet, a louvre damper at the fan outlet or a variable speed motor setting.

c) To prevent the kiln hood from pressurizing, the hood suction is controlled by
adjusting the cooler exhaust fan damper. In extreme cases, the after
compartment fans are varied so that the kiln hood pressure is maintained.

Other controls that assist the operator with good cooler operation include:

● Pressure tappings to indicate the undergrate presWre of each compartment

4 Thermocouples for cooler grate plate temperatures at the inlet of the’ cooler
● Level detectors in the undergrate hoppers to control the dump cycle of riddlings
9 Cooler camera to view the inlet of the cooler to detect build up of material on
the first grate.

35
al
Iii
c1
Crl
a)
0
N
LL
 ____ --—. —.
K \\\\9

[F! ‘“’i’”ArN \ L

titwised

LJ-\’%T
\

v
\ Cam assembly
\i
\\
\\
,\
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f30ttokf lap

FIGURE 21 Double Flap Gate

76
a)
‘x
;
N
N
LLl
K
3
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ii
 4.3.7 Cooler Speed and Power

In order to optimize the bed depth in the cooler, the grate speed is an important
controlling factor. Most grate coolers have a speed range of 4 to 30 strokes per minute.
For Fuller coolers, the grate speed, called the design velocity in strokes per minute, can
be calculated based on the desired clinker bed depth, the length of the cooler stroke,
the kiln output, and the width of the grate. This design velocity is the normal working
speed at the specified kiln production and bed depth

Design velocity Vd = ~ X TPD/h

where % = 6/(1 .64xSXW)

TPD = tonnes per day

h = bed depth in inches
s = stroke length of the cooler (normally 5 inches)
w= width of the grate in feet.

The normal range of operation is within the following limits:

Minimum speed = 0.5 x design velocity

Maximum speed = 1.5 x design velocity.

The cooler power calculation is empirical in that it includes some power reserve to cope
with kiln flushes. According to Fuller, it gives good results in practice:
/

HP = (0.24 + 0.028 X h) X Vd X A/100

where

h= bed depth in inches

Vd = stroke length of the cooler (normally 5 inches)
A= grate area or each grate (if part of a combination cooler)in square feet.

4.3.8 Cooler Throat Velocity

As the clinker discharges into the cooler from the kiln, secondary air will leave the
cooler and enter the kiln simultaneously. Potentially, the secondary air could be of
sufficient velocity to capture undersize clinker particles and re-entrain them into the
kiln. When this happens, the kiln can become very dusty and difficult to view by the
pyroprocessing operator. Two main factors which are associated with this problem are
the temperature of the secondary air that results from the cooler and the area of the
cooler throat. Because the cooler throat is a fixed area, the secondary air velocity
results from the volume of secondary air that passes through the cooler throat into the
kiln. For a given mass of air, a volume of the air will increase as the surrounding
temperature increases. Therefore, the temperature of the secondary air controls the
velocity of this air that returns into the kiln. Due to fluctuations in kiln control, the

39
temperature of the secondary air changes frequently and would be difficult to control.
Therefore, the cooler throat is sized for any fluctuations in secondary air mass flow or
temperature. Obviously, the area of the cooler throat will depend on the size of the
cooler, but should be sized so that the resulting secondary air velocity will be low
enough as to not have enough velocity to lift the majority of clinker dust particles. A
typical velocity figure used to size the cooler throat is 6 m/s (1181 ft/min) with an
maximum velocity figure of 7.62 m/s (1500 ft/min).

4.3.9 Uprating of Fuller Coolers

Virtually all modifications and uprating exercises on existing coolers have aimed at deep
bed operation. The object of this operation is to increase secondary air temperatures
and efficiency by creating a greater area and time of contact between the clinker and
air in the recuperation zone of the cooler. Deeper bed operation can be achieved by
slowing down the grate but the normal method is to use bridge and blank plates as
previously described. This creates stationary bands of clinker on each side of the bed
and a thicker narrower bed moving at normal speeds. Deep bed operation requires
higher undergrate pressures and so fan uprating may be necessary. The installation of
bridge and blank plates also ensures an even distribution of cooling air through the grate
plates and reduces the occurrences of overheated plates.

The modification therefore include:

1. Installation of bridge and blank plates.

2. The creation of three chambers under the deep bed recuperation zone (where
possible).

3. Fans for the deep bed section capable of overcoming the higher restrictions.

4. Improvement of air seals between chambers and at spillage outlets.

The advantages are:

a) Better cooling of the clinker.

b) Increased heat recuperation.

c) Better protection of the grate from heat effects and large lumps.

d) Possibly less dust pick up with the deeper bed serving somewhat as a filter.

e) Reduction in the size of the cooler.

40
The general method of uprating and improving the operation of a Fuller cooler is given
below for an 850H cooler on a kiln with rated output of 1350 TPD (Figure 23).

The total cooling air quantity is based on a 4:1 air to clinker ratio although normal
operation will be at a 3.5:1 ratio. The extra air is available for flushes and if the output
target is exceeded in the future. The number of chambers and the chamber lengths are
estimated from Figure 19. In this case, there are five chambers. The deep bed
recuperation zone will cover the first three chambers of 6, 6, and 8 rows long. The
chamber walls will be attached to the back of static rows of plates.

Bridge and blank plates will extend the length of the first three chambers. Blanking
across the hot end of the cooler will depend on the pattern of clinker distribution from
the kiln and may only be found by trial and error. Usually the first row is blanked
because the trajectory of the clinker takes it away from the back wall: The corners of
the hot end may also need blanking. The purpose of these ‘blank plates is to prevent the
first chamber air from preferentially passing through the thin bed of clinker that forms
in these areas. It is very important that the air passes through the clinker bed and does
not bypass it. If bypassing occurs, there is a detrimental effect on kiln and cooler
performance. The air loading to each chamber is expressed in m~/min/m~. A
graduation of loading from the first to the last chamber k aimed for 110, 95, 75, 60, AS
m*/min/m20 Loadings in excess of 135 m~/min/m~ cause dust and f luidization
problems.

These velocity loadings can be multiplied by the live plate area in ~ach chamber to
determine the total volume. An allowance of 50% of dead plate area abutting live
plates is added. These figures can then be adjusted to give the correct 4:1 air to clinker
ratio. The fan duties are based on the 4:1 ratio volumes and new f am should always
have potential speed increase of 10% built in should higher pressure drops or further
increases in output be obtained.

In this type of cooler, the secondary air is usually taken from the first three chambers
(1.66 kg air/kg clinker in the example - typical secondary air for dry process kilns is 1.3
kg air/kg clinker) and the exhaust fan requirements can be calculated accordingly.

Appendix 2 shows the results of uprating a Fuller combination 610S/828H grate cooler.
This cooler was uprated as a result of higher kiln capacities.

4.3.10 Output Rating

The maximum capacity of existing grate- coolers is limited by one or more of the
following factors:

a) The amount of clinker the grate can convey; we have no factual information as
to the ultimate conveying capacity of a grate, but it is very unlikely that this
will limit outputs.

41
 ~ BUNK PLATE

A BRIDGE PLATE

* TOTA

Chamber No. 1 2 3 4 5
Olvfsion Plqte Fixed 7 13 21 33
To back of Carrier Bar No. Rows 6 6 8 12 15 47
No. Live Plates 28 36 48 94 120
Allowance 7 6 8 1
Total No. Plates 35 42 56 95 120
~;~s~ Velocity @ 3.5:1 m3/min/m2 114 99 99 84 61

Volume m3/min 371 386 515 740 679 2691

Velo ity@400:l m3/min/m2 130 112 112 95 70
&
@20c
Volume m3/min 442 441 588 842 772 3065
Chamber Pressure nmn.W.G. 457 457 406 254 254
Bed Oepthm.m. 305-355 305-355 305-355 205-255 205-255

FIGURE 23 Basis for Uprating 850H Fuller Cooler for Output of 1350 TPD
 b) The availability of sufficient fan capacity to ensure that the air to clinker ratio
is adequate at the maximum tonnage (around 2.8 to 3.3 kg air/kg clinker)

c) The standard of air sealing below the grate. Seals must be capable of containing
the high pressures associated with the deeper clinker beds necessary for high
capacity.

d) The level of clinker exit temperature which is acceptable for the clinker
conveyor and the cement mill feed.

e) The grading of the clinker. The finer the clinker, the more readily it will
fluidize for a given air velocity. A fluidized clinker bed on a totally inclined or
partially inclined grate will tend to airslide at such a rate as to prevent proper
cooling.

f) The exhaust capacity. The exhaust fan capacity must be sufficient to maintain
a balance at the kiln hood when the cooler is being supplied with adequate
cooling air.

g) The exhaust air dust collector. The dust filter must be matched to give an
acceptable dust emission at the exhaust air capacity in item “f” above.

/ It would obviously be too complicated to have a cooler rating which incorporated all of
the above factors. What is required is a simple expression which will tell us which
output the cooler should handle if all the latest technology is applied. The unit used for
specific grate output is TPD/mz grate area. The data in Table 2 shows the wide range
of specific outputs .for reciprocating grate coolers within BCI. It must not be assumed
that a cooler with a low specific capacity is necessarily a “poor” cooler as it may be
associated with a kiln which has an output below par.

The highest specific capacity achieved within BCI is 48 TPD/mz at El Melon. The
previous rating set for conventional Fuller coolers was 40 TPD/m% In most cases it
would not be necessary to increase the throughput of grate coolers above the rating of
40 TPD/mz even if the kilns could achieve their rated outputs.

4.4 Polvsius RecuD 01 cooler

This cooler was developed by Polysius to operate on the same principle as the Lepol
grate. It is shown in Figures 24 and 25. The grate is enclosed in a mild steel housing
supported by a sectional frame. The traveling grate consists of an endless chain made
up of cast steel chain links and steel traverse rods and spacer pipes which carry
moveable slotted grate plates of heat resistant cast iron. The grate chain is sealed
against the casing by moving chrome steel side sealing plates and stationary sealing
elements. The upper and lower stands are supported on suitable spaced rollers, the
grate being driven by a set of sprocket wheels connected to a variable speed drive. The

43
 TABLE 2- BCI RECIPROCATING GRATE COOLERS

Works Kiln Kiln Cooler Cooler Retrofit Cooler Kiln Best Kiln Best
Number Process Manufacturer Designation Manufacturer Surface area Capacity Capacity
m2 TPD TPD/m2
Aalborg 87 Semi-Wet FLS Coolax 1034S FLS CFG/RFT 118.1 5,500 46.58
Atlanta 1 Long Dry Fuller 509S/508Hff25H 24.2 898 37.11
Atianta 2 Long Dry Fuller 509S/508H/725H 24.2 879 36.32
Bamburi 1 ISuspension Preheater CPAG 844S 32.7 1,203 36.79
Bamburi 2 \Suspension Preheater Fuller 731 S/943H 56.1 1,903 33.92
Banda Aceh 1 \Suspenslon Preheater Babcock-Hitachi BH FB2-35 93.5 3,000 32.09
Cauldon 1 Precalciner CPAG 1037S/1044H 64.1 2,809 43.82
Cookstown 1 Lepol Fuller 850H IKN INLET 37.2 1,516 40.75
El Melon 9 Precalciner FLS . ---- 670S
FnlaY ---- I 1
37.9
-. .-
1
1.850
., ---
1
48.81
Ewekoro 1 Semi-W~t
,-. 1
FIhr
. -., -, I
733s
---- I1 I1 21.4
— I
I
468 I
I
21.87
r. .,, -- 94 A K~7 ?A
Ewekoro 2 Semi-We~
,-.
ruller I
7..L-
I .3.30 I I L1 .-t I dL ! ! L-?.CQ
uti
Ewekoro 3 Wet Fuller
. 1
850~
_+
[-
37.2 838 22.53
Golden Bay 6 Suspension Preheater Fullew 850H IKN INLET 37.2 1,616 43.44
Harleyville 1 Suspension Preheater Fuller 61 n.wR7RH
v !“------ .
I I
473
..-
1
2088
—,-—-
!
44.14
Hope 1 Suspension Preheater Fuller 825S/1050H 60.7 1,892 31.17
Hope 2 Suspension Preheater Fuller 825S/1050H 60.7 1,761 29.01
Kanthan
.. —..-.—. 3 PrecalciI
-.-.. -.ner KHD 2-066.12 70.0 3,402 48.60
Lichtenburg 4 Suspension Preheater Fuller 850S 37.2 743 19.97
Lichtenbura 5 SusDenslon Preheater Fuller 825S/1050H 60.7 1,887 31.09
6 Precalciner CPAG 1033s/1050s 77.0 3,204 41.61
Masons I 5 Wet Fuller- 850H 37.2 1,157 31.10
2 Wet Fuller 825S/1050H “ IKN INLET 60.7 2,500 —41.19
4 Wet Fuller 825S11050H 60.7 1,969 32.44
2 Suspension Preheater CPAG 744H 28.6 886 30.98
Ravena I
I
1 1‘-- -- “-------‘-‘-
Wet I Fuller 1 910S/1 029H/1237H 76.6 2,363 30.87
Ravena 2 Wet Fuller 910S/1 029H/1237H 76.6 2,462 32.16
Rawang 3 Precalciner Babcock-Hitachi B-H FB3-40 FLS CFG Inlet 122.0 5,070 41.56
Roberta 3 Long Dry Fuller 618S1728H 28.2 862 30.57
Roberta 4 Long Dry Fuller 618S1728H 28.2 934 33.12
Tulsa 1 Long Dry Fuller 609CFG-608RFT-631 H Fuller CFG/RFT 26.8 1,000 37.31
Tulsa 2 Long Dry Fuller 647H 26.2 892 34.05
Westbury 1 Wet Fuller 850H 37.2 1,005 27.02
Westbury 2 Wet Fuller 850H 37.2 1,053 28.31
 9
r-
&
‘H
u)
‘v
-e
/

18

Bearing
19 Sealing Elements
20 Chain Link
21 Grate Plate
22 Flap Valve

FIGURE 25 Recupol Cooler End Elevation

continuous grate allows the plates to cool down on the return run preventing overheating
which can occur on reciprocating grate coolers where plates are continuously in the hot
zone. If plates do fail, they can be speedily replaced as it is possible for a maintenance
operator to enter the chamber beneath the grate without having to cool down the whole
cooler.

4.4.1 Operation

Clinker enters the kiln via a water cooled chute and falls to the slotted plates through
which air is being blown. The function of the chute is to give some protection to the
grate from falling lumps of clinker and it is cooled to prevent the sticking of hot clinker
and the formation of “snowmen.” The area beneath the grate is divided into chambers
in order that the air velocity can be regulated along the’ cooler. One or more fans is
used depending on the size of the cooler. Control of air to the chambers is by means
of dampers at the inlet ducts. There is little advantage to be gained by having a
separate fan for each chamber since a limit is imposed on air velocity by the method
of fixing plates. In other words, plates are liable to be lifted at there free end so this
can be overcome by clipping the plates down. This practi,ce was abandoned at Weardale
because it tensioned the chain on the return run and caused excessive mechanical wear.

Spillage through or between the plates can either fall through the return section of the
grate and collect above a spillage gate or may bypass the return section before being
directed to the drag conveyor below the clinker. The latter method is preferable as the
former requires many seals and requires the grates to be unattached at one end which
restricts the use of high air velocities.

A problem associated with Recupol coolers is that of achieving a uniform depth of

clinker across the width of the grate. There is no mechanical movement in the grate
to level out any heaps of material that form below the throat, and it is not practical to
fit any mechanical devices. The normal method of levelling the bed is with high
velocity air supplied in pulses to nozzles situated just belQw the grate. This transforms
the clinker into a similar state to a fluidized bed and distributes it evenly over the
width of the grate. The nozzles are several centimetres in width and have lengths equal
to 0.5 to 1.0 times the width of the cooler. At Weardale they have three high pressure
fans at the inlet of the cooler.

Undergrate pressures are relatively low on a Recupol cooler, typically 150mm w.g. (5.9
inches w.g.) and the bed depth is subsequently not as great as found on other types of
grate coolers.

Without the plates being clipped there is a tendency for the pulse fans to lift the plates
This results in:

a) A loss in cooling air from each chamber if the plate remains lifted and further
resulting in reduced cooling of the clinker remaining on the bed.

47
b) Excessive spillage especially at the hot end. The spillage undergoes little cooling
in the drag scraper and contributes to a high clinker temperature.

c) Plates being broken as a result of lifting.

d) Reduced secondary air temperatures, affecting kiln performance.

4.4.2 Output Rating

The only remaining Recupol coolers in BCI are at Weardale. They are rated at 31.6
TPD/mz for a best week output of 1265 TPD. The Polysius rating for these coolers is
30-32 TPD/m? The BCI recommendation is a maximum capacity of 31 TPD/mz for an
amual target. It is possible to operate the cooler above this level of throughput but
only at the expense of clinker temperature. At capacities of 34-35 TPD/mz, clinker
temperatures will be in the range of 200-300”C (392-572”F) which is generally
unacceptable. The cooler can, of course, be operated in conjunction with an after
cooler when capacities in the range of 40-45 TPD/m2 can be obtained with clinker
temperatures about 450”C (842°F).

4.5 Allis-Chahners Shaker Cooler

The shaker cooler manufactured by Allis-Chalmers is a grate type cooler in which the
clinker transportation is achieved by shaking the grate in a manner similar to a shaker
conveyor system. Figure 26 shows diagrammatically the shaker cooler. The combined
grate and below grate chamber are suspended on support arms which allow the lower
section of the cooler to rock backwards and forwards. Large coil springs attached
between the moving section and the foundations check this rocking movement. The
cooler is driven through a variable speed motor.

The cooling air is supplied by a single fan at the hot end of the cooler . A flexible joint
in the air supply ducting allows for the movement of the grate. Distribution of the air
supply through the grate is controlled by dampers positioned at intervals along the
undergrate chamber. In some cases these dampers are continuously mechanically
rotated. Exhaust air is drawn off the top of the cooler.

There are many problems associated with the operation of this type of cooler. It is not
possible to operate with a deep bed of clinker since overloading of the grate damps the
action of the springs which prevents the clinker from moving. There can be no
effective air seal at the cold end of the air chamber since there must be a clearance
between the fixed and moving sections to allow clinker to be conveyed out of the
cooler. This prevents high pressure air from being supplied to the cooler. The below
grate pressures are about 100mm w.g. (3.94 inches w.g.) at the hot end with a gradual
decrease to below 25mm w.g. (0.98 inches w.g.) at the cold end.

Since there is no really effective way of sealing between the fixed and upper section
of the cooler and the lower moving grate section, considerable air inleak occurs. This

48
 Exhaust

Inleaks
/
r
I ——. —————.—— ——————.
1
———J
:
.0 I
‘Ideaks

arms
.
.-

FIGURE 26 Allis-Chalmers Shaker Cooler

has a detrimental effect on secondary air temperatures at the hot end of the cooler.
The heat recuperation efficiency of th~e coolers is very low. The tendency is to
operate them with high air to clinker ratios as a means of obtaining cool clinker
temperatures at the expense of heat recuperation. Generally, the air to clinker ratio
for this type of cooler is up to 7:1. The average rating for this cooler is 13.1 TPD/mz
of grate with 50% of the coolers operating at above 14 TPD/m? An achievable rating
for these coolers is 15 TPD/m? The ability to reach this figure depends on the clinker
outlet temperature that can be tolerated and on the mechanical condition of the cooler.

5. COMPARISON OF COOLER DESIGNS

Table 3 compares the coolers discussed in this paper with respect to site conditions,
capital investment, operating costs, and operating properties. The scale used is based
on “ 1” being very good and “4” being not good.

50
 TABLE 3 COMPARISON OF PROPERTIES OF CLINKER COOLERS

Grate Satellite Rotary

Cooler Cooler Cooler

1. INFLUENCEOF SITE CONDITIONS

1.1 Plant capacity >3,500 TPD 1’ 3 4
Plant capacity 2,000-3,500 TPD 1 1 2
Plant capacity <2,000 TPD 1 2 1
1.2 Dust emissions 4 1 1
1.3 Noise emission 2 4 1
1.4 Space requirement 3 2 1
1.5 Layout considerations 1 4 1
1.6 Raw material faCkOrS
Coarse clinker 2 4 3
Fine clinker 2 3 4
Variable clinker sizes 2 3 4
1.7 Ease of operation 3 1 2
2. CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
2.1 Mechanical equipment 4 1 2
2.2 Electrical equipment 4 1 2
2.3 Refractory materials 1 4 3
2.4 Insulation material 1 3 2
2.5 Civil works 3 1 2

2.6 Erection and commissioning 2 4 1

2.7 Conveying, storing, grinding 4 3 1
2.8 Spare parts 2 2 1
3. OPERATINGCOSTS
3.1 Fuel requirement 1 3 2
3.2 Electricity requirement 13’I 1

3.3 wear and maintenance 2 3 2

4. OPERATINGPROPERTIES
4.1 Throughput flexibilities 1 2 3
4.2 Clinker quality 1 2 2
4.3 Availability 1 2 1
4.4 waste heat utilization 1 4 3

4.5 Temperature of the cooled clinker 1 2 3

 APPENDIX I

“K” factors are used in the design and uprating of integral coolers to determine the
surface area for heat exchange required for a given surface. It is defined as the ratio
of the total internal surface area to shell area:

Z Surface area of internal components

K factor = ----- ----- ----- ----- ---------- ----- -----
z Internal surface area of tube shells

i.e.K = 1 foraplain tube and increases with the number of internal fittings.

Given the drawing of a cooler tube in Figure 27, and the cooler tube internals in Figure
28 find the “K” factor of the integral cooler.

1. Find the internai surface area of the tube shells:

Number of tube shells: 10 tubes

External diameter of tube shells: 1.5 meters
Shell thickness: 0.025 meters
Tube shell length (maximum): 9.29 meters
Tube shell length (minimum): 8.09 meters
Average tube shell length: 8.69 meters

Internal shell surface area of tube = n * Diameter * Length

Effective area = 8.69 X n X (1.5-(2 X 0.025)

= 39.586 m2/tube

Total effective surface area = 10 tubes x 39.586 m’/tube

= 395.9 m’

2. Findthesurface areaoftheinternai components:

Note: Everysurfacethat makescontactwith theclirdcermust beaddedto determine

thetotalsurfacearea!

Zone A:

Lifterdimensions:

a: 5.390 m
b: 0.080 m
c: 0.135 m

Number of lifters: 12

Area of sides: 0.135 x 5.39 x 2 x 12

= 17.4636 m’/tube

Area of tops: 0.080 X 5.39 X 2 X 12

= 10.3488 m’/tube

1
 APPENDIX II

An example of conventional cooler uprating was at El Fuerte Works in Mexico during

1979. The No. 2 kiln is a four stage Humboldt preheater which was uprated by enlarging
the cyclones. This necessitated uprating the cooler to handle the increase in output
from 660 TPD to 900 TPD.

The cooler is a Fuller combination designated 610S/828H with 5° inclined grate. The
existing four compartments were retained but deeper bed operation was used. This
involved replacement of fans on chambers 1 and 2 and speeding up the fans on chambers
3 and 4 with new motors. Automatic volume control was employed and new dust filters
and a new exhaust fan were installed.

The original and uprated specifications are shown tabulated below:

Cooler Specification
- Original

Cooler type - Fuller 610 S/828H

Kiln Production - 660 TPD
Cooler Specific Load - 26.4 TPD/ma
Bed Depth - 305 mm sloping, - 230 mm horizontal
Air to clinker ratio - 4.9:1
Kiln fuel consumption - 1050 kcal/kg (net)
Clinker temperature - 1350 to 65 ‘C -

Cooler Design
Total
Compartment 1 2 3 4
Width (plates ) 6 6 8 8
Length (plates ) 3 6 12 13 34
Pressure (mm w.g. ) 381 330 254 178
Air loading (m3/min/m’ ) 111 107 85
Airflow (m3/min) 197 379 806 6:; 2014
Airflow (Nm3/min) 185 356 757 594 1892
Air/Clinker ratio 0.485 0.733 1.985 1.558 4.961

Cooler Specification - Uprating

Cooler type - Fuller 610 S/828H

Kiln Production - 900 TPD
Cooler Specific Load - 36.0 TPD/m2
Bed Depth - 350 mm sloping, 250 mm horizontal
Air to-clinker ratio --4.0:1
Kiln fuel consumption - 900 kcal/kg (net)
Clinker temperature - 1350 to 65°C

Cooler Design
Total
Compartment 1 2 3 4
Width (plates) 6 6 8 8
Length (plates) 3 6 12 13 34
Pressure (mm w.g.) 432 330 254 178

1
 LE m
IL
c1
L~
m. m
—0 ,,
I
Lid
u
3
c1
L
.
r-
 L
<
(d
Fillet dimensions:

d: 0.085 m
e: 0.130 m

Number per lifter: 7

Area of fillets: 2 X 0.5 X 0.13 X 0.085 X 7 X 12

= 0.92820 m2/tube

Zone B:

Sloping plate dimensions:

a: 0.120 m
b: 0.355 m

Number of sloping plates: 12

Area of plates: 0.120 x 0.355 x 2 x 12

= 1.0224 m2/tube

Zone C:

Lifter surface area:

. 0.020 m
& 0.290 m
c: 0.140 m
d: 0.170 m

Number of lifters: 24

Area of sides: 0.290 X (0.14 + 0.17 +0.02) X 24

= 2.2968 m2/tube

Area of edges: (0.17 + 0.14)/2 X 0.02 X 2 X 24

= 0.1488 ma/tube

Fillet dimensions:

e: 0.100 m
f: 0.105 m

Number per lifter: 2

Area of fillets: 2 X 0.5 X 0.10 X 0.105 X 2 X 24

= 0.5040 m2/tube

Zone D:

Sloping plate dimensions:

a: 0.120 m
b: 0.355 m

4
 I

Area of plates: 0.120 x 0.355 x 2 x 12

= 1.0224 ma/tube

Zone F:

Sloping plate dimensions:

. 0.125 m
:; 0.570 m

Area of plates: 0.570 X 0.125 X 2 X 12

= 1.7100 m’/tube

Total internal surface area per tube:

Z Surface area A = 0.9282 + 10.3488 + 17.4636 ma/tube

= 28.7406 m2/tube
Z Surface area B = 1.0224 m’/tube
Z Surface area C = 0.5040 + 2.2968 + 0.1488 m’/tube
= 2.9496 m2/tube
E Surface area D = 1.0224 m’/tube
Z Surface area F = 1.71o m’/tube
_________ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

TOTAL INTERNAL SURFACE AREA = 35.445 m2/tube

TUBE SHELL INTERNAL SURFACE AREA = 39.586 m’/tube

TOTAL = 75.031 m’/tube

75.031 m’/tube
K FACTOR = - ---------- - _______ _ _ = 1.895
39.586 m2/tube
 134 108 88 74
Air loading (m3/min/m’) 763 2216
238 384 831
Airflow (m3/min) 780 716 2079
222 361
Airflow (Nm’/min) 1.500 1.377 4.00
0.426 0.693
Air/Clinker ratio

2
REFERENCES

Duda, W. H.: Cement Data Handbook, International Process Engineering in the Cement
Industry, Vol. 1, 3rd edition, (1985)

F. L. Smidth: Unax clinker cooler, Publication No. 20 B1-E84

Herchenbach, H.: Methods of cooling cement clinker, and selection criteria for the
customarily used cooling systems. Zement-Kalk-Gips 31 (1978)

Krupp Polysius: Drawing 211.09.04-575.

3
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 4

Clinker Coolers- New Generation

 GENERATION OF COOLEIW

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. PROBLEMS WITH CON’VENHONALGRA’H3COOLERS

2.1 Undergrate Chambers and Sealing

2.2 Poor Ah Distribution/Gaps in Cooler Plate Area
2.3 Low Pmsure Drop Across Grate Plate
2.4 Short Life of cooler Grate Plates

3. SOLUTIONS TO CONVENTIONALGRATE COOLER PROBLEMS

4. IKN CLLNKER m DHTUBUTION SYSIEM (m)

4.1 IKN Coanda Nozzle Plates

4.2 IKN KIDS Installation
4.3 Operation of the IKN KIDS
4.4 Benefits of Installing KIN KIDS
4.5 Disadvantages of IK.NKIDS
4.6 IKN Pendulum Cooler
4.7 Blue Circle Experience with IKN KIDS

5. POLYSXUSREFOL-RS COOLER

5.1 Jet Ring Plate

5.2 Aeration and Air Supply System
5.3 Functional Description of REPOL-RS cook
5.4 Technical Advantages of the REPOL-RS

6. ~m cFG/RFT (xxxERS
6.1 FIJ3/Fuller CFG Grate Plates
6.2 Aeration and Air Supply System
6.3 FLS/Fuller RFT Grate Plates
6.4 Other FLS/Fuller Peculiarities
6.5 FLS/Fuller CFG Applications
6.6 Blue Circle Experience with FLS/Fuller CFG/RFT coolers

7. cuunxus PETERS(CPAG) MULDm PLATE coomm

7.1 The Mulden Grate Plate

7.2 Aeration System
7.3 Single Grate CPAG Mulden Plate Cooler
7.4 Other MuIden Plate Cooler Designs
7.5 Benefiti of Mulden Plate Technology
8. KHD PYROSTEP COOLER

8.1 The New PYROWEP Grate Plates

8.2 Aeration System
8.3 Zones of the PYROSTEP Cooler
8.4 Merits of Installating the PYROS’EP Cooler

9. COMPARISON OF NEW GENERATION COOIXRS

10. SUMMARY OF NEW GI?NER4TION COOLERS

REFERENCES
1. ODUCTIO~

The reciprocating grate cooler is the most widely used cooler system in the world. The
grate cooler is independent of the kiln, but kilns are heavily dependent on their grate
cooler for heat recuperation in the forms of primary, seconday, and tertiary air. More
heat recuperation from the cooler to the kiln r~ults in lower kiln fuel consumption.
Conventional grate coolers provide thermal efficiencitx of 40 to 80%, depending on the
mechanical condition and process operation of the cooler. Typically, the thermal
efficiency of most grate coolers is less than 70%.

In today’s cement market environment of high competition, rising fuel and electrical
costx, and strict environmental compliance, tie kiln/cooler system is almost always
cited for improvement to reduce works operating costs. If the cooler was more
efficient, savings could be gained by reducing the amount of fuel to the kiln. In order
to improve the cooler’s efficiency, most works attempted ‘deep bed” operation. TMs
involved either slowing down the cooler grate speed, utilizing bridging and bhmking
plates, or forming a refractory “hors=hoe,” which narrowd the cooler inlet forming a
stationary band of clinker. Although sometimes successful, tke methods solved only
a portion of the problems of achieving both high efficiency heat recuperation and ‘cold”
clinker outlet temperature. Therefore, the ability to recover the maximum amount of
heat from the clinker entering the cooler and return it to the kiln has been the
challenge of grate cooler manufacturers.

2. PROBLEMS WITH CONVEIWIONAL GFU4TE COO-

Reciprocating grate cooler manufacturers investigated several ways to give their

customers a reciprocating grate cooler d=ign that would be an improvement over
conventional grate coolers. They cd!ectively identified several probkms with
conventional grate coolers:

● Relatively large underrate chambem

● Poor air distribution along the cooler
● Clinker size segregation at the inlet of the cooler
● Cooler grate speed is sometimes difficult to control r=ulting in a bed depth that
is too high or too shallow
Poor undergrate sealing of compartments allows cooling fan air to mjgrate to
Other chambers
● Low pressure drop across conventional grate plates radts with high aIr
velocities through the clinker bed
Cooler pIates become too hot and expedence thermal shock r=ulting in shorter
plate life
● Grate plates experience high wear rates due to the abrasiveness of clinker
● Gaps between plates allow material to fall through to undergrate chambers.

1
The size of the undergrate compartments of the cooler are set to maintain the proper
flow of air from its rtxpective cooling fan to the bed of clinker above the grate. Air
from the cooling fan is discharged into this chamber so that it will rise through the bed
of clinker. In practice, a large underrate compartment is subject to have iti fan air
travel in any direction where the pr-ure difference is the least. Because of warpage
of the cooler partitions and poor seaIs, air could travel to the adjacent chamber,
through the cooler riddIings cxmveyor, or through the side plates of the coolex where the
bed depth is the least. This common situation results in more cooling air being used
than necessary, poor heat transfer, and hot clinker traveling to the next chamber area.

2.2 Poor Air DWribution/Gaw in Coo ler Plate Area

Because air will take the path of least resistance, the air that does manage to reach the
clinker bed will usually blow through the amrse clhdux side of the clinker bed or go
through any gaps in the side plates. Ati bypasses the deep= areas of red hot clinker.
This situation reduces the effectiveness of heat transfer in the coder and r-ults in the
colder secondary air to the kiln and with hot clinker exiting the cooler.

2.3 LOW hssure DrOD Across Grate Pla@

Heat recuperation increases as the r=idence time of the air with the clinker bed
increases. Conventional cooler plates have holes and therefore, the plate rtxistance is
low. Air is allowed to jet through the hoIes in the grate plate at high velocities. This
high velocity profile rmults in poor convection heat transfer and thus low secondary air
tarpratures.

2.4 Short Life of Cooler Grate Platq

Clinker is an extremely abrasive material. The reciprocating motion of the cooler drive
moves the clinker across the whole surface area of the grate plate causing extreme
wear on the plate. Furthermore, chker enters the cooler at a temperature of 1300-
1400°C (2372-2552”F). A shallow clinker bed exposes the grate plate surface to the hot
bed of material. With cold air being conveyed to the underside of the plate, the grate
plate is subject to thermal shock, resuIting in cracked or broken plates.

2
3. @LUTIONS TO CONVENTIONAL GRATE COO LER PROBLEM$

Most of the problems stated above are associated with the recuperation zone of the
cooler and are the reasons for the lack of higher cooler thermal efficiencies. Because
this cooler zone is crucial to the operation of the kiln, this is the area that most
suppliers have concentrated their efforts for improvement. M their own answer to the
shortcomings of the conventional grate cooler, each of the suppliers devised their own
new cooler design to improve the efficiency of the conventional grate cooler. This
solution actually posed a new problem. Some existing conventional coolers were
Performing quite well, so that purchastig a new cooler would not be feasible due to the
large the capital investment r=ulting in relatively little improvement over tbe existing
system. To capitalize on this market for cooler improvement, the supplhxs dedded that
retrofit packages could be offered to improve the existing clinker coolers at a fraction
of the total cooler cost.

The major cooler manufacture that have made significant advances h grate cooler
technology are iKN, Polysius, FJ-WFUNX, Claudius Peters, and KHD. Each cooler
design and retrofit will be analyzed by hardware and operational capabilities.

The IKN Clinker Inlet Distribution System patent was applied for in 1983 and renovated
cooler technology as the cment industry knew it. To date, IKN has installed 105 fixed
inlet retrofits and pendulum cooks during the first 10 years of the company’s
existence. In order to understand this company’s sucass, we will examine the
development of the heart of its operation, the IKN Coanda nozzle plate.

4.1 IKNCoanda Nozzle Platq

When Karl von Wedel, the founder of IKN, conducted r~ch to improve the
conventional grate cooler, he specifically concentrated on optimizing the cooling air
distribution to the cllnker bed. Up to the time of his research, grate coolers were
running with deeper clinker beds in order to increase their heat recuperation. Operators
believed that the deep bed of clinker would slow the velocity of air as it rose from the
undergrate area and thus recover more heat as it reached the bed surface and returned
to the kiln as secondary air. However, this practice was not always beneficial. If the
clinker bed was too deep, then most of the cooling air would channel through the path
of least resistance to the bed surface, thus defeating the purpose of a deep bed
operation.

Mr. von Wedel believed that the cement works using this approach were concentrating
on the wrong type of resistance to hnprove the heat recuperation of the clhdcer coder.
There are two types of resistance that cooling air encounters as it flows from the cooler
inIet to the clinker bed: the resistance of the bed depth of clinker and the resistance
of the grate plates. He believed that cooling fan air would be distributed more

3
uniformly if the grate plate resistance was hxeased. He surmised that if the grate
plate rcdstance was so much greatex than the resistance due to the clinker bed, then
the grate resistance would be the con~olll% factor to detemnine air distribution
(FIGURE 1). ~ oth- work, the Wling a~ woM have an equal chance to be
distributed anywhere along the grate’s under stmcture because the resistance would be
the same. In this way, the clinker segregation problems that occur at the inlet of the
cooler would not have such a dramatic effect on the recuperation of heat to the kiln.

h spite of this discovery, von Wedel hew fiat mling air muld still bypass the
increased resistance plates and make its way to tie ot.ha areas where gaps were
present (FIGURE 2). Because moving rows of tie reciprocating grate have tolerances,
gaps would be formed. Mr. von Wedel thought of a novel approach to eliminate these
areas of low r=istance. He proposed to make a f~ed grate section where there were
no moving parts. This innovation would allow for the linking of the grate platxx, thus
eliminating any gaps. To aid with material transport, the fixed grate would be sloped
at an angle of 15° to allow the tramport of c1~fx off of the grate. He aIso proposed
to duct the cooling fan air through air beams dtiectly to the grate plates. The fan air
could not escape to areas of low r=istance, thUSel~inating the need for an undergrate
chamber.

By using grate plates witi” increased r-istan~, a stationary grate section, and air
beams to deliver cooling air directly to the grate plates, Mr. von Wedel was well on I&
way to solving the problems of anventional grate coolers. However, the problem with
grate plate wear pnd thermal damage wss still a great obstacle to overcome This
problem invited the help from a Romani~ scientist, Hehri Coanda. Coanda discovered
that low pressure air would increase lts velocity tremendously if forced into a namow
slot (FIGURE 3). The ‘Coanda effect” is what von Wedel used to solve the plate wear
problem. He positioned the slots in hE grate plates in a horizontal direction so that the
cooling air would sweep the grate pIate titi cold ah. The resulting air velocity at the
discharge of the IK.NCoanda nozzles is 40 d (131 fthec). By this action the plates
are swept of highly abrasive clinker flnes$ while the fan air keeps’the plate temperature
at a minimum. As a rewlt of these application, Im promoted the first modern gate
plate.

4.2 IKN KIDS Installation

The IKN KIDS is usually installed as a retrofit to an existing cooler. The Coanda
nozzles are bolted together on an air beam to form a single row of grate plates
(FIGURE 4). The numb= of rows that me ixIstsll~ depends on the size of the cooler.
On most codem, six to nine rows of Coanda nozzles are recommended. The resulting
fixed inlet is created from the grouping of the Coanda nozzle rows. It is situated in the
coder at an angle of 15° from the horizontal plane of the cooler so that clinker will
flow freely off of the inlet. The last row of Coanda nozzles is situated at the same
inclination as the first moving row of the conventional grate. This ensures the
continuation of clinker transport to tie r-ainder of tie existing cooler. In some cases,
a step has been created by translating the fixd inIet section at least a hundred
millimetres above the first conventional moving row of grate plates to aid clinker

4
I
\
v
Gaps between wall and plate

v D

—
.~--.o--. --..--.------~

II
.-~

Gaps between plates

Grate plate holes

@ @
Leading edge gaps
\

grate coolers
FIGURE 2 Potential air paths In traditional
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FIGURE 4 Cross-sdion through an IKN air beam

I
movement. A refractory %orseshoe” is poured over the cooler back wall pla~ and
I
some of the cooler side wall platts The refractory %cxseshoe” is thick at the back
wall of the cooler and the cooler side walls gradually taper towards the junction of the
fixed inlet with the existing cooler (FIGURE 5). Air cannons are strategically plauxl
to eliminate any build-ups that may occur on stationary, flat surfaces.

With the majority of applications, the Coanda nozzles are aerated by a single IKN
supplied cooling fan. Larger imxallations require a second or third cooling fan. The
cooling fan air is ducted directly to each of the Coanda nozzle row air beams. This fan
duct branches into two sections where a splitter damper provid= a left and a right side
duct division. This damper controls the cooling fan air delivered via the duct to either
side of the cooler inlet area. Once the cooling fan air reaches the Coanda nozzle row
air beam, the coding air travels to the individual pIates.

4.3 Orxxation of * II(N ~

The operation of the IKN KIDS is quite simple. Hot clinker leaves the kiln and enters
the cooler segregated into a fine and coarse fraction. The refractory “horseshoe”
collects the segregated clinker into a namow area and aerates it for vertical segregation
before it spreads laterally. If more air is desired for a certain side of the fixed inleq
the splitter damper is adjusted accordingly. In practice, this damper is rarely moved
once the proper adjustment of air is determine& The mld horizontal air jets strike
against the coarse grained clinker, which has a high cooling requirement, and move it
down the inlet. As a remit of the Coanda horizontal air jets, the fluidizable fines are
sjfted up to the clinker bed surface where they transfer their heat to the cooling air.
The increased surface area of clinker that contacts the caoling air results in higher
temperature of secondary air.

The fixed inlet works in conjunction with the existing reciprocating grate. If the
existing grate speed is too fast, the clinker will be cleared from the KIDS too rapidly,
resulting in poor heat recuperation. Consequently, if the grate speed is too slow the
resulting clinker bed will be too deep. The IKN cooling fan can have the same effect
to clear the fixed inlet section. Therefore, the IKN cooling air fan and the
reciprocating grate speed must be set in harmony. The second chamber undergrate
pressure is frequently used to control the conventional grate speed. As a result of the
KIDS retrofit, the bed depth of clinker will probably increase and the grate speed will
decrease. In this case, the remaining cooling air fans may need higher pressure
setpoints to be able to cope with the deeper clinker bed.

Any non-movable surface is prone to build-ups or ‘snowmen.” If this happens, the

supplied air cannons are fired to remove these formations off of the grate surface or
castable walls. Another su~ful technique to remove ‘snowmen” off of the fixed
inlet requires stopping the IKN cooling air fan for several minutes. This allows the
clinker bed to build up forming a pile. The extra clinker behind the build-up allows the
air cannons more access to blast the formation off of the fixed inlet. As a precaution,
most works with KIDS automate their air cannons on a continuous timing schedule to
clear any potential formations.

9
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4.4 Benefits of Installim? D& IUDQ

As a result of installing the IKN KiDS, several pr~ benefi~ are apparent. Because
the Coanda nozzles sift the fine fraction of the clinker to the bed surfs=, higher
secondary air temperatures are achieved. Higher secondary air temperatures result in
lower kiln fuel consumption. IKN has nearly 100 KIDS installations worldwide of which
10 to 50 kcal/kg (0.36-0.180 rnmBTU/ston) fuel savings have been achieved The
increased thermal efficiency of the cooler results in less cooling fan air required to
cool the clinker to a given cooler exit temperature. with lower cooling air
requirements, the electrical power consumption of the cooling fans is also reduced. IKN
claims that the specific power consumption of the cooling fans should be no more than
4 kWh/t clinker. Reduction in cooler exhaust volumes occurs as a r=ult of lower
cooling fan air required for a given clinker cooler exit temperature. This benefit =uiti
in reduced exhaust emissions to the atmosphere.

Mechanically, tie iKN KIDS virtually eliminates cooler stops due to the prevention of
thermal and wear damage on grate plat=. The long service life of the Coanda nozzles
can be attributed to the fact that the grate surface is kept free of fine granuh and
the grate “sand blast” effect b avoided. IKN clam that the 1300 TPD works at
Geaeke, Gecmany, has not had a single Coanda nozzle replaced after ten years of
operation! Also, the IKN KIDS could reduce maintenance costi by eliminating the first
cooler drive with the fi.xed inlet in larger cooler retrofits.

Finally, IKN KIDS has the lowest installed price of all clinkd cooler inlet retrofits
offered. The IKN KIDS installation package contains one cooling fan, whereas other
retrofit suppliers offer two to four fans to aerate the cooler inlet. This package
requires no additional costs for retrofits to moving portions of the existing clinker
cooler. Finally, the static inlet minimizes the need for complex control
instrumentation.

4.5 Disadvanttwes oflKNKIDs

Like any system, the IK.NKIDS has its share of shortcomings. Installation of the static
grate must be correct otherwise build-ups such as “snowmen” are likely to form on the
fixed inlet. The operator may have to rely on air cannons to clear clinker formations.
Because most works automate their air cannons on a timing cycle, Compr-ed air is
wasted when there are no formations on the fixed inleL If the air camons are
unsuccessful with removing build-ups, the static grates may have to be cleared
manually. This is an extremely unsafe practice and should be avoided if possible.

Operating with an increased clinker bed depth may result in changing the existing fan
speeds or spending extra capital to install new fans capable of higher static pressure.

Because the Coanda nozzles are bolted together to form an air beam row, changing a
Coanda nozzle is very difficult. The %orsxhoe” refracto~ must be removed from any
nozzle that is covered on the row of the nozzle that is to be replati. After the nozzle
is replaced, the refractory that was removed must be repoured and cured.

11
4.6 ~ Pendulum coo 1er

originally, IKN supplied a new clinker COO]=order by installing the KIDS section at the
cooler inlet and the remainder of the cook with moveable air beams of Coanda nozzles
which were mounted on a conventional reciprocating frame. Exposed to the movement
of this type of frame, IKN persomel noticed that the underside of their Coanda nozzles
was wearing and limiting their life. The plate wear was caused by the %tnking” of the
mobile frame. As the frame rollers wore down, the frame would become Iower and the
grate plates, which originally had a tolerance gap to prevent wear, began rubbing
against overlapping plates. The Coanda jet nozzles were in danger of becoming a wear
item once again.

Arriving at a solution, Mr. von Wedel borrowed the concept for the IKN pendulum cooler
from the Netherlands. Its unique feature is the oscillating frame, which rwti on
pendulum beams. The beams are suspended from Iong, laminated spring-steel strips so
that they are self-centering (FIGURE 6). IKN claims that the laminated spring steel
strips do not lengthen, thus thek frame does not ‘sink.” The spring steel strips are
dimensioned so that the pendulum lift h half of a millimetre in the vertical direction
and the tiuust gaps of the Ccmnda nozzl= are set at one millimetre. The pendulum
grate is driven from the end of the COOlerby a single hy&aulic cylinder. The grate
thrusts are no longer dependent on a rolling motion, but on the deformation of the
spring steel strips. KIN points to the fact that such movhg parts as rollers, bearhgs,
sliding seals and their associated lubrication points are eliminated. The undergrate Is
extended to include the inclined pendulum housings with a constant initial pressure. The
side gaps are eliminated by making the side plates structurally part of tie grate rather
than the side lining.

4.7 Blue Circle Exowience withrKNIUlx$

Blue Circle Cement installed the IKN KIDS at Northfleet Works and Caokstown Works
in early 1994. Both works have benefitted as a resuIt of their respective installations.

The IKN KIDS retrofit at Northfleet Works on Kjln #2 replaced nine conventional grate
plate rows witi eight Coanda nozzle rows. Initially, the KIDS installation performed
poorly because the fixed irdet was installed too low in reference to the interface with
the existing second grate. Because of the nature of the clinker at Northfleet Works,
‘snowmen” formed on the fixed inlet on a regular basis. The supplied air cannons were
not effective in removing all of the build-ups on the grate. The restriction problem was
rectified by removing and replacing the last two rows of jet nozzle plates with two rows
of conventional grate plates. This retrofit resulted in a step of 200 millirnetres (8
inches). Since this last modification, the system has performed quite well (FIGURE 7).

The II(N KIDS retrofit at Cookstown Works was justified on an environmental

application. By reducing the cooler exhaust volume, the exhaust gases wouId be
diverted from the inadequate unit precipitators to the Aerofall Mill DCE bag filters.
This KIDS installation reduced tie cooler exhaust volumeby 12%and provided other
process benefits (FIGURE 8).

12
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 NORTHFLEET COOLER COMPARISON
BEFORE/AFTER IKN —.

VARIABLE PF+E IKN ● POST IKN *“ IKN BALANCE ● **

KILN FUEL CONSUMPTION 1220 kcal/kg 1200 kcdkg 1100 kcal/kg

CLINKER PRODUCTION 2400 TPD 2500 TPD 2300 TPD

AIR MASS FLOW 3,01 kg air/kg clinker 2.22 kg air/kg clinker 2,64 kg air/kg clinker

NOT MEASURED 2,65 kWh/tonne <4 kWh/tonne

FAN POWER CONSUMPTION

SECONDARY AIR TEMPERATURE 575 “c 700 ‘c 819 =

CLINKER INLET TEMPERATURE 1170K 1250%, 1400 %

CLINKER EXIT TEMPERATURE 100 % Ilo”c so W + AMBlENT

COOLER EFFICIENCY 61% 72?? 84%

COOLER EXHAUST TEMPERATURE 196”(2 ls “c 138*C

COOLER EXHAUST MASS FLOW 2627 kg/rein 1864 kg/rein 1806 kg/rein

* BASED ON RESULTS OF 22 SEPTEMBER 1993

** BASED ON REIWLTS OF 3 FEBRUARY 1994
*.* lKN BALANcE OF 16 J(JNE 1993
FIGURE 7 IKN results at Northfleet Works
 COOKSTOWN COOLER COMPARISON
BEFORE/AFTER IKN

PRE IKN ● POST IKN ● * sPECIFICATION***

VARIABLE WITH AEROFALL OFF WITH AEROFALL OFF

773 kcal/kg 773 kcd/kg

KILN FUEL CONSUMPTION 773 kcal/kg

13s0 TPD 1400 TPO

CLINKER PRODUCTION 1280 TPD

2.40 kg air/kg clinker 2.84 kg air/kg clinker

AIR MASS FLOW 2.66 kg air/kg clinker

NOT MEASURED < 4 kWh/tonne

FAN POWER CONSUMPTION NOT MEASURED

994 w 1084’C 953 %

SECONDARY AIR TEMPERATURE

CLINKER INLET TEMPERATURE 1310 % 1350m 1400=

107“c 130 “C + AMBIENT

CLINKER EXIT TEMPERATURE 90%
—

72% 72%
COOLER EFFICIENCY e7%

1Q6’C 196% 175%

COOLER EXHAUST TEMPERATURE

1319 kg/mln 1176 kg/mln 16S4 kg/rein

COOLER EXHAUST MASS FLOW

● BASED ON RESULTS OF 8 FEBRUARY 1994

● * BASED ON RESULTS OF 17 MARCH 1994
● ** [KN B~NCE OF 7 MAY 1993

FIGURE 8 IKN results at Cookstown Works

5. PQLYSIUS REPOL-RS COOLER

Polysius’ answer to the problems associated with the conventional grate coder r=ulted
in the development of the REPOL-RS W&W. Their reference list includes 21 REPOL-
RS coolers. This cooler features Jet Ring plates throughout the entire length of the
cder. This new cooler plate is a high pr=ure drop grate plate with autogenous wear
protection. The REPOL-RS cooler is d@ned to provide 100%controlled air supply
through Jet Ring aeration (FIGURE 9). It consists of an inlet section that is mounted
on a slope of 4° from the horizontal plane of the cooler. The remainder of the cooler
is horizontal. This system can be installed in new Polyshs coolers as well as retrofits
of Polysius or other coolers.

5.1 Jet Ring Pla*

There are two types of Jet Ring plates (FIGURE 10). The first thirteen rows of the
cooler are equipped with the high profile (78 mm, 3 inch=) “clinker box” Jet Ring plates
and are installed at an inclination of 4° (FIGURE 11). The remainder of the cooler
features the low profile (55 mm, 2 inches) Jet Ring plates without the ‘clinker box”
(FIGURE 12). All Jet Ring pla- we Comticted from a high grade material (G
X40CrNi). Installation of both types of Jet Ring plates is extremely easy. They mount
on a grate SUppOrtusing a single bok fastening system (FIGURE 13).

High pressure fans supply air thrtmgh comecting sockets in the grate suppo~ From the,
support, the cooling air passes through the plate via two slightly inclined horizontal
gaps. The four millirnetre (0.16 inch) amular gaps are formed by two covers, which are
welded to the plate by four bolts, inserted jnto the base body of the plate. The air
velocity through each gap is approximately 45 m/s (148 ft/see) at an air volume of 600
ma/hr/plate (21,189 ft~/hr/plate). As the air passes through the ring gaps, it enters
into a vertical charnel and flows against the outside walIs of the channel eventually
reaching the depr~ion of the plate. The pressure loss resulting from air flowing
through the plate’s annular gaps is approximately 20 millibar (8 inch= w.g.) at a volume
of 600 m%r/plate (21,189 fts/hr/plate). This high plate prwmre drop results in the
cooling air being uniformly distributed to all plats of an aerated zone Conn=ted to one
supply pipe.

The majority of the Jet Ring plate surface area is recessed. A layer of clinker remains
in the pockets of the Jet Ring plate and acts as an insulation barrier between the grate
plate and the bed of hot clinker. The lower sections, the ring-shaped channels, and the
plate depressions remain filled with a statjc layer of clinker. Because the surface area
of the Jet Ring plate that is exposed to the bed of clinker is minimized, the Jet Ring
plate wear that results from the abrasivity of clinker is reduced. The plate is also
protected from hot clinker because all parts of the plate are cooled by the passing air.

16
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 et - Rhg Platte mit Klinkerkasten
et- Ring plate box - type

Jet - Ring Platte flach

Jet - Ring plate flat - type
\@ti!jlti!jlJ
. . .-a-

FIGURE 10 Polysius Jet Ring plates

 Aa a rtmlt, uniform air distribution is achieved and 70% of the plate surface is
protected from wear and high temperatures. Uniform cooling of the Jet Ring plate also
helps to prevent cracking due to themal shock. Both benefits increase the service life
of the plates. As a result of the longer service life of the plates, the availability of the
! cooler is considerably increased.

5.2 Aeration and Ati SwDIV SW-

One advantage of the REPOL-RS cooler is that all grate rows are directly aerated by
air beams. The inlet section of a REPOL-RSmoler consists of five to thirteen rowsof
Jet Ring plates. The size of the cooler inlet area depends on the size of the coder, the
kiln discharge, or the location of the undergrate partitions in the case of cooler
retrofits. The grate section covered with Jet Ring plates is divided into aeration zones.
Depending on the clinker distribution at the inlet section, the individual aeration fields
can be separately supplied with air. The number of Jet Ring platea in each aeration
zone (field size) is increased in the ~nvey=e d~ection of clinker (FIGURE 14)” One
aeration field consists of at least two and not more than twelve plates. Two to three
plates of each grate plate support are supplied with air by a flexible metal winding hose
(FIGURE 15). In each SUPPIY line ~ the aeration Z-& m~ually Operated throttling
valves are installed outside of the cmoler to facilitate the adjustment of air during
cooler operation. A pressure gage is provided for measuring the pressure of each supply
line. Electronic flowmetm can be installed in the lines and are preferred.

The cooler inlet aeration h Wually SUPPlied by four f- (F161JRE16). The f~t ~=
has five rows with 100 millibar (40 inches w.g.) and the second with a designed pressure
capability of 80 millibar (32 inches w.g.). A confining air fan is also installed, which
provid- the compartment with approximately 80 millibar (32 inches w.g.) of pressure.
The confining air quantity should be approximately 10% of the total air quantity. This
fan provides an airstream from the compartment to the clinker bed which not only
reduces the number of grate riddlings at the front aperture between the moving and
fixed rows, but also provides the thxust faces with additional cooling air. Due to the
existing pressure difference between the compartment and the flexible feeding hoses,
a leak rate of approximately 5% is common.

5.3 Functional Descrir.Xionof REPOL-RSCooler

Polysius designed the REPOL-RS cooler so that the heat recuperation would be
improved by increasing the retention time of the cooling air in the clinker bed and
maximizing the cooler recuperation zone surf ace area. The retention time of the
cooling air is optimized by specific air distribution between the individual air
compartments. This Polysius cooler d=ign also allows for the adjustment of cooling air
to a non-uniform clinker bed. Uniform aeration is achieved by adjusting the cooling fan
airflows to the aeration zones. The uniform aeration of the clinker and the reduction
of cooling fan air bypassing the deep bed of clinker through areas of low rdstance,
improves clinker cooling and rtxulti with a high degree of heat recuperation

21
FIGURE 14 Jet Ring aeration fields
 —

, I
Iu nl \ /~
rl u

\ /
FIGURE 15 Underrate aeration system
 I
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.- 4 /
—
X
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~-—
.—
After the initial rapid cooling of the clinker, tbe bed height can be increased to improve
heat recuperation. The height of the REPOL-RS clinker bed increasea in the direction
of clinkex transport. The thrusting motion of the grate drive, which starM with the
third row of pla-, encourages lateral dispersion of clinker and fills the voids in the
clinker bed. Due to the slightly higher overall height, as compared with the height of
conventional grate plat-, the Jet Ring plates have an inclination of four degrees in the
conveying direction. Due to this inclination, an increasing bed height is obtained in the
conveying direction.

Grate riddlings are reduced because of the closed nature of the Jet Ring plates and the
tight tolerances between the moving and fixed grate plate rows. The extremely small
quantity of riddlings reducs the frequenv of the discharge hopper or chain conveyor
operation and therefore reduax wear.

5.4 Tech ical Advantwms of the REPOL-m

The advantages of installing the REPOL-RS cooler are quite attractive. From a
mechanical point of view, the long semice life of the Jet Ring plates decreases the
capital spent on maintaining the cooler and nxults in increased moler availability.
Also, the Jet Ring plat~ and tight tolerances of the cooler result with 1= wear of the
riddling transport system. Improved heat recuperation and reduced specific cooling air
quantity, combine to save power, reduce emissions and increase productivi~. In
summary, The REFOL-RS ~ler features the following benefi~: -

FEATURE

Optimal cooling of plates Low wear of plates

Clinker remaining in depressed area of Autogenous

plates wear protection

No blow through, adjusted air

Individually aerated fields distribution, prevention of “red rivers”
and ‘snowmen”

I
Large surface injection of cooling air in Low air velocity and good air
the Jet Ring plates distribution in the clinker bed

-Rapid initial cooling and intense

Optimized clinker bed hejght movement of clinker
-Increasing clinker bed height to obtain
a high degree of recuperation

25
6. clwRFr Coow
FLS/FuIler felt that the primary cause of cooler inefficiencies and operating problems
on most traditional reciprocating coolers was due to material segregation at the
discharge of the kiln. They believed that some of th=e problems could be mIrdrniz@
by reducing the size of the undergrate C.ompartmenW, providing individual cooling fans,
and increasing the clinker bed depth. The FLS/Fuller Controlled Flow Grate
(CFG)/RedUCd Fall Through (RF’f) cooler was developed jointly by Fuller in the Unit@
States and FLS in Denmark to achieve complete control over airflow and material
through the cooler. The FLS CFG/RFT system is ah commonly known as a Coolax
cooler. The FLS/Fuller CFG concept provid- the mling air directly to the gra,te
plates, virtually eliminating the need for underrate compartments (FIGURE 17). The
czux of the CFG system is the CFG grate plate.

6.1 FLs/FuIler c FG Grate Plates

CFG plates are constructed from 25/12 stainless steel and are capable of withstanding
high temperatures. There are differences with the CFG plates that are offered by FLS
and Fuller. The FLS CFG plate does not feature rec=ed surface areas such as other
modern grate platea, therefore the whole plate is eXPOSedto the bed of hot clinker
(FIGURE 18). On the other hand, the FuIIw CFG plate k a one piece design which
features a recessed area which holds a static area of clinker (FIGURE 19). This static
clinker provides the plate protection from wear md ~ula- the plate from th+ot bed
of clinker. Both CFG platea feature slots whi~ tie angled down to prevent, clinker
from entering the air beams. The slots are sized to provide velociti- below those of
conventional grate plates. The plat= feature adjacent interlocking plate design which
eliminat- clinker from falling through gaps between the plats. Plates are attached
to the air beam by two hex head bolts rather than tie traditional method of using T-
bolts (FIGURE 20). CFG coolers are equipped with at least 4 width dead grates between
the active grate line and the side frame of the COOIW. The dead grates bridge’between
stationary rows and are covered with refractory to provide protedon to the cooler side
frame. The dead grates have wear lips cast of 25/12 stainless steel which can be
replaced without replacing the entire dead grate plate (FIGURE 21).

6.2 Aeration and Air SUDD

17 SVstem

Like other high efficiency grate systems, high pressure fans supply air to the grates
through a system of ducts which are conn=ted to distribution manifoMs (FIGURE 22).
Distribution lines for pipes branch from the manifolds and are equipped with dampers
or valves to control the amount of air to each zone. The distribution lines are fed to
the air beams which also act as grate supporti (FIGURE 23). On moveable rows with
the Fuller CFG system, flexible hoses are used to convey air from the distribution lines
tO the moveable air beams (FIGUM 24). The d=ign ~ a double walled ~gat~
stainks steel bellows which is mounted vertically. According to FLS/Fuller, the
expected lifetime of this flexible connection is a year. The FLS CFG moveable rows
utilize mechanical joints Instead of flexible hos= (FIGURE 25). Ultimately, the grate

26
FIGURE 17 Fuller CFG section
 r--2

Sturdy design stainless steel casting with integral bottom is capa-

ble of withstanding high temperatures and loads without danger
of w.?arpage or cracking.
2 Narrow slots perpendicular to the material flow assure even air
distribution across the plate and through theclinker.
3 interlocking design virtually prevents clinker from falling
between grate plates.
Three-point mounting system consists of two standard hex head
bolts which are attached to nuts welded into the bottom surface of
the grate plate and a standard hex bolt-nut connection at the rear
of the grate.

FIGURE 18 FLS Controlled Flow Grate plate

 1

? J
lL i 1) I

FIGURE 19 Fuller Controlled Flow Grate plate

Alternate design shares many key features of the CFG grate but
grate
uses slightly different philosophy for air distribution.
1 Similar casting design is one piece with integral bottom.
2 Recessed area on the upper surface of the grate holds a static bed
of material and provides a “clinker-on-clinker” transport area
which reduces wear.
3 “Air distribution channels” in the recessed area of the grate pass
cooling air through slots and into the static bed of material. The
slots in this channel are angled downward to prevent clinker from
entering the air plenum of the grate plate. The length of the slots
increases toward the leading edge of the grate in order to provide
uniform airflow along the entire length of the grate.
4 Same interlocking design feature as Controlled F1OW Grate plate.
5 Same three-point mounting system as Controlled Flow Grate Plate.
 FIGURE 20 CFG plate attachment to air beam

CFG SYSTEM, FIXED FIRDER FOR GRATE

Fjgi
● m F. L.SMIDTt+
 - Rdractwy wd Refractory Wd! -

Roplacoaelo lip Roplacoablo Ilp

Groat plate \

/
Oead grate Great ptate
Eg3Eiir
\
Replaceablelip

..

Dead grate

FIGURE 21 CFG system dead grate plates and replaceable lips

 /
?
f-
3 %4\

[“q /
1’ L4 I

. . .

In this figure, a typic~ cross section of a Cm retrofit, ducting (1) con-

veys air to manifolds (2).The mtifolds feed distribution lines(3) are
equipped with control valves (4). The moveable row mtifolds con-
vey air through flexible connections (5)*In this ptiicula case, the
rnoveable frame (6) is enclosed and used as an air manifold for one
side of the cooler. On the opposite side, the distribution lines are con-
nected directly to the grate SUPPO* (7)*The shtion~ manifolds
feed through the sideframe channels directly into the ends of the
grate supports

FIGURE 22 Typiul CFG cross section

I
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8
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L-1●
I
 m .

LONG-LIFE
SIMPLE DUCT ARIWNGEMENT
FLEXIBLE HOSES O)R
LEAVES ROOM FOR ~
MAINTENANCE
.. —.- ACCESS I I MECHANl~L JOINT

FIGURE 24 Fuller CFG flexible hose connections

1

FIGURE 25 FLS CFG mechanial joint

 I

plata are sealed to the air beams. By supplying air in this reamer, air is not lost by
leakage and has a better chance to pass to the clinker bed.
The number of fans for the CFG system is determined by the size of the cooler.
Generally, new ktallations have two fans which are used to supply air to the first 11
rows of grates. Two additional f am supply air to the next 12 rows of grates. Cooling
fans used with the CFG installation require Mgher static pr=ure than those used on
conventional coders. The high pressure drop caused by tie CFG plate ensures that the
air is evenly distributed and is less effected by differences in the size, temperature, or
depth of the material being coded. The addkio~l installed power from using more
cooling fans is usually Compen$atd for by the reduction of overall cooling volume. The
use of more fans for each side of the cooler allows more precise control over air
distribution and is more efficient than using a single large fan with extensive ductwork
and dampqs to control distribution (FIGURE 26). The FLS/Fuller CFG system uses an
additional fan as a pressurization fan to provide ak to tie underrate comp@ent.
Its purpose Is to prevent cooling ati from bypassing the clinker bed and leaking into the
underrate area between the rows. It also helps to reduce material spillage even
further and reduce wear in the grate overlap area.

6.3 FLS/Rd Ier RFr Grate Phme.$

The RFT grate plate is used in the cooling zone after the CFG section. It may be
retrofkted to an existing cooler without a CFG section. The plate is similar in
appearance to the Fuller CFG grate but features an open bottom because it is chamber
aerated Iike a conventional grate plate (FIGURE 27). The RFT plate has the recessed
design of the Fuller CFG plate which promotes long wear life and grate protection from
hot clinker. The lifetime of these grate plates are expected to be twice the life of
standard grate platea. The pocket design has the effect of reducing material spillage.
FLS/Fuller claims that some installations have reduwd their spillage gate frequency by
90%.
Th-e plates will fit most FIS/Fuller coolers. For other coolers, it maybe required to
replace the support beams. The RFT plate can be supplied to retrofits with the
standard T-bolt and finger d=ign or newwith no finger and the two hex bolt amection
similar to the CFG plate. However, the RFf plates do not feature the interlocking
d=ign of the CFG system.

6.4 Other FLWFullw Peculiarities

Dead grates were introduced as a way of decreasing the active width of the awler for
increased thermal efficiency and to provide protection to the side franm of the cooler.
All new FLS/Fuller coolers are built with one grate wider than the maximum required
active width so that there is room for at least a Awidth dead grate on each active grate
line. FLS/Fuller has developed a replaceable lip so that the dead grate is mounted
~anentlY to tie COO1=and tie repla=ab~e lip bo1fi to tie dead grate (FIGURE 28).
Because of its through bolt d=ign, the replaceable lip maybe changed without removing
castable and the dead plate. Dead grates with replaceable lips are available for most
coolers as replacements for standard dead gratis

36
 KILN OUTLET

FAN 1C
~ SEALING AIR FAN

FAN 11

FAN 2L !R

GRATE 1 CFG

------- ------- ------- ..

GRATE 2 RFT

FAN

FIGURE 26 Grate layout CFG/RFT

FIGURE27 FLS/Fuller RFT plate
 ORIGINAL

I -.

REVISED

FIGURE 28 Dead grate and replaceable lip

Another evolution in cooler design from FLS/Fuller is the use of the replaceable,
adjustable pusher. FLS/Fuller installs this device because the first row of their cooler
is moveable. Older models of FIAVFuller coolers used “pushe.m” but these devices were
subject to wear and were seldomly replaced because of the need to remove a significant
amount of castable (FIGURE 29). This situation resulted in significant losses in
efficiency and increased spillage of material to the undergrate compartment. The
improved pushex design is bolted to the brickshelf bracket which is attached
permanently to the cooler (FIGURE 30). Space is allowed in the bracket to place shims
so that gap tolerances may be adjusted. When the pusher has worn past the point of
correction, iti d-ign allows it to be flipped so that the other side may be used.

6.5 Ar)t)]icatiO@

Although developed for a new cQokr, a CFG section may be retrofkted to most existing
coolers (FIGURE 31). If the cooler is not manufactured by FLS/Fuller, it is required
that the grate drive and support components be replaced. FLS/Fuller states that the
usual shutdown time for installation is three to six weeks. During this outage period,
the remainder of the cooler should be overhauled to ensure the maximum benefit from
the conversion. This includes underrate compartment seals, the possibility of replacing
the existing cooiing fans, and refurbishing or replacing the internal spillage conveyors.

FLS/Fuller claims that typical figures for a new installation will result in fuel savings
of 40-50 kcal/kg clinker (O.144-0.180 mmBTU/ston). If all of the recuperation air is
supplied by the CFG system, it is possible to have a cooler loading of 50-60 TPD/m*.
Cooling air required for a clinker outlet temperature of 65*C (149”F) above ambient is
2.4 kg air/kg clinker. FLS/Fulle.r also notes that the return time on investment
decreases as the size of the CFG system incre=.

6.6 Blue Circle Emerience with FLs/Ful la cFG/RFr Cooler$

Within BCl, there is a Fuller 609CFG-608RFT-631H CFG/RFT cooler retrofit at Tulsa

Works in the United States and a FLS 1034S Coolax retrofit at Aalborg Works in
Denmark.

The Tulsa No. 1 cooler was converted in 1994 from an original Fuller 850H design to a
retrofit cooler with nine rows of Fuller CFG plates and eight rows of RFT plates. This
cooler originally had five undergrate chambers with four cooling fans. The CFG/RFT
conversion resuited with four undergrate chambers and supplied six new high-pressure
cooling fam. The CFG section require two cooling fans plus the pressurization fan.
It is scheduled for commissioning texts during early 1995.

40
 I
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Ii
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The Aalborg Coolax cooler has been” operational since April 1993. This “dmign
incorporat- five cooling fans to service the directly aerated CFG grate plates in the
CFG section. A pressurization fan is also used to prevent any air from bypassing the
clinker bed. The chamber aerated RFT section of the cooler utilizes four cmoling fans.
Ita typical operational data for OPC is as follows

Kiln producticm: 5200 TPD

‘Kiln heat consumption: 1025 kcal/kg
Total grate area: 118.08 ma
Total CFG area: 22.48 m=
Total RFT area: 95.60 m’
Cooler grate loading: 44.04 TPD/mz
Clinker temperature into cooler: 1450 ‘c
Clinker temperature out of cooler: 130 ‘c
Total air into cooler (@20°c): 8120 mS/min
2.10 NmJ/kg clinker
Total CFG air into cooler (@20°C): 1970 m’/rnin
0.51 NmS/kg clinker
Excess air fan: 5700 mS/min
0.78 Nm’/kg clinker
Excess air temperature: 280 ‘C
Cooler loss : 95 kcal/kg

7. CLAUDIUS PETERS[CPAG)MULDENPLATECOO~

Claudius Petem(CPAG) entered into thenew generation cooler market by introducing

the Mulden grate plate to their successful COOIW designs of the past (FIGURE 32).
CPAGcoolers have been imtalled for capacitiesof l,500to 10,OOOTPD. The first
grateof anymodern CPAGcooler ishWalled onaninclination of 3efrom thehorizontal
plane of the cooler. Other coolers offered for larger applications such asthe Combi-
cooler and the Combi-stage cooler have one to three horizontal grates following the
first grate. CPAGalso has aretrofitpackage called t.he High Efficiency (HE) module
that can be adapted tomost=isting grate coolers. The CPAG”G” cooler is aunique
cooler system in that it is virtually dust free. Its major use is for cement plants that
are being uprated.

7.1 The Mulden Grate Plate

Mulden grate pIates are featured throughout every CPAG modern grate cooler. Th+e
grate plat= are high pressure drop plates that control airflow to the overhead bed of
clinker. It may be mounted for duty as part of a directly aerated row of plates at the
recuperation zone of the cooler or a chamber aerated grate section at the cold end of
the cooler. High pressure cooling fans convey air into the grate through a channel that
runs down the middle of the plate. The air is forced downward through a gap into the
plate discharge, which is a recessed area of the grate plate (FIGURE 33). According
to CPAG, air flows through the plate gaps at 32 rds (105 ft/see) and exits the plate
at 4.4 m/s (14.4 ft/see). The low exit velocity of the air leaving the plate allows for

44
FIGURE 32 CPAG Mulden grate plate
FIGURE 33 Airflow through Mulden plate
good mixing of the cooling air with the hot clinker. The sides of this plate also channel
cooling air to the plate discharge. As it leaves the plate gap, the downward motion of
the airstream also prevents clinker fines from falling through the plates. The surfaces
of these plates have four small pockets which retain a static bed of clinker. This bed
of clinker protects the plate from abrasive wear and hot clinker. CPAG advertises that
the Mulden plates can last up to three times longer than conventional grate plates.

7.2 Aeration System

The Mulden plate aeration system comprises high pressure cooling air fans which are
required to overcome the high pressure drop of the installed grate plates. The number
of cooling air fans depends on the size of the cooler. Three to five rows of stationary
Mulden plates are fitted at the cooler inlet. These rows build a pile of clinker so that
it may be evenly distributed by the pulsation system. CPAG installs this pulsation
system for two reasons. First, it distributes and levels the clinker in the discharge area
of the kiln. Also, it prevents “snowman” formation if the kiln tends to produce sticky
clinker. A pulsation control system can set pulsation timing depending on the operating
characteristics of the kiln. After the pulsation system has flattened and distributed the
clinker bed, the clinker moves to the reciprocating grate section. Each plate row in the
recuperation zone is individually supplied with air through the usage of hollow air
beams. Moveable and fixed rows alike receive cooling fan air from a common cross air
beam (FIGURE 34). On moveable air beams, a leaf spring seal is used to prevent air
from leaking out of the air beams (FIGURE 35). This seal eliminates the need for hoses
and flexible pipes, however flexible hoses are used on cooler retrofits. Adjustable
dampers are placed on stationary rows on the outer sides of the fan discharge points to
the air beams. These dampers will enable the cooler operator to evenly distribute the
total amount of cooling air to the clinker bed. CPAG states that direct aeration of all
Mulden plate rows throughout the cooler is not advisable because of increased power
consumption. Therefore, their practice is to use directly aerated plates at the
recuperation zone of the cooler and midway down the cooler and to use chamber
aerated Mulden plates for the remainder of the cooler. The chamber aerated Mulden
plates feature an adjacent interlocking system that reduces the amount of riddlings
falling through the plate and virtually eliminates cooling air from bypassing the plate
(FIGURE 36).

7.3 Single Grate CPAG Mulden Plate Cooler

The smallest and most basic modern grate cooler that CPAG offers is the single grate
Mulden plate cooler (FIGURE 37). The entire grate is on an incline of 3“ from the
horizontal plane of the cooler. It is offered for capacities of up to 1,500 TPD. This
size of cooler has three stationary rows at the cooler inlet. The reciprocating action
of the cooler is accomplished by a hydraulic drive. The single grate CPAG Mulden plate
cooler usually has four undergrate chambers of which three are entirely supplied with
directly aerated Mulden grate plates. Cooled clinker encounters either a roller breaker
or a hammer breaker which reduces the clinker to an aPPro@ate Size (FKXJRE 38).

47
7.4 Other Mulden Plate CooIer Desimq

There are other variations of modem coolem which are offered by CPAG for larger
cooling capaciti=. Two other designs are the Combi-cooler and the Combi-stage
cooler. Both of these modul= are available for capacities of 1,500 to 10,000 TPD. A
cooler retrofit package from CPAG called the High Efficiency (HE) module is also
available for existing cooler upgrades using the Mulden plate technology. The newer
versions of the CPAG “GWcooler system use Mulden plates for their recuperator grate.

7.4.1 COmbi-cooler

The CPAG combi-cooler is appropriately named because it is a combination of the basic

single inclined grate of 3° and one to three horizontal grates (FIGURE 39). The grates
are sized according to the capacity of clinker to be cooled. To achieve optimum bed
height, the grate speed of each grate is individually controlled. This cooler may have
a roller breaker or a hammer breaker installed as a clinker breaker at the end of the
cooler. The advantage of this design is that it requires less height than the CPAG
combi-stage cooler.

7.4.2 Combi+tage Cooler

The CPAG combi-stage cooler is unique in that it incorporates the clinker commirmtion
by a roller breaker installed behind the inclined or the first horizontal grate (FIGURE
40). This design must use a roller breaker due to the high temperature of the clinker
at the point of the breaker installation. CPAG claims that this design allows for the
best final compartment cooling of clinker because the roller breaker reduces the clinker
to a uniform size. One advantage of installing this design is that the smallest size grate
system is possible. Another advantage of this system is that the roller breaker
generatts very little dust. A major disadvantage of this module is that it requires
generous overhead spacing or additional civil work to install the lower section of the
cooler. There is at least a one meter drop from the grate before the roller breakex to
the subsequent grate.

7.4.3 High Efficiency (HE) Module

The CPAG HE module was designed to upgrade existing cooler recuperation zones by
using Mulden plate technology (FIGURE 41). The system is a essentially a fixed inlet
grouping of directly aerated Mulden plate rows that are installed at a slope of around
14° from the horizontal reference of the cooler. The number of installed Mulden plate
rows depends on the size of the recuperation zone of the cooler. The HE module is
situated so that a step is created from the end of the module to the first moving row
of the existing cooler. This step aids the transportation of clinker to the existing
reciprocating grate. Cooling air is usually supplied by one fan with pulsation control.

53
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7.4.4 Claudius Petera ‘GmSystem

The Claudius Peters “G” cooler system was developed with the intention of retaining all
the benefits of a grate and eliminating the problems associated with the exhaust air.
The system consists of two portions. A grate cooler, called the recuperator section, is
sized to provide sufficient secondary air to the kiln. The clinker leav- this grate at
about 450-500°C (752-932°F). The higher clinker outlet temperature at the discharge
of the recuperator requires the use of a roller crusher to reduce the oversized clinker
before being cooled to below 100”C (212°F) in the after cooler. There is no direct
contact between the clinker and the cooling air in the after cooler, therefore no
dedusting equipment is required.

The cooler combination is shown in FIGURE 42. The after cooler is kept filled with
clinker by a drag chain which distributes the material on top. A series of undercut
gates at the bottom undertake the discharge. Transport of the clinker through the after
cooler is by gravity - hence the name “G” cooler. The gates are controlled by a level
indicator.

The after cooler consists of a number of identical compartments each equipped with
numerous transverse lens shaped charnels for the passage of air. Each column of
compartments is supplied with cooling air by an axial fan. The airflow through each
column follows a zig-zag path as shown.

Large clihker lumps are prevented from entry by grizzly bars at the top and retention
time of the clinker within the cooler is two to three hours, giving a speed of 2-3 crn/min
(0.79-1.18 inchedmin). The long retention time gives good heat transfer and low wear
rates. A column normally consists of 5 compartments with clinker cooling from 450 to
100°C (752 to 212°F). The cooling air leaves the top at approximately 120°C (248°F).

The “G” cooler has its major use when cement plants are uprated. If the capacity of the
existing cooler is considerably exceeded, the “Gwcooler can boost the cooling capacity
whether the existing unit is a grate, planetary, or rotary cooler.

The advantage that can be gained from this type of secondary cooler is that water can
be used instead of air as the cooling medium. The greater specific heat capacity will
reduce the size of the unit and warm water will become available for process or other
uses, such as fish farming.

The Dunbar “G” cooler system was installed during the conversion from the Lepol
process to a precalciner works. A CPAG 1035 recuperator grate at an inclination of 3°
provides recuperation air for the kiln and the calciner vessel. This section of the cooler
has an effective plate area of 30 m* and is aerated by three cooling air fans feeding
four undergrate chambers. At the end of the recuperator chamber is a roller crusher.
Material leaves the roller crusher and is conveyed to a tromrnel feeder and finally to
an Aumund pendulum conveyor. This conveyor elevates the clinker and discharges the
material to a drag chain conveyor at the top of the after cooler. The after cooler has
five sections which receives clinker via a swinging gate on the discharge chute. A

57
 .
m
d-
4
●
gamma level probe opens these gates simultaneously. After the clinker has moled, it
discharga into a common drag conveyor.

Work is planned to modernize the Dunbar “G” cooler system. One portion of this plan
allows for the installation of directly aerated Mulden plates and a new high prwxmre
fan. This retrofit should help to achieve better recuperation of heat from the clinker.
Also, the after cooler will be improved by optimizing the discharge gate control on top
of the cooler and improving the clinker distribution to the five compartments.

7.5 Benefits of Mulden Plate Technolo~

According to CPAG, the benefits of installing a Mulden plate cooler or retrofit are
numerous for achieving a stable kihdcooler operation. In comparison with conventional
grate coolers, the Mulden plate system offers an increase in cooler efficiency of up to
10%. Because the cooling fan air is distributed where it is needed by the air beams and
dampers, a significant decrease in the specific fan air loading and fan power
consumption is possible. Also, the Mulden plates allow air to enter the clinker bed at
a low velocity so that there is a reduced tendency to form “red rivers.” The thermal
and wear protection design of the Mulden plate allows as much as three times longer
grate plate service life over conventional grate platxx. According to CPAG, the Mulden
plates are guaranteed from one to two years of continuous operation on moving rows of
plates. Finally, the Mulden plate is designed to discourage riddhgs from falling through
the plate to the undergrate collection and transportation equipment.

8. KHD PYROSTEP COOLER

The KHD PYROSTEP cooler is similar to the previous coders that have been analyzed
in that it uses a cooling air supply that is directly fed to rows of plates by a manifold
system. What differentiates this cooler design from oth- is the fact that the
PYROSTEP cooler utilizes as many as three different typcx of grate plates (FIGURE
43). The PYROSTEP cooler features a 15° to 20” inclined fixed stepped grate at the
cooler inlet and a moveable grate inclining at an angle of 3.5° from the horizontal plane
of the cooler. The PYROSTEP cooler many be supplied as a new cooler design for
capacities ranging from 650 to 11,200 TPD or the step grate can be retrofitted to
upgrade an existing cooler. KHD has just recently marketed this new generation cooler.
A total of ten PYROSTEP coolers have been sold, the first of which started in late
1993.

8.1 The New PYROSTEP Grate Plates

KHD felt that the cooling regime in their grate cooler required different grate plates.
The PYROSTEP cooler features up to three different types of grate plates. At the inlet
of the cooler, a stationary step grate with horizontal air outlets is installed. In the
transition from the fixed grate to the beginning of the moveab!e grate section, the new

59
FIGURE 43 Three types of grate plates

...
 I

“OMEGAWgrate plate is installed. Finally, the remainder of the moveable grate can be
outfitted with conventional grate plates.

8.1.1 The Stationary Stepped Grate Plate

This grate plate consists of several fins that gently slope upwards at the discharge of
the plate (FIGURE 44). These fins are situated to form gaps at a predetermined
distance and are welded to the frame of the grate plate. A plate is fastened to its air
beam by means of two T-screws. The major difference between this plate and former
K.HDgrate plates is that the plate r=istance has been increased so that the resistance
effect of the clinker bed is relatively small in comparison. Another fundamental change
is that the stepped grate plates feature horizontal air discharge. By replacing the
conventional idea of vertical airflow with horizontal air discharge, KHD claims that this
grate plate features better control of cooling airflow through the clinker bed (FIGURE
45). Spouting of cooling air through the clinker bed is virtually eliminated and the
residence time of the air with the clinker bed is increased. The airflow through this
plate moves clinker fines away from the plate surface and transports them to the top
of the clinker bed which r=ults in high secondary air temperatures. The horizontal
airflow also protects the plates from high temperatures and wear, resulting in increased
plate life.

8.1.2 The %ega” Plate /

The beginning of the reciprocating portion of the PYROSTEP cooler features the new
“OMEGA” grate plates. This grate plate is a high resistance plate which nullifi= the
resistance of the clinker bed. It maybe mounted for duty as part of a chamber aerated
grate section (FIGURE 46) or used as a part of a directly aerated row of plates (FIGURE
47). The plate is appropriately named because the centre of the plate contains an air
channel which is shaped like the Greek letter “Q” (FIGURE 48). The sid= of this plate
also channel cooling air to the plate outlet. Like the stepped grate plates, the
“OMEGA” plates force cooling air through a horizontal path to the plate outlet. The
dispersed airstream flows through the clinker bed improving cooling efficiency and
preventing the air from forming a “spouting” effect on the bed surface. The
horizontally oriented air outlets also prevent clinker fines from falling through the
plates. The surfaces of these plates have four small pockets which retain a static bed
of clinker. This bed of clinker protects the plate from abrasive wear and hot clinker.
The lip of the “OMEGA”plate is also cooled with air in order to extend its service life.

8.2 Aeration Svstem

The aeration system compriwx high pressure cooling air fans which are required to
overcome the high pressure drop of the installed grate plates. Cooling air fans capable
of around 1000 mm w.g. (39.4 inches w.g.) are used for the pulsation system. The
number of cooling air fans depends on the size of the cooler. Each plate row is
individually supplied with air through the usage of box girders. The girders charnel the

61
 FIGURE 44 KHD Stepped grate plate

II
FIGURE 46 Chamber aerated “OMEGA” grate plate
 \

FIGURE 47 Direct aerated “OMEGA” grate plate

FIGURE 48 Cross section of “OMEGA” grate plate
 m
a)
c
0
N
CL
w
> L
cooIing fan air supply to the individual grate plates. A wear resistant external
telescopic seal makes it possible to supply cooling air to moving rows using rigid pipes.
This seal eliminates the need for hoses and flexible pipes.

8.3 Zones of the PYROSTEP Cooler

The PYROSTEP cooler has several different zon- which require different aeration
characteristics (FIGURE 49). In the first four zones, each row is individually supplied
with a variable volume of cooling air. The size and construction of Zones 1 through 4
are designed in accordance with the cooler throughput and recuperation of airflow.
PYROSTEP coolers of smaller throughput are equipped with one stepped grate and five
rows of “OMEGA” plates. Typically, PYROSTEP coolers feature only these ten rows as
being directly aerated. With large capacity coolers, the stepped grate and ‘OMEGA”
plate sections are duplicated behind Zones 1 and 2 to form Zones 3 and 4.

8.3.1 Zones 1 and 3

Zone 1 and Zone 3, on larger cooiers, consist of a stepped grate section. These sections
have five stationary rows of stepped grate piates arranged at an angle of approximately
15° to 20° from the horizontal plane of the cooler. By utilizing a stationary grate
section, part of the reciprocating frame is replaced. This system features air puisation
which can be provided alternatively to plate rows 1+3+5 and 2+4 (FIGURE 50). In Zone
1, blank plates may be used on the outer rows to aid with clinker dispersion. Because
this grate section is stationary, a static layer of clinker is encouraged to form on top
of this section. External air cannons maybe installed to aid with extreme clinker build
up in this zone (Figure 51).

8.3.2 Zones 2 and 4

Zone 2 and Zone 4, on larger coolers, feature directly aerated “OMEGA” grate plates
on a reciprocating grate section. The length of these zones depends on the process
requirements and the capacity of the cooier. Zone 2 is installed at a slight upward
incline so that a deeper bed of clinker is formed over the “OMEGAWgrates for better
heat recuperation into the kiln. In the case of smailer coolers, Zone 2 is immediately
followed by Zone 5.

8.3.3 Zone 5

Zone 5 is the final area of the PYROSTEP cooler. It features ejther “OMEGA” grate
piates or conventional grate plates on a reciprocating grate section. Ail plates in this
zone are chamber aerated. The gaps between the plat= have been narrowed to reduce
the amount of clinker failing through to the undergrate chamber.

68
 I
I
8
u
c
(6
““l-e LJ

0
m
UI
K
3
(!)
ii
II--@
Elmmcl
 1
\
!,
8.4 Merits of Install”u the PYROSTEP Cool=

AS 8 result of installing the PYROSTEP cooler system, KHD promotes several proass

benefits. The stepped grate section optimizm heat transfer between the cooling air and
the bed of hot clinker. KHD claims that improvements of up to 5% can be expected
over conventional grate coolers and that thermal efficiencies of 70 to 76% are possible
depending on the type of kiln system. This increase in thermal efficiency results in
reduced heat consumption for the kiln process. The increased thermal efficiency of the
cooler results in less cooling fan air required to cool the clinker to a given cooler exit
temperature. KHD claims that a typical clinker discharge temperature from a
PYROSTEP cooler is 65°C (149°F) above ambient. Reduction in cooler exhaust volumes
occurs as a r=ult of lower cooling fan air. This benefit results in reduced exhaust
emissions to the atmosphere. Also, higher specific grate loading of this cooler is
possible. KH13quotes grate loadings of 40 to 55 TPD/m*.

Mechanically, the stepped grate plates and “OMEGA” pIates virtually eliminate grate
plate thermal and wear damage. The long service life of these plates results in lower
maintenance costs. These plates also contribute to reduced maintenance costs by
reducing the amount of riddlings to the undergrate transport equipment.

71
9. COMPARISON OF NEW GENEIUTION COOLERS

The following table compares the modern grate coolers that have been discussed:

IKN POLYSIUS FLSI CPAG KHD

FULLER
Name of cooler Pendulum REPOL-RS CFG/RFT Mulden PYRO-
cooler cooler cooler plate cooler STEP
cooler
Type(s) of Coanda jet Jet Ring CFGgrate Mulden Step
grate plate(s) nozzle plate plate IRFT grate plates grate
grate plate platel
OMEGA
grate
plate
Grate wear & Air swept Recessed Fuller Recessed Step
thermal plate clinker recessed clinker plate
protection pocket clinker pocket same as
pocket/ FLS IKN;
has none OMEGA
plate
same as
CPAG
Thermal Not Not Not
efficiency (%) quoted quoted quoted Over 80 70-76
Increase in
thermal Not Not Not 10 up to 5
efficiency (%) quoted quoted quoted
Clinker exit
temp. above 100 absolute Not 65 65 Not
ambient (“C) quoted quoted
Savings Not Not Not
(kcallkg 10-50 quoted 40-50 quoted quoted
clinker)
Grateloading Not Not
(TPD/m~) 50-65 quoted 50-60 quoted 40-55

72
10. SUMMARY
OF NEW GENERATION COOLERS

In summary, all of the modern grate coolers offer the following improvements:

(lmxational benefits:

Lower mass flow of cooling fan air to the cooler

Air beams channel cooling air directly to the grate plat= in the
recuperation zone of the cooler
Compartmentalized aeration zones
Less dependence on the sealing of large compartments
Lateral and vertical dispersion of clinker
Better control of cooler grate speed
Higher specific grate loadings
Deep bed operation of the cooler
High pressure drop grate plates distribute air evenly throughout the
clinker bed
Cooling air has a lower velocity and therefore a longer retention time ‘in
the clinker bed
Less tendency to form ‘red rivers” and “snowmen”

Cost/savin* benefits:

Cooler thermal efficiencies of over 70%

Fuel savings of 10-50 kcal/kg clinker
Higher secondary air temperatures
Greater kiln stability
Less cooler stops
More kiln output

Mechanical ‘bnefitx

Recessed grate plates or horizontal air sweeping of the pIate+ gives

autogenous wear protection and thermal plate protection, thus a longer
plate life
May eliminate the number of cooler drives
Less cooler stops increas= refractory life
Less clinker fall through reduces the usage of riddling collection and
transportation equipment

Environmental benefits:

Lower particulate emissions result from lower cooler exhaust volumes

Lower fuel consumption means less usage of fossil fuels and other natural
r~ources

73
 I

Che.rational disadvant.wzea:

More cooling air fans are required

Higher installed power than conventional coolers
Cooler retrofits may force changing existing fans to higher static
pressure/lower volume capability to cope with a deeper clinker bed
More complex to set up and operate
More operator training is usually required versus conventional cooler
knowledge

Static ~ ate disadvantmms:

!’Snowmen” are likely to form on static grates

May have to rely on air cannons to clear static grate area, therefore
wasting compressed air when on a timing cycle
Static grat= may have to be cleared manually if other methods are not
succ=ful (unsafe)
Installation of the static grate must be correct or clinker transport
problems may occur

Mechanical disadvantzuz=

Tolerances must be observed for grate installation, otherwise there may

/ be no advantage over the existing cooler with respect to fine clinker fall
through
Flexible hoses have been prone to break and have high leakage rates
Changing the grate plates on some modern cooler d=igns requir~
removing and repouring castable

74
 I

REFERENCES

Claudius Peters AG,: Claudius Peters: The Cooler Specialists

Duda, W.H.: Cement Data Handbook, International Process Engineering in the Cement
Industry, Vol. 1, 3rd edition, (1985)

F. L. Smidth,: Cooling of Clinker, International Cement Production Seminar, Lecture

5.3 (1994)

Herchenbach, H.: Methods of cooling cement clinker, and selection criteria for the
customarily used cooling systems. Zement-Kalk-Gips 31 (1978), 42

KHD Humboldt Wedag,: PYROSTEP The new generation of cost-efficient grate coolers,
7-330 e

Krupp Polysius,: REPOL-RS with Jet-Ring Plate, Design Information No. 35, I%int No.
11-803 (1992)

Schneider, R.: PYROSTEP-the 3rd grate cooler generation. KHD Symposium, Modern
Burning Technology (1993)

von Wedel, K.: Clinker Cooling with Coanda Effect.

Walsh, F. E.: Advances in reciprocating grate coolers. Zement-Kalk-Gips 5 (1994), 252

75
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 5

General Description of a Fuller Cooler

 COST COMPARISON OF ROTARY AND FULLER
CLINKER COOLERS

SUMMARY

(1) The difference in Capital Costs between Fuller and Rotary Coolers is of negligible proportions.

(2) The Running Cost of a Fuller Cooler is higher than that of a Rotary Cooler, but the Maintenance Cost is
lower. The difference in total Running and Maintenance Costs between Fuller and Rotary Coolers of the
same age is of negligible proportions.

(3) The Kiln Down-Time caused by Fuller Coolers is probably a little less than that caused by Rotary
Coolers and very considerably less than that caused by Recuperitors.

(4) On Wet Process Kilns it is possible to obtain appreciably better thermal efficiencies from existing Fuller
Coolers than from most comparable existing Rotary Coolers. However, in the case of Semi-Dry Process
this advantage is reversed, and the importance of Cooler thermal efficiency would seem to be
proportionately greater on the Semi-Dry Process than on the Wet Process.

(5) As far as Wet Process is concerned there seems to be little point in developing better Rotary Coolers.
The Fuller Cooler would appear to be the best type of cooler for Wet Process and the use of the
double-pass system-would even give a slightly higher efficiency and eliminate the dust nuisance from
the auxiliary stack. On Semi-Dry Process Kilns the Fuller Cooler is far less suitable than a well designed
Rotary Cooler. There is virtually no scope for improving the Fuller or any other type of Cross-Flow
Cooler on Semi-Dry Process, but there is considerable scope for developing more efficient Rotary
Coolers or some other type of Contra-Flow Coolers.

SECTION 1.

Capital Costs
(a) Mechanical Costs:
(i) FULLER 744 (Costs based on Cauldon Works)

Cooler (Double-Pass) £32,400

Automatic Control 700
Crusher................................................................... 3,300
Additional Brickwork ............................................... 800
....................................................................................£37,200
+ Erection at 10%... 3,700
£40,900

(ii) 92' ROTARY COOLER (Costs based on Shoreham Works

 and adjusted for 1958).

Cooler…………………………………………… £30,000
Brickwork………………………………………. 2,500
Heat Shields and Guards………………………… 1,000
Drive………………………………………… 2,500
Inspection……………………………………… 100
Delivery………………………………………… 1,500
£37,600
+ Erection at 10% 3,400
£41,000

(B) Civil Costs:

Effect OF Cooler on Height of Kiln Piers

(i) FULLER 74~1 (Cauldon Works).

Kiln Floor level 26-ft above Cooler floor level.
Kiln Floor level 27-ft above general Kiln House floor level.

(ii) 92' ROTARY COOLER (Shoreham Works)

Kiln Floor level 25-ft 3-ins. above Cooler Floor level.

Kiln Floor level 25-ft. 3-ins. above general Kiln House Floor level.

Effect of Cooler on foundation Costs

In many cases the layout of the Cooler is such that its foundations are integral with the kiln pier and hood
foundations. in order to arrive at Foundation costs for the two types of coolers it is necessary to design
separate foundations for the Coolers, ignoring the presence of the accompanying kiln and assuming average
load bearing conditions for the site. Allowance must. also be made for a 6" thick concrete floor surrounding
the actual Cooler Foundation.

(i) Fuller 744

Cooler and Fan bases 65 cu.yds. of Concrete

Surrounding Floor 35 cu.yds. of Concrete
TOTAL: 100. cu.yds. of Concrete

COST at £20. per cu. yd. £2,000

(ii) 92' ROTARY COOLER

Cooler Piers & Drive Bed 95 cu.yds. of Concrete
Surrounding Floor 55 cu.yds. of Concrete
TOTAL: 150 cu.yds. of Concrete

COST at E20. per cu. yd. £3,000

(c) Electrical Costs,:
 (i) FULLER 744

The drive motor is Supplied by the Cooler Manufacturers and is included in the Mechanical
costs. The forced draught fan and clinker crusher motors are, however, additional items.

Fan Motors:

Two 70 H.P., 730 r.p.m. T.E.F.C. Slip Ring Motors, starters and switchgear £2,100

Crusher Motor:
One 15 H.P-f 960 r.p.m. T.E.F.C. Squirrel Cage Motor & Starter £300

TOTAL: £2,400

(ii) 921 ROTARY COOLER

Cooler Drive Motor:

One 50 H.P., 730 r.p.m. T.E.F.C. Slip Ring Motor, starter and switchgear £900

THE ABOVE PRICES do not include for cables and distribution gear, which are largely dependent on site
conditions.

(d) Summary of Cap4t-al Costs

FULLER 744 92" ROTARY COOLER

Mechanical £ 40,900 £ 41,000

Civil (Foundations Only) £2,000 £3,000
Electrical £ 2,400 £ 900
TOTAL £ 45,300 £44,900

The capacity of a Fuller 744 Cooler is probably a little larger than that of a 92-ft. Rotary Cooler of the
Shoreham Type, so that on a tonnage basis the capital cost would be a little lower than that of a Rotary Cooler.
However, in some cases there is a definite dust nuisance from the Fuller Cooler auxiliary stack and the cost of
a dust collector should be included. On a wet process plant, with the double-pass system, a dust collector
would not be necessary as there would be no air passing to the cooler stack under normal conditions. On a
semidry double-pass or any single-pass cooler there is always some air passing to the cooler stack, and the cost
of the dust collector would depend on this quantity of air and on the desired efficiency of collection. The cost
could thus vary from about £2,000 to £7,000. A Figure of £4,000 could probably be taken as a fair average.
The cost of a single-pass cooler would be about E2,000 less than the double-pass cooler on which these cost
comparisons were based.
.SECTION 2.
Running Costs and Maintenance Costs

The following Coolers were chosen to provide running and Maintenance Cost Comparisons:

(a) One No. 733 Fuller Cooler at Cliffe Works, which was installed in September 1955.

(b) One No. 620 Fuller Cooler at Norman Works, which was installed in 1949.

(c) Two 92-ft. Newell" s Rotary Coolers at Shoreham Works, which were installed in 1950.

All costs were expressed in pence per ton of Clinker.

During major kiln repairs, the opportunity was taken to overhaul the Cooler and the cost of this overhaul
shouuld really be spread over a longer period than 12 months, when comparing Cooler costs.
SECTION 3.

Effect of Tvve of Cooler on "Kiln Down-Time"

The following analysis is based on Mr. C. Tetley's Paper at the Works Managers' Conference in 1954.
4.1

SECTION

Effect of Type of Cooler on the Thermal Efficiency of the Kiln

The Importance of Recuperation of Heat by Cooling Clinker

It is obvious that each unit of heat recuperated from the Clinker is equivalent to more than one unit of heat
supplied by additional fuel.

Working on a basis of straight-forward heat balance accountancy and making allowance for the increased
stack losses due to the increased quantity of combustion gases due in turn to the increased fuel, the saving is
about 1.6 units of heat supplied by additional fuel for each unit of heat recuperated from the Clinker. If an
attempt is made to take into account the temperature potential of the recuperated heat and the reduced
radiation losses per unit of output through the increase in output of the kiln consequent to the reduction in the
quantity of combustion gases per unit of output, it can be argued that there is a saving of up to 4 units of heat
supplied by additional fuel for each unit of heat recuperated from the clinker. It is doubtful whether the latter
argument is really valid in the case of a wet process kiln, where the thermal work done at low temperature
potential in drying the wet feed is probably the overriding factor in determining the thermal efficiency of the
kiln.

In the semi-dry process kiln, however, the thermal work done at higher temperature potential is probably of
much greater importance, and a small increase in cooler efficiency would result in a totally disproportionate
increase in the thermal efficiency of the kiln plan as a whole.

Efficiency of Fuller and Rotarv Coolers

The efficiency of a Cooler can best be defined as

Heat transferred to air passing from Cooler to Kiln

x 100%
Heat available for transfer in the Clinker

Rotary Coolers and Recuperators are basically contra-flow heat exchangers, whereas Fuller and similar types
of Grate Coolers are basically cross-flow heat exchangers. In regard to thermal efficiency, it is a fundamental
fact that a contra-flow heat exchanger has a theoretical advantage may vary from an almost negligible to a
very considerable amount.

In order to obtain a method of comparing actual efficiencies of existing Fuller and Rotary Coolers, it is
necessary first to establish the maximum theoretical efficiencies of the two types of coolers under the varying
conditions which are met with in practice, and then to establish how the actual efficiency of a cooler compares
with its theoretical maximum under the same conditions. It is only in this way that it is possible to see whether
there is any scope in improving the efficiency of a particular cooler or type of cooler.

The Theoretical Maximum Efficiency of a Contra-Flow Rotary Cooler

The specific heats of clinker and air are almost identical under the conditions with which we are concerned. It
is, therefore, theoretically possible in a contra-flow cooler having no thermal losses and with equal masses of
air and clinker passing through it for the clinker to emerge at the same temperatures at which the air entered
the cooler and vice-versa.

The theoretical maximum efficiency is thus 100% provided the mass of air passing through the cooler is equal
to or greater than the mass of clinker passing through the cooler. If the mass of air passing through the cooler
is less than the mass of clinker, the theoretical maximum efficiency will be equal to the mass ratio of air to
clinker expressed as a percentage, since it will still he possible for the air to emerge at the same temperature as
that at which the clinker entered, but the clinker will emerge at a proportionately higher temperature than that
at which the air entered.

The Theoretical Maximum-Efficiency of a Cross-Flow Fuller Cooler

In order to establish the maximum theoretical efficiency of a cross-flow cooler, the simple case of a
single-pass cooler will first be considered. A double-pass cooler may then be treated as two single-pass
coolers in series.

The limitation of a cross-flow cooler is that it is not possible for the air leaving the bed at any point to be at a
higher temperature than the temperature of the clinker at that point in the bed. Thus a cooler is operating at its
theoretical maximum efficiency when the air leaving the clinker bed at any point is at the same temperature as
the clinker at that point in the bed, and when there are no thermal losses due to convection and radiation.

It can be shown that under these conditions the theoretical maximum efficiency of the cooler is

(1 − e )x 100%
−p

where "e" is the natural base of logarithms and "P" is the mass ratio of air to clinker (see Appendix "B").

The Actual Efficiency of Contra-Flow Rotary Coolers

In Appendix "A" the thermal efficiencies of nine Rotary Coolers and five sets of Recuperators are examined.
This examination shows that there is a variation of from 57 to 91% between the actual thermal efficiency and
the theoretical maximum. It also shows that in the case of these coolers, the efficiency is dependent on the
ratio of the total effective cooling area of the shell and lifters to the cross-sectional area of the cooler. The
mass ratio of air to clinker does not seem to have any effect on efficiency provided it is, of course, greater than
unity. It might be necessary to qualify this to some extent if more data was available, and it is naturally
necessary that the size of the cooler is adequate for its clinker throughput.
The Actual Efficiency of Cross-Flow TFuller Coolers

In Appendix "B" the air and clinker temperatures of three single-pass and two double-pass Fuller Coolers are
compared with the air and clinker temperatures plotted against air/clinker mass ratio for Maximum theoretical
efficiency conditions. It would appear from these results that provided an adequate bed of clinker is
maintained on the grate it is possible to achieve an actual efficiency of only about 4% less than the theoretical
maximum. It would also appear that the increase in efficiency by using the double-pass system is
comparatively small (i.e., about 3 to 4%).

Comnarison of the Thermal Efficiency of Fuller and Rotary Coolers

In Appendix " C,, the theoretical maximum efficiencies (i.e. recuperation factors when expressed as a
decimal) for Fuller and Rotary Coolers are plotted against air/clinker ratio.

Assuming that 85% of combustion air passes through the Cooler, the air/clinker ratio for coolers operating on
wet and semi-dry kilns are about 2.3 and 1.3 respectively. The theoretical maximum efficiency f or a Rotary
Cooler would be 100 % in both cases, but for a Fuller Cooler the theoretical maximum efficiency would be
90% and 73% respectively. If the air/clinker ratio were reduced to unity, the theoretical maximum efficiency
for a Rotary Cooler would still be 100%, but that of the Fuller Cooler would be further reduced to 63%.

On this basis the actual thermal efficiencies of the Norman and Cliffe Fuller Coolers should be about 86% on
wet process, provided 85% of the combustion air passes through the coolers and adequate beds of clinker are
maintained on the grates. With the Coal Grinding Plants on these works, there is however a high percentage of
primary air and a very considerable amount of this primary air is drawn -from atmosphere, so that less than
85% of the combustion air may pass through the cooler. Some tests carried out in February 1956 at Cliffe
Works showed that only 71% of the combustion air was then passing through the cooler an the cooler
efficiency was 78%. This corresponds to an air/ clinker ratio of 1.8 and a theoretical maximum efficiency of
83%.

If the Cliffe and Norman Kilns were converted to semi-dry process, with 85% of the combustion air passing
through the cooler, the actual efficiencies should be about 69%. If the same quantity of air per lb. of clinker
were drawn from atmosphere by the Coal Mill at Cliff (.7 lbs. air/lb. clinker) as in the tests mentioned above,
the efficiency of the Cliffe Cooler working on semi-dry process would not be much more than 5%.

The 92-ft. Shoreham Rotary Coolers have a total cooling area of 3,050 sq. ft. and a cross-sectional area of 52.7
sq.ft.. From the design theory in Appendix "A", the design factor "S" for the Shoreham Coolers is, therefore,
58 which gives a recuperation factor of .79, i.e., a thermal efficiency of 79%.

Research Department's report RD/A/2476 gives the twelve monthly figures for Shorehaam kilns as:

No. 1 Kiln
Clinker output ................................ 847 lbs/min.

Temperature of Clinker leaving cooler ..................................... 360°F

No. 2 Kiln
 Clinker output ............................... 876 lbs/min.
Temperature of Clinker leaving cooler ................................... 389°F

Using the Design Theory from Appendix "A" and assuming a clinker temperature of 2,100°F entering the
coolers, the calculated temperatures of the clinker leaving the Nos. 1 & 2 Coolers are 379°F and 383°F
respectively, thus confirming the thermal efficiency of about 79%.

If the Shoreham Nos. 1 & 2 kilns were converted to semi-dry process, provided the output was not increased
to such an extent that the size of the coolers would be inadequate and provided that 85% of the combustion air
passed through the cooler (1-3 lbs. of air/lb. of clinker) the thermal efficiency should still remain at about
79%. For confirmation of this, reference can be made to the data in Appendix "A" for Magheramorne No. 3
Kiln which is fitted with a Rotary Cooler of slightly larger but roughly comparable dimensions to those at
Shoreham. Owing to a large amount of inleaking air from the-atmosphere on this kiln/ the air/clinker ratio
passing through the cooler is only 1.44, so that conditions in so far as the cooler is concerned would be very
similar to those for the Shoreham Coolers, if they were.

The 92-ft. Shoreham Rotary Coolers have a total cooling area of 3,050 sq. ft. and a cross-sectional area of 52.7
sq.ft. From the design theory in Appendix "A", the design factor "S" for the Shoreham, Coolers is, therefore,
58 which gives a recuperation factor of .79, i.e., a thermal efficiency of 79%.

Research Department's report RD/A/2476 gives the twelve monthly figures for Shoreham kilns as:

No. 1 Kiln
Clinker output ............................ 847 lbs/min.
Temperature of Clinker leaving cooler ................................. 360°F

No. 2 Kiln

Clinker output ............................... 876 lbs/min.

Temperature of Clinker leaving cooler .................................... 389°F

Using the Design Theory from Appendix "A" and assuming a clinker temperature of 2,100°F entering the
coolers, the calculated temperatures of the clinker leaving the Nos. 1 & 2 Coolers are 379°F and 383°F
respectively, thus confirming the thermal efficiency of about 79%.

If the Shoreham. Nos. 1 & 2 kilns were converted to semi-dry process, provided the output was not increased
to such an extent that the size of the coolers would be inadequate and provided that 85% of the combustion air
passed through the cooler (1.3 lbs. of air/lb. of clinker) the thermal efficiency should still remain at about 7
9%. For confirmation of this, reference can be made to the data in Appendix "A" for Magheramorne No. 3
Kiln which is fitted with a Rotary Cooler of slightly larger but roughly comparable dimensions to those at
Shoreham. Owing to a large amount of inleaking air from the atmosphere on this kiln, the air/clinker ratio
passing through the cooler is only 1.44, so that conditions in so far as the cooler is concerned would be very
similar to those f or the Shoreham. Coolers, if they were operating on semi-dry process with an air/clinker
ration of 1.3.

The design factor "S" for Magheramorne No. 3 Cooler was 55.4 giving a theoretical thermal efficiency of
77.7%, and the measured thermal efficiency was 79.3%.
 The comparison may therefore be summarized as follows:

SECTION 5.
Future Develonment of Clinker Coolers

It will be apparent from Section 4 of this Report that there is very little scope for further development of
Fuller Coolers, as the existing Coolers are already working, in most cases, at efficiencies which approach very
closely to their respective cross-flow theoretical maximum efficiencies.

In the case of Rotary Coolers, however, there is a considerable difference between their actual and theoretical
efficiencies. There is obviously ample scope for development of efficient Rotary Coolers or some other type of
Contra-Flow Coolers. This development, however, poses several difficult practical problems in view of the
high temperatures involved.

The two principal problems are (i) the design of a satisfactory method of feeding the hot clinker in to the
cooler without spillage and (ii) the design of a cooler with sufficient cooling surface per unit of cross-sectional
area without causing excessive restriction to air flow through the cooler. The second problem naturally leads
to consideration being given to forced draught systems, but such systems introduce the further problems of air
seals and air locks for the clinker leaving the cooler.

There would seem, therefore, to be two main lines of development:

(i) The design of long rotary coolers of comparatively small diameter and insulated throughout their length
with brickwork. The hot end of this type of cooler would be plain brickwork, unless suitable refractory
lifters can be developed. The cold end would contain either a simple steel cruciform section or the
conventional type of lifters. A low pressure forced draught system, as used at Wilmington Works, would
probably be necessary to overcome the air flow restriction due to the length and small diameter of the
cooler. Based on the design theory in Appendix "A", a design factor of 80 would give a thermal
efficiency of 90%.
(ii) The design of a contra-flow high pressure forced draught cooler on a similar principle to the Davis
Preheater. Examination of the Beddington data indicates that a cooler having a thermal efficiency of
90% would be possible on this basis.

APPENDIX “A”

ROTARY COOLER DESIGN THEORY

Introduction

In order to develop a design theory for Rotary Clinker Coolers, a survey of available data was made
and the conclusion was reached that the data given in Report No. WTH.137 (Chief Chemist's Department,
Hull) was the most reliable and comprehensive available. This Report covered Barnstone, Hope, Humber,
Kirton Lindsey, Magheramorne and Wilmington Works. The Humber Coolers were recorded as using the
addition of water, and Kirton Lindsey clinker temperatures were estimated. The data from these works was
therefore excluded. The data on No. 4 Cooler at Wilmington did not include the clinker throughput and this
data was, therefore, also excluded. There remained 14 sets of data covering a variety of different cooler
designs (including recuperators) and operating conditions.

Design Theory

The clinker cooler performs two functions:

(i) Preheats air for combustion and coal drying.

(ii) Cools clinker to facilitate conveying and grinding.

Whilst these two functions are closely inter-related, they may be considered separately.

(A) Air Preheating: The specific heats of clinker and air may be considered as equal over the range of
conditions involved in this investigation. Heat quantities can therefore be conveniently expressed in terms
of temperatures of air and clinker and the mass ratio of air and clinker.

mass of air passing through cooler

∴ Let P =
mass of clinker passing through cooler

quantity of heat transferred from clinker to air

Let R =
total quantity of heat available for transfer in the clinker

Let TCI = temperature of clinker entering the cooler.

TCO = temperature of clinker leaving cooler.

TAI = temperature of air entering cooler.

TAO = temperature of air leaving cooler.
  T − TAI 
∴ Recuperation Factor R = P  AO 
 TCI − TAI 

But TAI = ambient temperature and may be taken at an average value of 60°F.

 T − 60 
∴ R = P  AO  ……………………………..(1)
 TCI − 60 

The value of R was therefore calculated for each cooler and, this involved a range of values of air/clinker ratio
"P" from 0.94 to 2.76. These actual values of R are denoted as R A . and the theoretical values of R are denoted
as R T The values of R A varied from .567 to .909 and appeared to be independent of the value of P. It was
therefore apparent that the value of R must depend on the design of the cooler and in particular the intimacy of
contact between the air and the clinker.

The lifters in the coolers perform three simultaneous functions:

(i) To cascade the clinker allowing it to fall freely under gravity through the air stream;

(ii) To "turn over" the clinker which is lying in the cooler and thus continuously present a new face of
clinker to the air which is passing over it.

(iii) To expose a larger face of clinker to the air passing over it than would be the case if the cooler contained
no lifters.

The time taken by any one particle of clinker falling through the air stream is very small compared with the
time it spends lying on the shell and 1ifters, so that the third function in particular of the lifters should not, be
underestimated.

A factor "S" was therefore calculated for each cooler where:

area of effective cooling surfaces total area of shell and lifters

S= =
Cross − Sectional area of cooler of clinker passing through cooler

and these values of "S" were plotted against the values of "R" which had been obtained (Fig. 1).

This gives a theoretical relation between R & S

R T = 0.5 + 0-005S (2)

∴Theoretical temperature of air leaving cooler

 (R T (TCI − 60)) (0.5 + 0.005S)(TCI − 60 )
60 + = 60 + …………………..(3)
P P

As a check, the theoretical temperature of the air leaving the cooler was calculated for each cooler and plotted
against the actual recorded temperature, as shown in Fig. 2.

(B) Clinker Cooling: if there were no loss of heat through the Cooler shell:

The heat remaining in the Clinker = total heat available for transfer in the clinker – heat transferred:-from
clinker to air.

∴ TCON = 60 + (1 - R) ( TCI - 60) …………………………………(4)

Using actual values of R the no loss temperature of clinker leaving cooler was calculated for each cooler and
the actual recorded temperature of the clinker leaving the cooler was subtracted from it to give the temperature
loss. The difference between ambient temperature and the arithmetic mean of the clinker inlet temperature and
the no loss clinker outlet temperature was then multiplied by the cooler shell area per lb. of clinker per minute.
This product was then plotted against the temperature loss on Fig. 3. This, of course, ignores such factors as
the different proportion thicknesses and condition of the brick linings in the various coolers, but the
correlation is nevertheless reasonable.

 T + TCON 
Thus Temperature loss = 0.0333 A S  CI − 60 .............................................(5)
 2 

where A, = Area of shell/lb. of clinker throughput/minute.

Finally, using theoretical values of R from Formula (2) and theoretical temperature losses from Formula (5)
the theoretical clinker temperature leaving the cooler becomes

 T + TCON 
TCOT = TCONT − 0.0333 A S  CI − 60 
 2 

Where TCONT = 60 + (0.5 − 0.005S)(TCI − 60 )

As a check, the theoretical clinker temperature leaving the cooler was plotted against the actual recorded
temperature leaving the cooler on Fig. 4.

There are certain obvious objections which could be put forward from a theoretical angle to the method by
which this design theory has been evolved. it should therefore be pointed out that the design theory is only
intended to apply between certain limits.

(i) The mass ratio of air to clinker must not be substantially less than unity;
(ii) The cooler must not be overloaded. This is very difficult to define, but a reasonable guide would be that
the total cooler surface area divided by the clinker throughput should not be less than 5 ft.²/lb/min.

(iii) The lifters installed must be such that their surface area is "effective cooling area". This again is difficult
to define exactly, but obviously if the area of lifters in a Particular cooler is increased progressively there
must be a stage when the further addition of lifters has very little effect on cooling. This could only be
found for certain by experiment, but a reasonable guide would probably be the stage at which the total
cooling surface area divided by the cross-sectional area of the cooler exceeded a value of 80.

A further point which should be made is that the use of mean temperature differences between clinker and air
have been deliberately avoided for two reasons:

(i) to calculate the arithmetic mean temperature difference it is necessary to know the temperatures of the
air and clinker leaving the cooler, and in the case of a cooler which is being designed these temperatures
would have to be calculated from the heat transfer equation which would include the mean temperature
difference, thus forming a mathematical "vicious circle".

(ii) The relationship between the true mean temperature difference and the arithmetic temperature difference
is always open to a certain amount of doubt.

The "Perfect Rotary Cooler".

The "Perfect Rotary Cooler" can be defined as one in which the maximum amount of available heat in the
clinker entering the cooler is transferred to the air leaving the cooler. Thus, the clinker leaving the cooler is at
the same temperature as the air entering the cooler, provided the mass ratio of air to clinker is not less than
unit (assuming the specific heats of air and clinker to be the same). The Recuperation Factor "R" of this cooler
is, therefore, unity.

Assuming an air inlet temperature of 60°F and a clinker inlet temperature of 2000°F, the clinker and air outlet
temperatures are shown for a "Perfect Cooler" on. Fig. 5.

Rotary Cooler Efficiency

From the point of view of efficiency the "Perfect Rotary Cooler" can be taken as the optimum. Cooler
efficiency thus becomes R X 100%.

The temperature of the air leaving the cooler is shown on Fig. 6 for coolers having values of "R" of between .6
and 1.0 (efficiencies of 60 - 100%). Assuming that 85% of the combustion air passes through the cooler, and
the combustion air quantities for wet and semi-dry processes are 2.75 and 1.54 lbs. /lb. of clinker respectively,
then the mass ratios of air/clinker for wet and semi-dry process are 2.34 and 1.31 respectively. These values
are marked on Fig. 6 so that the effect of changing from wet to semi-dry process on the temperature of the air
leaving the cooler can be seen.
APPENDIX “B”

The Cross-flow Clinker Cooler

The grate cooler is based on the cross-flow principles, and in order to investigate data on the grate cooler it is
necessary first to investigate the fundamental characteristics of the cross-flow cooler.

The “Perfect" Cross-flow Cooler

For the purposes of this investigation the "perfect" cross-flow cooler is defined as a cooler in which the
temperature of the air leaving the bad of clinker at any point is equal to the temperature of the clinker bed at
that point. The position of the particular point in relation to the inlet end of the cooler is defined by the weight
of air per unit weight of clinker which has passed through the clinker before it reaches that particular point in
the bed. It is thus possible to calculate the temperature of the clinker at any point by equating the heat lost by
the clinker and the heat gained by the air. This process is further simplified by the fact that the specific heats
of air and clinker can be considered to be the same over the range of conditions concerned.

Let T CI = Inlet temperature of clinker.

Let TC = Temperature of clinker after P lbs. of air per lbs. of clinker has passed through the bed.

Let TAI = Inlet temperature of air.

Let TA = Average temperature of air leaving the cooler after P lbs. of air per lb. of clinker has
passed through the bed.

Again by heat balance

TCI − TAI = (TC − TAI ) + P(TA − TAI )

 T − TAI   T − TAI 
∴ P A  = 1 −  C 
 TCI − TAI   TCI − TAI 

 T − TAI 
but  C  = e − P
 TCI − TAI 

 T − TAI 
∴ P A  = 1 − e − P
 TCI − TAI 

 1 − e −P 
∴ TA = TAI + (TCI − TAI ) 
 P 
Fig. 7 shows clinker and air temperatures for a clinker inlet temperature of 2,500°F and air inlet temperature
of 60°F with additional curves for recirculation at 300°F. The data obtained from three single-loss Fuller
Coolers in Germany with clinker inlet temperature of approximately 2.500°F is also shown on this figure.

Figs. 8 and 9 ahow the theoretical curves for double-pass coolers, with the same clinker inlet temperatures as
the double-pass German Fuller Coolers Nos. 4 and 5 respectively. The actual data is also shown on these
figures.
APPENDIX “C”

COMPARISON OF ROTARY (CONTRA-FLOW)

AND GRATE (CROSS-FLOW) COOLERS

AS previously defined:-

Heat transferred from clinker to air

The Recuperation Factor R =
Heat avallable for transfer from clinker

 T − TAI 
P =  AO  when specific heats of air and clinker are equal.
 TCI − TAI 

Where P = mass ratio of air to clinker.

T AO = temperature of air leaving cooler.

T AI = temperature of air entering cooler,

T CI = temperature of clinker entering cooler.

For a. "Perfect" Rotary or contra-flow Cooler

R = P if P is less than 1.

R = 1 if P is greater than 1.

For a “Perfect” Grate or cross-flow Cooler

( )
R = 1 − e − P where e is the base of Natural Logarithms.

Fig. 10 shows a comparison of recuperation factors for "'Perfect" Rotary and Grate Coolers for values of P
between 0 and 4,

Fig. 11 shows a comparison of clinker and air temperature for "Perfect" Rotary and Grate Coolers for values
of P between 0 and 4.

It can be seen from Figs. 10 and 11 that the difference in recuperation between the "Perfect" Rotary and Grate
Coolers for the values of P used an wet process in comparatively small but on semi-dry process it is very much
larger.
INTRODUCTION

The cooler has two purposes:-

1. To reduce the temperature of the clinker.

2. To heat up air for use in combustion of fuel in the kiln.

Theoretically, In order to reduce the temperature of clinker from a typical kiln nose ring temperature of
1200°C to 60°C, 2.8 kg of air are needed for each kg of clinker. Perfect heat transfer cannot be achieved on
this industrial scale and so in practice between 3,0 and 4.0 kg air per kg clinker are normally used. Clinker exit
temperatures are also generally significantly higher than 60°C, especially w ' hen the lower end of the quoted
air flow range is used. In the dry process less than 1.2 kg air per kg clinker are needed for use as secondary
combustion air (about 35% of the total air input to the cooler). By raising the secondary combustion air
temperature to the maximum achievable level and then maintaining it at this level, considerable reductions In
fuel consumption can be achieved together with improved kiln stability. Conversely, an unstable cooler will
produce secondary air of low temperature, will increase fuel consumption and make kiln operation more
difficult.

Consequently, it is Important that the maximum possible quantity of heat is transferred at a steady rate Into
that portion of the air which Is pulled into the kiln. The conditions for this are:-

i) The deepest practical bed of material must be maintained on the grate.

ii) Air passes through the material bed in close contact with all the material.

The methods by which this is achieved, and the problems that can arise, will be discussed in the later sections.

5.2 GENFRAL DESCRIPTION OF A FULLER COOLER

The Fuller cooler is one example of a type known as the reciprocating grate cooler. Generalized drawings of
this type of cooler are shown in figures A and B. It consists of a box which is divided horizontally into two
sections by rows of overlapping plates. The majority of these plates have a set number of holes drilled through
them and are known as live plates, whilst most coolers will also contain a limited number of plates across tile
width of the cooler are connected to the casing structure or to a common moving frame which is driven In a
horizontal reciprocating motion by a variable speed drive, normally with a range of from four to thirty strokes
per minute. Hence, those plates attached to the moving frame are driven backwards and forwards along the
stationary plates. Typically, the length of each stroke is 125mm. The leading edge of each plate. has a straight
vertical face approximately 5cm high.

Each moving frame and the associated stationary plates are referred to as a grate. A complete cooler unit can
consist of one or more grates where each grate will have a separate drive for the moving frame. A grate can be
designed to be set horizontally or at a slight angle; this angle normally being 5° or 3°, as at higher angles
material flow Is difficult to control on the grate -material readily running down the angled grate.
Clinker falls out of the kiln onto the initial grate plates forming a bed of material. The motion of those plates
attached to the moving frame, and the action of the leading edge of the plates on the clinker bed pushed the
clinker along the grate In a shuffling motion.

The area below the plates is divided Into a number of compartments down the length of the cooler, each of
which Is sealed as effectively as is practical. Air is blown into these compartments with a separate fan
supplying the air for each compartment. This air passes through the holes in, and gaps between the plates and
then through the clinker bed. Whilst air passes through the bed, heat is transferred from the hot clinker to the
cold air hence cooling the clinker and heating the air.

A portion of the heated air is drawn Into the kiln for utilization as preheated secondary air for combustion,
whilst the excess Is pulled to dedusting equipment before emission to atmosphere.

Clinker discharges from the grate onto a set of inclined grizzly ban. Oversize clinker slides down the bus onto
a hammer breaker, which breaks these oversize pieces by impact. The reaction of this Impact throws the
broken pieces back onto the grate for further cooling. Chains are hung as a curtain a short distance back Into
the grate to minimize damage to refractory costing by impact from these clinker pieces.
5.3 GRATE COOLER DESIGN

The two prime cooler design parameters are unit size and total air requirement. Both are defined in terms of
the target output of the kiln system. The overall size of the cooler is determined by the processing capacity of
the grate. For a cooler with an Inclined section the BC1 rating is 35 tons of clinker per day W square meter
active grate, where the active grate area Is defined as the total area of live plates (those with holes for passage
of air) In the cooler plus half the area of dead plates (without holes) which are positioned alongside live plates.
Therefore a cooler for a 1000-tons per day kiln would need an active grate area of 28.6 square meters. This
gives sufficient capacity to cope with typical pushes of material from the kilns.

The theoretical air requirement has already been stated to be 2.8 kg air per kg of clinker, but it has been found
that In general 3. 5 kg of air per kg clinker will give an average clinker temperature of below 100°C.
Consequently, this later figure, Is used as a general operating guideline for the total air requirement, although
in new design cases a higher figure is used to ensure a degree of spare capacity. So the cooler system for a
1000-tons per day kiln would typically operate with a total air Input to the cooler of about 146,000 kg per hour
(2430 kg per minute). In general, most grate coolers are operated with air to clinker ratios of between 3.0 and
4.0:1.

It is also Important to ensure that clinker falls onto the grate in such a manner that a uniformly thick bed is
formed. Areas of thin bed will give less resistance to air flow and hence more air will pass through such areas.
Practical experience has shown that the best way to ensure satisfactory bed formation is to limit the initial
width over which the bed forms to between 50 and 60% of kiln diameter. The grate width can then be
increased at Intervals by a maximum of one plate at each end of a row (600mm) at a time.

In order to maintain the correct air flaw patterns within the cooler, higher air loadings are required for
compartments at the hot end of the cooler as compared to those at the cool end. These loadings are normally
quoted in terms Of air velocities. Typical velocities for each chamber are:

m/min (or m³/min/m²

of active grate)

Chamberl 90 to 120 300 to 350

Chamber 2 90 to 100 300 to 325
Chamber 3 85 to 95
Chamber4 65 to 85
Chamber 5 60 to 70 200 to 275
Chamber6 45 to 60 150 to 225

where air is assumed to be at a temperature of 20°C.

The actual velocities which are used will depend to some degree on grate angle and clinker particle sizes.
5.4 AIR FLOW EFFECTS

The metal plates which make up the grate will present an obstruction to air flow. On top of these plates will
rest a bed of material which gives a further obstruction. If the depth of this bed varies then the amount of
obstruction that it presents will also vary; the deeper the bed, the bigger the obstruction. Air is pushed into a
compartment by a fan and creates a pressure in the chamber. If the fan can develop enough pressure to
overcome the resistance of the obstruction then air will flow up through the plates and the bed of material. If
the obstruction is of equal amount over the whole chamber, then the flow of air will be evenly spread
throughout the bed of material. If it is not uniform, more air will flow through the areas of low resistance, less
through those of high resistance. Areas of low resistance are created by widely spaced plates (as compared to
most of the plates) or by areas with significantly lower material bed then the rest of the compartment. In either
case heat recovery will be reduced, but this is especially serious In the case of an area of low bed at the hot end
of the grate as this will give an area of high air flow through a relatively small quantity of clinker, and hence a
very low air temperature will result. Even relatively small areas like this will significantly reduce secondary
air temperatures. Gaps between grates can be controlled by effective maintenance, whilst establishing a
uniform bed Is a design consideration.

Once the pressure produced by the fan Is sufficient to overcome the system resistance, air will flow spreading
through most of the material bed. As air flows upward through the bed of material, it exerts am upward force
on the material In the bed; the higher the air flow the greater this force. When this force reaches a certain level
it will be capable of forcing through any areas of the bed which have slightly lower restrictions. When this
happens proportions of the air will erupt through the bed much like water bursting through a dam.
Consequently air to clinker contact reduces and heat transfer falls off, Visually the clinker bed will look like a
boiling pan of water. This is described as spouting bed.

If the air flow is Increased further the whole bed will lift. This is called fluidization. Fluidized material will
behave like a liquid and if this occurs on the inclined section of grate the material will flow down the grate.
This reduces the material residence time on this section of grate, and therefore reduces the heat transfer, and
also exposes the plates to red hot clinker falling from the kilns. The air flow rate which causes fluidization
depends on the particle size of the clinker; fine clinker fluidizes more easily. Work at Northfleet has suggested
that coarse clinker may need a velocity of over 110 m/min, whilst very fine clinker will fluidize at velocities of
as low as 70m/min. A deeper bed will generally require a higher velocity for fluidization.

It is known that when a kiln "pushes in" the burning zone cools, and the clinker becomes finer. If this then
fluidizes on the inclined section of cooler, reduced heat transfer will result leading to a fall in secondary air
temperature, and hence even lower burning zone temperatures. If the material bed In the cooler can be
maintained by reducing the air Input and so avoiding fluidization, then the fall in secondary air temperature
will be less severe, and kiln recovery should be easier.
5.5 CONTROL OF A GRATE COOLER

For optimum operation of this type of cooler two factors are of major importance. Firstly a constant volume of
air is required to be supplied to each compartment. As bed depth changes above a compartment there will be a
varying restriction to flow, and so the air flow would vary. To correct this a piezometric ring is positioned In
the fan inlet cone, This is a device which constantly monitors the air mass flow Into the fan. As the flow
changes a signal is sent out which operates the fan damper in order to compensate for the fluctuation. For
Instance, as the bed depth increases, its resistance to air flow would increase and so the air flow would drop.
This would cause the damper to open, so reducing the restriction of the system as a whole and restoring the
flow to its previous level.

Secondly, the bed depth must be controlled to a constant level. As the restriction across a bed varies with Its
depth, a change in the pressure produced below the grate - at a constant air flow rate - will generally indicate a
change In bed depth. This pressure signal can then be used to control the grate speed. A reduction In pressure
Indicates a thinner bed, and so the grate speed should be reduced. For this control parameter to work
effectively the control chamber for a grate should be the first chamber of that grate and should be of short
length -preferably four or five rows - In order to give quick response. This is because a thickening bed will not
increase pressure greatly until the increased bed covers the whole chamber. Until this happens air will flow
preferentially through the area of lower restriction.

When a further grate is to be controlled by pressure under its own first compartment, the first compartment of
this grate should be of the same width as the last compartment of the preceding grate. If It was wider then the
preceding grate an area of thin bed is likely to form In the corners where the grate widens.

Finally, the suction in the kiln hood is monitored and used to control the cooler exhaust fan or damper. If the
hood suction falls then more air must be drawn through the cooler exhaust system, so this damper must open.

By using three simple loops, effective control of a cooler can be maintained. However, optimum operation can
only be maintained by the operator using his experience to adjust the Individual fan flow rates, and bed depth
to counter changing clinker physical properties.

5.6 COMMON PROBLEMS WITH GRATE COOLERS

5.6.1 Hot plates

Control of grate plate temperature is dependent on two factors; the air flow through the chamber, and the
depth of the material bed. When a deep bed can be maintained, the plates will be protected from the
immediate effect of fresh, very hot material falling from the kiln. The air flow then cools the grate plates and
the material bed. If the airflow Is too low to control heat transfer from the fresh material towards the plates,
then plate temperatures will rise. In borderline situations plate temperatures will increase when the kiln is very
hot.

If too much air is supplied to the chamber, the material bed will fluidize and run down the inclined grate. This
allows fresh, very hot material to f all onto the plates, again leading to over-hot plates. As clinker gets finer, or
the bed gets thinner, material is fluidized more easily and so this effect is often seen at its worst when the kiln
is dusty. The operator has to assess which response Is necessary; an overall increase or decrease in air to the
chamber.
Some fluidization can be accepted over the first chamber, as long as the tendency of the clinker to flow is
controlled by a steady bed of material In the subsequent chambers.

5.6.2 Overheated side castings

Due to the manner in which clinker falls out of the kiln onto the grate, fine material tends to fall to one side of
the grate and coarse material to the other. As coarse clinker presents less of a restriction to flow than fine
clinker, cooling air would pt6ferentlally flow through the come material. Consequently, the coarse material
will cool whilst fine material will remain very hot, and the side of the grate that this material flows down can
become overheated. Installation of dead plates and bridge plates adjacent to this wall can create a band of
unmoving material adjacent to the wall and this material protects the wall from the extreme temperatures.
These types of plates are installed In the fourth chamber of both Hope coolers. Where these plates are installed
they must be installed over a complete chamber length. Deeper beds also generally reduce the segregation
effect.

5.6.3 Red rivers

Red rivers down the sides of a cooler are generally an indication that the operation is with a thick bed. Air
distribution is reasonable, but there is some preferential flow of air through the coarse clinker. The side of the
cooler where the fines preferentially fall will show red hot clinker further down the cooler, and this side will
tend to fluidize easily, leading to a red river coming down one side onto the horizontal plate. Normally, fairly
small reductions in air flow will stop the fluidization.

A red river down the center of the cooler is normally an indication of thin bed operation and a wide cooler.

5.6.4 Snowmen

Snowmen are deposits which form at the cooler inlet, when the liquid fluxes present in clinker have not
solidified before the material leaves the kiln. Formation is encouraged by any flat non-moving surfaces.
Formation is also more likely under the following conditions:-

1. Overburnt clinker - In this situation fluxes migrate to the surface of particles. The clinker will be very
fine, and dusts will have a very shiny surface. The formation of dragons teeth on the nose ring is also
likely.

2. When the kiln is on the borderline of reducing conditions - This gives a very variable -volatile cycle.
Whilst the kiln is in a reducing condition a high volatile load builds up, and then as it moves back into
oxidation these potential volatiles will be carried out of the kiln In the clinker. At nose ring
temperatures these compouds are liquids, and will give an increased liquid (sticky) phase in the cooler
inlet. Wide burning zone temperature cycles will have a similar effect but of smaller magnitude. An
increased back-end oxygen level will normally alleviate this.

3. Excessive first chamber air velocities - These will tend to throw fine material against the end wall, thus
giving material the chance to stick.

4. Insufficient cooling within the kiln - Here either more air is needed to freeze the liquid portion, or the
flame should be forced further down the kiln by modification of the burner pipe position or primary air
rate.
5.6.5 Compartment seals

The important factor concerning air flow is the quantity of air that is passing through the clinker bed. As seals
between compartments and especially down towards the drag chain area wear and deteriorate, air leakage
through these will increase. It may be necessary to increase chamber air flows to try to restore the original
amount of air flow through the bed.
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 6

FLS Cooling of Clinker

F L.SM I DTH Plant Services
Division
INTERNATIONAL CEMENT PRODUCTION SEMINAR

LECTURE 5.3

COOLING OF CLINKER
Clinker Formation and Clinker Granulometry

It is a well-known fact that the granularity of clinker products can vary considerably from one cement plant to
another. Even kilns within the same plant are often found to produce quite different clinker, although fed with
the same raw mix. Figure 1 shows some sieve test results obtained from a wide range of clinker samples. It
appears that the dust content for example grains finer than half a mm, can vary between 0 and 70%. Also the
presence of even a small proportion of oversize clinker, say bigger than 40 mm (1-1/2"), contributes very
much to the over-all appearance of a clinker product. Further, clinker made up of compactly fused and well
shaped nodules appears to be completely different from clinker with a similar sieve curve, but consisting of
coke-like and sharp edged agglomerations of dust particles.

Such observations have naturally led to investigations of the factors affecting clinker formation.

In a wet-process kiln in which strong nodules come out from the chains, the clinker size is already to a great
extent determined during the drying of slurry. In other kiln types it is obvious that the formation of
nodule-shaped clinker must take place in or just above the burning zone, since the raw mix somewhere further
up in the kiln is in the form of meal.

In these kilns clinker formation is related to raw mix composition and to operating conditions. The clinker
formation may start already in the calcining zone, where a certain agglomeration of the fine, solid particles
may take place aided perhaps by the presence of low-melting alkali salts. However, the final result depends on
what happens in the burning zone.

Here the formation of liquid phase begins at a temperature slightly below 1300°C (2370°F), and the quantity
of liquid increases with the temperature up to a certain final value (Fig. 2).

The amount of liquid does not increase gradually with the temperature, but in steps on reaching certain
temperatures. Only by applying extreme temperatures can this final amount of liquid be further increased
which, however, usually has disastrous effects on coating and lining.

The quantity of liquid phase at normal burning temperature amounts to 20-25% of the clinker, depending on
the content of alumina, iron, magnesia, and alkalis. If the quantity of liquid phase is too small, good clinker
formation will not take place. Conditions may then be improved by changing the raw mix composition, which
in practice is usually done by adding iron ore, thus reducing the silica ratio.

In some cases it will also be possible to improve the clinker formation by burning harder, even harder than re-
quired for bringing down free lime, the reason, of course, being an increase in liquid phase. But it is often seen
that if the burning temperature is raised even further, the result will be dust clinker, probably due to a too low
viscosity of the liquid. At several plants we have also found a rather sharp limit to the lime saturation factor, if
good clinker grading is to be obtained; by exceeding this limit the clinker becomes dusty.

The clinker granulometry is important for the satisfactory operation of any cooler. There must not be too much
dust. Less than 15% minus 0.5 mm (0.02") is good.
Too much clinker plus 25 mm (l") increases the clinker temperature after the cooler because of the too slow
cooling of this fraction. Less than 10% plus 25 mm (1") is good.

The clinker dust in the cooler tends to blow back into the kiln, thus establishing a dust circulation between
kiln and cooler. The dust can disturb the radiation from the flame in the kiln, and often it spoils the clinker
formation so that the dust circulation tends to accelerate.

Dust circulation means that the amount of heat contained in the clinker entering the cooler increases, which
will lower the efficiency of the cooler.

Importance of the Cooler Efficiency for the Heat Consumption

A characteristic heat balance for a kiln with a 4-stage preheater can look like this: (Ref. temperature 18°C –
64°F)

kcal/kq MBTU/T
Heat in exit gas + dust 177 .637
Surface loss kiln 56 .202
Surface loss preheater 24 .086
Cooler loss 142 .511
Heat of reaction 417 1.501
816 2.937

- heat in kiln feed, fuel, and primary air 26 .094

- Heat consumption 790 2.843

If we look at the possibilities of bringing down the heat consumption, then about 25 kcal/kg (0.09 MBTU/T)
can be saved in the exit gas by adding a 5th cyclone stage to the preheater, but often the full amount of heat in
the exit gas is used for drying the coal and raw materials, so this heat is not wasted.

The surface loss from the kiln shell can be brought down by using a type of insulating bricks in part of the
kiln, but these bricks have generally a poor lifetime.

A better insulation in the preheater will partly result in a higher exit gas temperature instead of saved heat
input to the system.

Regarding the cooler, it is so that if we could establish a perfect counterflow in the heat exchange between
clinker and air, then nearly all the heat in the clinker could be transferred to the combustion air. Therefore, the
largest potential for bringing down the heat consumption rests with the cooler.

Cooler Types

In the following the three types of coolers, considered by the industry for modern cement kilns, are discussed,
i.e. planetary coolers, rotary coolers and grate coolers.
Planetary Coolers
The Unax planetary cooler has served the cement industry for many years and was originally designed for wet
process kilns with a high amount of secondary air available for the cooler.

In modern dry process kilns with a low heat consumption the amount of secondary air available for cooling,
when this is done with secondary air only, is about 1 kg air per kg clinker (1 lb air per lb clinker) or even less.
This requires a very efficient heat transfer between air and clinker obtained by cascading the clinker through
the air flow. It also requires that the internal parts in the hot end can stand high temperatures, which is
obtained with wear resisting ceramic materials.

Compared to the old Unax coolers only the principle of having a number of cooler tubes rotating with the kiln
and connected directly to the kiln is maintained, so that sealing problems are avoided.

A breakthrough for the new cooling principles came when a kiln support below the cooler was introduced.

This permits heavy cooler tubes with the necessary internal fittings to be supported without excessive stresses
in the kiln shell and has opened the way for designing Unax coolers for kilns with a high capacity. The one
shown is producing 4000 t/d clinker (4.400 shT/D), and the cooler consists of 10 tubes, each 2.4 x 29 m
(7'10"x94'9"). Only for kilns with less than about 1000 t/d (1100 shT/D) capacity is it economical to leave out
the support below.

Each cooler tube is attached to the kiln with a fixed and a movable support, welded to heavy kiln sections.

The inlet to the cooler has a special design which prevents clinker from falling back into the kiln when a tube
is in top position.

At the cooler outlet the fine clinker falls through a grizzly to the clinker transport, while coarse clinker and
lumps are discharged at the side to a hammer mill clinker crusher.

The cooling is based upon cascading the clinker through the air flow.

This is not as simple as it seems, as fine clinker falling down from the lifters through the air is carried the
wrong way by the air, and an excessive number of lifters has proved to lead to overfilling the coolers,
backspilling into the kiln and high exit clinker temperatures.

The shape and number of the lifters in the various temperature zones have to be carefully determined by
means of a mathematical model, the input being an anticipated grading of the clinker.

In principle, coarse clinker requires more cascading and fine clinker less in the hot end of the cooler in order
to avoid excessive circulation between cooler and kiln, which conveys more heat to the coolers.

The inlet part with a special shape is lined with castables. In recent years special, dense castables have been
developed for such a purpose, fulfilling all requirements regarding abrasion resistance, shock resistance,
chemical resistance against alkali attack etc., and the practical experience with these modern castables has
been very good.
In the cylindrical part of the coolers there is first a section of corrugated brick lining, followed by cast heat
resistant steel lifters of special design, either lined with steel plates, as shown, or for the hot part with a
ceramic lining, either bricks or castables.

In the cold end of the coolers mild steel lifters with a high lifting capacity, increasing towards the outlet, are
used, and no lining is used here.

The outlet of the kiln to the coolers was previously made with steel casings, which caused problems when
exposed to high temperatures. The problems have been solved by using a ceramic outlet made of the high
quality, dense castables now available.

The cooling effect depends, of course, on the size of the cooler. It can be expressed as the clinker production
in relation to surface and volume for the cooler tubes by the following formula:

 P  t
Specific load   2.5 (shT/ft 2.5 )
 N×D ×L m
1.5

where P = clinker production in t/24 h (shT/24 h)

N = number of cooler tubes
L = length of cooler tubes in m (ft)

A normal specific load would be 3.65 t/m2.5 (0.208 shT/ft2.5)

The air velocity in the cooler tubes should not be too high to avoid excessive dust circulation. Therefore the
expression

 
 P 
 
 N × π × D2 
 
 4 

should not exceed 70 t/m² (7.23 shT/ft²)

The temperature of the clinker from a Unax cooler of an economical dry process kiln will usually average
150°C (300°F) above ambient temperature. It can vary with the clinker grading, and, of course, it increases by
forced output. The temperature can be reduced, if required, by addition of water to the coolers near the outlet.

The equipment required is very simple: Just a gutter around the coolers, from which the water runs into the
individual cooler tubes. The amount of water is controlled by the clinker temperature, and it has been
established that 1% water reduces the clinker temperature by about 20°C (68°F), which is close to the
theoretical maximum. The effect on the heat consumption is therefore small, as long as the amount of water is
kept below 3% of the clinker weight.
The heat losses from a planetary cooler consist of radiation loss and sensible heat in the clinker leaving the
cooler. A normal cooler loss would be: (20°C ref. temp./68°F).

Radiation 93 kcal/kg 0.335 MBTU/shT

Clinker (150 C/300 F) 25 “ 0.090 “

Sum 118 kcal/kg 0.425 MBTU/shT

This compares very favorably with a grate cooler.

It would, of course, be possible to insulate the cooler much better, but that would lead to an excessive clinker
temperature - a certain amount of heat has to be wasted through radiation. The length of the different types of
lining has to be chosen so that the cooler shell temperature does not become excessive at any point.

Another favorable feature is the low power consumption, only about 1.0-1.5 kWh/t (0.9-1.4 kWh/shT) clinker
added to the kiln drive and exhaust fan.

The Unax cooler is unique in its simplicity, no excess air to handle, no motors or fans, no instruments. In
operation there is nothing to control, it is self-adjusting.

One disadvantage is that the clinker temperature is somewhat higher than for grate coolers, but normally that
does not cause any problem. The higher noise level can also be a problem in some cases.

Rotary Cooler

It is a main drawback of the planetary cooler that it is not suited for precalciner kilns with external tertiary
duct. This has given the separate rotary cooler a come-back.

The rotary cooler is also operated without excess air and permits to take out tertiary air for a precalciner
through a specially designed kiln hood.

The cooler shown is designed for a 2000 t/d (2200 shT/D) kiln with precalciner and has the dimensions 4.75 x
55 m (15'6"xl8O'), which means that it is bigger than the kiln.

As for the Unax cooler, the cooling is based upon cascading the clinker but with specially designed lifters,
avoiding that I the clinker is hammering on the lining when dropping in the big diameter. The mild steel
section is divided into six compartments so that efficient cascading can be permitted.

The rotary cooler necessitates two efficient seals. The cooler has a 4.5% inclination and a max. rotation speed
of 3.5 RPM. The power consumption for the cooler drive is 3.5 kWh/t (3.2 kWh/shT).

As the specific surface is lower than for a planetary cooler, the surface heat losses are also lower, and that
gives a favorable thermal efficiency, but it also results in a higher clinker temperature, 200-250°C
(390-480°F), which, however, can be reduced by spraying water into the outlet.
The investments for a rotary cooler are higher than for a Unax cooler but may in some cases be lower than for
a grate cooler when efficient cleaning of excess air is required.

Grate Coolers

The grate cooler, however, is the preferred cooler for precalciner kilns and for kilns with a high output. There
are to-day no difficulties in making grate coolers for large outputs up to 10,000 t/d (11,000 shT/D), regardless
of kiln diameter.

The grate cooler is based on cross-current cooling air. It therefore needs more air for cooling than can be used
in the precalciner kiln, and the excess air must be removed and dedusted.

The amount of air needed varies according to the clinker grading and to the clinker temperature required. It is
costly to cool to low temperatures. The amount of air generally lies between 2.3 and 3.3 kg air/kg clinker
(2.3-3.3 LB air/LB) but in order to cope with forced conditions and fluctuations, we normally install a fan
capacity corresponding to approx. 3.8 kg air/kg clinker (3.8 LB air/LB).

The specific load on grate coolers expressed in t/d per m² (shT/D per ft²) grate area is 30-40 compared to 20,
(3-1-4.1 compared to 2.1), respectively, for grate coolers of the old days. This is the result of the tendency to
work with a thicker clinker bed on the grate.

From the kiln the clinker drops on a stationary air-quenching grate with a separate high-pressure fan. In the
cooler shown there are three movable grates.

Experience shows that with the ample transport capacity of the grates it is an advantage to make the first grate
horizontal like the others.

Below the grates the cooler is divided into a number of compartments, each provided with fans equipped with
adjustable guide vanes for automatic air flow control and minimum power consumption. Clinker spillage
through the grates is collected in hoppers and removed through air-tight, flap valves to the clinker conveyor.

The efficient sealing between the compartments permits operation at high and different pressures in the
various compartments. With a normal clinker bed of 600 mm (24") the pressure drop at a constant air flow per
m² will decrease from about 600 mm WG (24") in the hot end to about 200 mm WG (8")in the cold end. The
fans are sized accordingly, so that the maximum pressure decreases from 750 to 300 mm, WG (30" to 12").
For trouble-free operation it is an advantage to use a bigger air flow in the hot end, up to 200 kg/min./m² (41
LB/min/ft²), and less in the cold part, say 40 kg/min./m (8 LB/min/ft²).

The width of the grate is reduced in the inlet in order to spread the clinker more evenly. Together with the high
air flow and the thick layer this ensures a uniform clinker bed and a uniform air flow over the width of the
grate. This is essential not only to avoid local overheating of the grate but also to avoid "snow-men", as the
clinker is kept moving throughout the whole grate until the surface solidifies.
Fig.2
Fig.3
Fig.4
Fig.5
Fig.6
Fig.7
Fig.8
Fig.9
Fig.10
Fig.11
Fig.12
Fig.13
Fig.14
Fig.15
Fig.16
Fig.17
Fig.18
Fig.19
Fig.20
Fig.21
Fig.22
The speed of the grate can be varied between 3 and 30 strokes/min. Normal operation would be around 10
strokes/ min. Efficient cooler operation requires automatic control. A simple and reliable system as shown
involves three main functions:

1. Constant air flow to each under-grate compartment.

2. Constant under-pressure in kiln hood

3. Regulation of grate speed for constant bed thickness using the pressure under the first grate
compartment as a measure of bed depth. The second and third grates are regulated in proportion to
the first one.

If the clinker happens to become very coarse, the undergrate pressure does not correspond to the bed depth,
and in such cases the pressure control is overruled by the power consumption of the grate.

Such a simple system functions without problems, and in automated plants it can be supplemented with
automatic control of the clinker temperature.

Handling and dedusting of the excess air present the main disadvantage of the grate cooler and is also decisive
for a comparison between the investment costs of different cooler types.

The excess air varies with regard to quantity, temperature and dust content, and the system for handling, of
course, has to be designed for the worst condition. FLS use design figures corresponding to 2.8 kg excess
air/kg clinker (2.8 LB/LB clinker) and 400°C (750°F).

Many ways to tackle this problem are viable and will not be discussed in detail in this paper.

Air cleaning with cyclones is in most cases not acceptable in a modern plant.

The trend to-day is to use electrostatic precipitators for excess air. They have proved reliable and efficient with
low operation costs. To reduce the size of the precipitator, a small quantity of atomized water can be injected
through nozzles in the cooler ceiling.

Bag filters combined with air to air heat exchangers are preferred in some parts of the world, and also gravel
bed filters are used in many cases.

It is also possible to make an arrangement where a grate cooler operates without excess air.

One possibility is to use a short grate cooler, using only the amount of air necessary for the combustion, and
cool the 0 resulting clinker with an average temperature of about 500°C (950°F) in a gravity cooler, this
cooling being made indirectly with air blown through pipes.

An interesting development is a double-pass cooler, using the excess air after it has been cooled in an air to air
heat exchanger.

This solution opens the possibility of improving the thermal efficiency, as some of the waste heat can be
recuperated.
A study of the investment costs for grate coolers with these different ways of solving the dedusting problem
led to the surprising conclusion that the total costs only vary within +/- 5%. The decisive factor for the choice
between these solutions is therefore operation costs and reliability, especially the ability to cope with upset
conditions.

The advantage of the grate cooler is that it is independent of the kiln and very flexible with regard to
production. Also a low clinker temperature can be obtained, typically 80°C (180°F).

The cooler loss consists of a radiation loss, heat contained in the hot excess air and sensible heat in the clinker
leaving the cooler. A typical heat loss would be:

20°C ref. temp. (68°F)

Radiation 5 kcal/kg 0.018 MBTU/shT

Excess air, 2 kg/kg cl. (LB/LB) 119 “ 0.428 “

“ 246°C (475°F)

Clinker, 85°C (185°F) 12 “ 0.043 “

Sum 136 kcal/kg 0.489MBTU/shT

In cases where low-temperature heat can be utilized for drying of raw materials or coal, up to 50 kcal/kg
clinker (0.180 MBTU/shT) of the waste heat can be recuperated and then, of course, the thermal efficiency
becomes very favorable.

Another important feature is the high power consumption of the grate cooler, for modern coolers 4-6 kWh/t
(3.5-5.5 kWh/shT), exclusive of power for dedusting. Depending on the cost relation between fuel and power,
1 kWh/t will often correspond to the cost of 7 kcal/kg clinker (0.025 MBTU/shT).

When a grate cooler is used in connection with a precalciner kiln with external tertiary air duct, the hot air
with a temperature of about 800°C (1470°F) is drawn out from the roof Of the cooler a short distance from the
kiln hood and passed through a settling chamber, from where coarse clinker dust is returned to the drag chain
below the cooler.

Recirculation of Excess Air

Another way to improve the heat recuperation is to recirculate hot excess air back to the first grate. The
influence of such a recirculation will appear from figs 16 and 17. For instance, recirculating .8 kg/kg of clinker
(0.8 LB/LB) of a temperature of 200°C (400°F) will reduce the heat loss from the cooler by 19 kcal/kg (0.072
MBTU/shT), but the recirculation is not without problems. The clinker dust might wear the fan blades, and the
necessary power consumption of the cooler will increase by 2 to 2.5 kWh/t of clinker (1.8-2.3 kWh/shT).

Another reason for establishing a moderate recirculation might be to upgrade hot excess air used in drying of
coal or raw materials.
Efficiency Recuperation and Heat Loss
When you wish to specify a new cooler or evaluate how well your existing cooler is performing with respect
to heat recuperation and cooling of the clinker, it is convenient to be able to do that by means of some
characteristic key figures. Often terms like cooler efficiency, heat recuperation or cooler loss are used.

It is necessary to define exactly what we understand by those terms and how we calculate them.

Fig. 18 shows in principle a cooler balance and gives the definitions for commonly used terms to characterize
the cooler performance.

The heat recuperation is also at times called cooler efficiency. It is necessary to know the temperature of the
clinker coming from the kiln to calculate the % heat recuperation; this temperature is nearly impossible to
measure. A rayo-tube gives incorrect values, because the clinker at the kiln outlet is often covered with a layer
of dust coming from the cooler, and also the temperature at the surface can be different from that in the center
of the clinker particles. it is also difficult to take out a representative sample of clinker into a bucket and to
measure the temperature outside the kiln.

What is important for the heat consumption in the kiln is the heat recuperation from the moment the clinker
leaves the burning zone. The burning zone temperature is also difficult to measure, but often 1450°C is taken
as a standard value.

The cooler loss can generally be measured directly with a fair accuracy.

Variation of Heat Recuperation with the Amount of Secondary Air

For the same cooler working with the same type of clinker, the heat recuperation will depend on the amount of
secondary air that goes from the cooler to the kiln. This amount again depends on the heat consumption,
excess air for the combustion, the amount of primary air and the amount of false air through the kiln seals.

In Fig. 20 is shown the cooler loss and the heat recuperation in relation to the amount of secondary air. The
different lines represent coolers with different recuperation abilities. As the grate cooler is not a cooler with a
perfect counterflow, there is an absolute maximum for the heat recuperation ability. The lines K = 1.00
represent such an ideal cooler with maximum recuperation ability.

The curve K = 0.23 corresponds to a cooler working well.

The following comments can be made on the amount of secondary air:

A well-working 4-stage preheater kiln has a heat consumption of 780 kcal/kg (2.8 MBTU/shT). It runs with
10% of primary air and an amount of excess air in the kiln of 15%. It can then be calculated that the secondary
air is 1.155 kg/kg of clinker (1.155 LB/LB). Often the secondary air is lower, because there is more primary
air, especially in case of direct coal firing. The false air at the kiln hood seal and through other openings in that
area can also reduce the secondary air. 0.85 to 1.00 kg/kg (0.85-1.00 LB/LB) of secondary air is seen in many
places.

With the curves in fig. 20 we can define a new value to characterize the heat recuperation ability of a cooler
and find a way to compare coolers in different kiln systems. If we have a cooler with .95 kg/kg (0.95 LB/LB)
of secondary air and a cooler loss of 158 kcal/kg (0,570 MBTU/ShT), we can see that at the 'standard' amount
of secondary air of 1.155 kg/kg (1.155 LB/LB), the cooler loss would have been 124 kcal/kg (0.446
MBTU/shT), what we can call the 'standard cooler loss'. Another cooler is working with 1.25 kg/kg (1.25
LB/LB) of secondary air and has a cooler loss of 127 kcal/kg (0.457 MBTU/shT). Its standard cooler loss
becomes 147 kcal/ kg (0.529 MBTU/shT).

We can see that even if the actual cooler loss of the latter cooler is less than that of the former, its heat recupe-
ration ability is less, and it should be possible to improve it in relation to the first cooler.
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 7

Development in Cooler Design

File Note

DEVELOPMENT'S IN COOLER DESIGN

History

The most significant change to grate cooler technology has been the development of the high pressure drop
grate plate. The technology appears to have been pioneered in the early 80's, by Karl Van Wedel (owner of
IKN and previously director of Claudius Peters). The principle behind the design is now rapidly being copied
by the other main suppliers, a testimony perhaps to the success of IKN.

Principle

The efficiency of a cooler is governed by the heat exchange which takes place between the air applied (in the
recuperation zone) and the bed of clinker. The efficiency of this operation is influenced not only by the size
distribution of the clinker but also by the depth. and consistency of the bed, and the ease or otherwise of the air
penetration through the core of the clinker bed. Previously attempts to prevent air short-circuiting round the
clinker bed have been undertaken by:

a) Producing a static wall of clinker at the sides using bridge and blank plates etc.

b) Pulse or high energy air distribution of a single or multiple row of plates to cause the clinker heap to
slump towards the side walls.

c) Changing or modifying plate configuration to avoid short circuit.

The IKN system and its clones provide an even (though much lower volume) flow of air across the bed by the
following:

a) Utilization of a plate which has a high resistance to air flow. In so doing the air is forced to pass evenly
through all plates. The delta P of the bed is very small compared to the pressure drop of the plate.

b) Incorporating each row of plates in an independent manifold to avoid leakage, e.g. through to the drag
chain or from chamber to chamber.

c) Providing a narrow nozzle (on board the plate) which restricts dust ingress into the air manifold.

d) Provision of low volume, high pressure fan(s) to supply air to discreet rows of the cooler, and in some
designs to each side of the cooler.

e) Provision of flow control to allow air passage to the right or left hand of the cooler preferentially as
required. (Some designs, e.g. CPAG and early IKN systems also use pulsed air, although both believe
now that this latter approach is not strictly necessary).
IKN

The retrofit supplied by IKN generally takes the form of the replacement of 5 to 8 rows (approximately equal
to the existing chamber 1) at the cooler hot end.

The air manifolds one per plate row are installed such as to produce a series of steps having a net angle of 15°.

The plates are located "kebab style" on a series of s/s rods which then are T bolted into the manifold.

This produces the so called "fixed inlet", i.e. the plates do not move.

The manifolds are generally divided through the center and the fans separately ducted to the two sides of the
cooler after passing through a suitable control damper.

Von Wedel describes the theory of operation in the following way.

Consider first the no air on situation:

Hot clinker rapidly builds up a "volcano" heap which slumps at random

Full air situation

All air on, full delivery from the fan(s) causes the clinker to airslide, control of LHS and RHS dampers
allows the air slide to be directed.

By manipulation of fan(s) volume and side control it is possible to control the clinker flow off the fixed inlet
in the required direction, potentially avoiding the favoritism which occurs with red rivers, i.e. preferential flow
to one side can be restricted and manipulated.

IKN plates, now made by Magotteaux are complex and have a feature not copied by the "clones". The air jet is
designed to leave the plate at a shallow angle. In fact it allegedly leaves the plate horizontally cleaning the
fines away from the plate surface. The fines then migrate to the surface but do not become airborne, i.e. no
spouting as in conventional coolers. (This latter observation was confirmed by a visit to Hardexson - see
attached notes).

The "clones" report that the above feature which results in reduced plate wear and tear is a feature of their
designs also. They (CPAG, Fuller and Polysius) produce a plate with an air "pocket" into which larger clinker
"nuggets" become restrained, producing in effect a clinker to clinker contact between the plate and the clinker
charge.

The "clones" do not rely on a fixed inlet but rather prod4ce a similar boxed in plate concept which is
reciprocated by the existing drive arrangement and no change to the cooler angle is undertaken. (IKN have
also undertaken reciprocating inlets but do not advocate it). The "clone" suppliers supply air to the box
manifold by use of flexible steel hoses (a potential risk) but possible bonus since it provides control of air to
individual plate groups.

Complete Coolers
The use of the IKN plate and its "clones" although generally currently applied to a cooler front end retrofit can
be applied to complete coolers. The motivation however to doing anything beyond the 3rd/4th chamber must
however be limited by the cost. Included in the attached information is a figure which shows a CPAG
comparison of conventional air volume versus the new technology.

IKN have already supplied complete retrofits (Robilante) utilizing the CPAG hydraulics to move the plates.
The wear rate of roller supports for the conventional CP type cooler limits the plate to plate clearance and thus
the efficiency. EKN submit that their design using a reciprocating mechanism which is supported by a series
of laminated pendulum supports. The pendulum "vibrates" slowly rather than oscillates. (See enclosures). IKN
maintain plate to plate clearances of 2nun or better can be achieved.

"Clones"

Some information showing CPAG and Polysius equipment is enclosed.

Benefits

These vary depending on the starting point. A poor cooler can definitely be improved but each of the suppliers
are loathe to provide a thermal improvement warranty.

All suppliers warrant a plate life and it is certain that where plate wear rate/burn out occurs on a current
installation, such a retrofit will show large benefits.

All suppliers maintain this can "fix" a red river but they would not warrant it.

Cost

Approximate Capital Cost for Supply £120,000

and supervision of erection for cooler,
8 rows long 10 plates wide
Chamber I
Other types of grate cooler

IKN have already experience (although not good) of retrofitting a Recupol cooler. IKN believe they can and
have subsequently improved their design and Recupol cooler can benefit by replacement of the water cooled
plate and improvement in efficiency of up to 20 kcal/kg. Polysius also maintain the same benefit from
retrofitting their new clone" system but their design is believed in this case to be superior.

CONCLUSION

1) New Coolers

It is certain that the additional complexity of the designs for complete new coolers will have some capital cost
impact but in consideration of a reduction in the exhaust gas volume made possible the overall capital for a
new cooler system could be considerably reduced. (A reduction of exhaust volume of 0.3 kg air per kg clinker
is calculated for chambers I to 3 alone).

IKN maintain a more efficient cooler with a total air to clinker ratio of less than 2:1 is not only possible but is
now under construction.

2) Hot End Retrofits

IKN use a fixed inlet with a novel plate design, the latter made by Magotteaux. All reference lists are growing
- the IKN list faster than that of its competition. Its competitors by way of plant suppliers are also growing in
numbers.

The system, like its clones, undoubtedly works and potentially can have a significant impact on fuel
consumption. In addition, from discussion with end users, plate life is significantly extended although where
maintenance is required separating the plates can we understand become problematic.

There is little additional thermal benefit which accrues to retrofitting these

plate systems much beyond chamber 2. Because plate to plate tolerance limits effective use of available air.

If high plate wear is a problem on an existing plant such a retrofit can significantly improve plate life.

3) Warranties

Suppliers (CPAG, Polyslus and IKN) are reluctant to offer fuel warranties but will offer both lifetime
warranties and an assurance that red rivers can be eliminated; putting a fuel value to this is possible but
difficult.

WMH/OAR
21/7/92
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 8

Higher Secondary Air Temperature by

an Increase in Cooler Undergrate
Pressure onNorthfleet Semi-Wet Kilns
 HIGHER SECONDARY AIR TEMPERATURE BY AN INCREASE IN COOLER

UNDERGRATE PRESSURE ON NORTHFLEET SEMI-WET KILNS.

SUMMARY

The advantages are briefly:

- decreased fuel consumption

- increased output

- cooler clinker

- better clinker quality

The disadvantages may be:

- increased refractory usage

- and if output increased or fuel consumption decreased, extra air for the cooler exhaust fan to
handle.

The action planned to be taken is to increase the air flow on the inclined grate section cooler undergrate fans
and to decrease it on the horizontal section. Then the bed of clinker will be increased to initially give
pressures of 400 mm aq, 375 mm aq, 350 mm aq, or thereabouts on the first three fans, in order to try to
increase secondary air temperatures from about 500°C at present to over 600°C.

In order to achieve a stable bed it may be necessary to level the inclined grate and build dwarf walls. A
quotation of £120,000 has been received for the work, including labor and commissioning.

If fuel consumption is reduced or output increased the cooler exhaust fan may need upgrading or a new fan
purchased. Decreasing inleaking air would help here.

ADVANTAGES

An increase in cooler undergrate pressure requires a deeper bed of clinker on the grate. This will allow more
heat transfer from clinker to air and hence give an increase in secondary air temperature. This should bring the
f lame back towards the burner pipe with a shorter hotter flame and a short hotter burning zone This in theory
will allow a reduction in fuel consumption and an increase in output. There is also the potential for increased
clinker quality. A long burning zone gives alite crystals the opportunity to grow, and, the long period after
leaving the burning zone and entering the cooler allows the potential of alite to belite reversion. Both these
effects will result in a drop in strength and activity of-the resulting concrete mix.
DISADVANTAGES

A shorter, hotter burning zone coupled with the large diameter of the Northfleet kilns may cause refractory
problems. This will be a greater problem if there is a quality or quality inconsistency problem. Given a stable
and adequate coating there should be no problems.

COOLER AIR REQUIREMENTS

The air for combustion is obtained from the first 3 fans situated on the inclined, heat recuperating, first grate.
The calculated combustion air is just over 1800 m³ min -1 for 80 t.p.h. clinker and 1200 k.cal/kg, i.e. present
conditions for No.2 kiln.

The cooling air required for adequate cooling on the first three chambers has been calculated as 1700 m³min
-1.

The actual flow measured from the first 3 fans is 1500 m³ min-1, at pressures around 250/200mm down to
200/180mm from 1st to 3rd fans.

The fan dampers are 20%, 40%, 50% open for 1, 2 and 3 fans respectively, the volumes being 200, 600 and
700 m³min-1 respectively, increasing to 300, 700, 800 m³min-1 will automatically increase undergrate
pressure by virtue of the increased velocity. This will cause a decrease in secondary air temperature due to the
increased gas volume. The cooler then will probably need to be slowed down to increase the pressure further
whilst maintaining adequate cooler air flow. This initial period of change is potentially fraught with disaster,
as the burning conditions will initially suffer due to the cooler secondary air.

However, any attempt to increase pressure by slowing the cooler grate speed down whilst the fans are so
damped is even more problematic because, if increased airflow is required, after pressure has been built up, it
may be found that the fans cannot cope, this would be a more serious problem than the former.

Once the kiln has stabilized on the new pressure, assuming that we are successful, then it is essential that the
conditions are kept steady. This means that the hearts and minds of all the kiln burners must be won over and
that they are fully conversant with the new method of operation. This could be a lengthy process.

It may be that before a deeper bed of clinker can be stabilized, the inclined grate will have to be leveled from
5° to 3°(as at Hope) or even to horizontal. Stabilization of deeper beds is also helped by the building of so
called 'dwarf walls' , a refractory wall built over the blank plates at the side of the first two or three chambers
in order to contain the clinker better.

A quotation from Fuller for the leveling of one cooler together with a 24" dwarf wall is £120,000 valid for
mid 1990, given a four month lead-time.

Subsequent coolers would be about £3,000 cheaper each.

PRESENT CONDITIONS
 MEASUREMENTS ON NO.2 COOLER

a) COOLING FANS

FAN MEASURED PANEL PRESSURE DAMPER CURRENT

VOLUME VOLUME (%) DRAWN
(M³ MIN-1) (M 3 MIN-1) (%)

1 191 197 203 22 50

2 625 601 195 40 120
3 708 595 188 50 122
4 401 493 280 52 69
5 552 263 148 50 63
6 982 574 146 30 82

Total flow = 4103 kg min -1

At 80.5 t.p.h.= 3.058 kg air/kg clinker

HEAT BALANCE ON NO.2 COOLER

Datum 20°C

HEAT IN HEAT OUT

Clinker over nose ring at 1,050°C Clinker leaving cooler
1030 x 0.239 at 115°C
= 246 Kcal/kg 95 x 0.186 = 18 Kcal/kg

heat in air Cooler exhaust measured

3.06 x 0.24 x 4 at 3535 kg min - 1
= 3 Kcal/kg at 100°C
2.63 x 0.24 x 80 = 5lKcal/kg

Total = 249 Kcal/KG TOTAL = 69 Kcal/kg.

Neglecting any losses by radiation/convection the deficiency of 180 Kcal/kg is heat given to secondary air.

This gives a recuperation efficiency of 72% and a resulting secondary air temperature of 470°C.

i.e. Heat in secondary air = quantity x specific heat x temperature heat

180 = 1.62 x specific heat x temperature

180
= sxt
1.62
From tables of specific heat at various temperatures

temperature = 450°C + datum

= 470°C

heat recovered in secondary air

% efficiency of cooler = x 100
total heat into cooler

180 x 100
= = 72%
249

CALCULIATION OF INLEAKING AIR TO COOLER

Total air to cooler = 3.058 Kg/Kg clinker

Air required for combustion = 1.62 Kg/Kg clinker.

air to cooler exhaust = 1.438 Kg/Kg clinker

at 1341.67 Kg/Kg clinker (80.5 t.p.h.)

air to cooler exhaust = 1929 Kg min - 1

measured cooler exhaust volume = 3,535 Kg min - 1 at 100°C

Inleaking air = 1,606 Kg min - 1

INCREASE SECONDARY AIR TEMPERATURE TO 500°C AND INCREASE NOSE RING

TEMPERATURE TO 1200°C, (A MORE 'NORMAL' TEMPERATURE).

The heat balance then looks like this

Datum 20°C

HEAT IN HEAT OUT

Clinker at 1200'C Assume clinker at 1000C
1180 x 0.247 = 291.5 Kcal/Kg 80 x 0.186 = 15 Kcal/kg

Assume air to cooler at datum Secondary air at 500°C

1.62 x 0.248 x 480 = 193
Kcal/kg

This is 66% cooler efficiency.

Total = 291.5 Kcal/kg Total = 208 Kcal/kg

Difference of 83 . 5 kcal/kg is the heat in the cooler exhaust air.

At 1 .438 kg/kg clinker this gives a temperature of 240°C above datum.

i.e. 83.5 = 1.438 x s x t

83.5
=sxt
1.438

Temperature of air leaving cooler = 260°C

Assuming inleaking air at 1606kg min - 1 then a final temperature of 133°C above datum is calculated i.e.
153°C.

INCREASE SECONDARY AIR TEMPERATURE TO 600°C

HEAT IN HEAT OUT

Clinker at 1200°C Clinker at 100°C
= 291.5 Kcal/kg = 15 Kcal/kg

Secondary air at 600°C

1 .62 x 0.25 x 580 = 235 Kcal/kg

∴Cooler exhaust heat = 41.5 kcal/kg. This gives a temperature ex cooler of 140°C.Assuming constant inleak
of 1606 kg min -1 giving a final temperature of 87°C.

Such increased secondary air temperature should achieve a reduced fuel consumption. Assuming that this is
equivalent to the increased heat in secondary air, i.e. 55 Kcal/kg, then real fuel consumption will be 1145
kcal/kg.

This gives a calculated combustion air requirement (secondary air) from the cooler of 1.534 kg/kg clinker.

Assuming this reduced air carries the same amount of heat into the kiln then a temperature of 660°C may be
calculated for secondary air temperature.

Assuming still have 3.058 kg air/kg clinker into cooler then air from cooler exhaust is:

3.058 - 1.534 = 1.524 kg/kg clinker.

Assuming this will still contain the 41.5 kcal/kg then a temperature of 135°C is calculated.

Allowing for inleaking air this is 95°C at the cooler fan.

These results may be summarized in the following table:-

SECONDARY HEAT IN COOLER HEAT IN COOLER FAN FAN

AIR TEMP. SECONDARY EFFICIENCY COOLER EXHAUST TEMP VOLUME
(°C) AIR (%) EXHAUST TEMP (°C) (m³ min-1)
kcal/kg) (kcal/kg) (°C)

470 180 72 51 164 100 3,740

500 193 66 84 260 153 4,267
600 235 81 42 140 87 3,606
660 235 81 42 135 95 3,926

The fan volumes are calculated thus:

At 470°C secondary air temperature.

Total air into cooler = 3,058 kg/kg clinker

Combustion air = 1.62 kg/kg clinker

∴ Air out of cooler = 1.438 kg/kg clinker

At 80.5 t.p.h. clinker = 1,929 kg min -1

Inleaking air = 1,606 kg min -1

Total = 3,535 kg min -1 at 100°C.

3,535 373
Volume at 100°C = × = 3736 m³min-1
1.2928 273

At 500°C have as above but a final temperature of 153°C

3,535 426
∴ Volume at 153°C = × = 4,267 m³min-1
1.2928 273

At 600°C, same mass as before but at 87°C

3,535 360
∴Volume at 87°C = × = 3606 m³min-1
1.2928 273
 At 660°C. Cooler exhaust volume = 1,524 kg/kg clinker

Assuming same quantity of inleaking air (this is an oversimplification but for consistency will be maintained
for now), .i..e. 1,606 kg min-1.

Clinker output = 85 t.p.h.

= 1,417 kg min-1

Inleaking air
= 1.133 kg/kg clinker

Total air = 2.65 kg/kg clinker

= 3,765 kg min-1

= 3,926 m³min-2 at 95°C.

Under flush conditions the temperature could rise to 250°C, the volume would then rise to 5,580 m³min-1.

From the latest fan curve the fan should be capable of handling 5,000 m³min-1 at 225mm water gauge.

At 100% damper open we measured 4,700 m³min-1 at 125°C.

Thus uprating will require that:

-inleaking air be reduced.

-fan could be uprated as it stands by peripheral building up. Some 5 - 10% increase in output
could be achieved here.

-a new uprated fan may need to be purchased.

 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 9

Cooler Maintenance, Upgrading, and

New Designs
 COOLER MAINTENANCE,
UPGRADING, AND NEW DESIGNS

ED PUSCHOCK
FULLER/F.L.SMIDTH
GRATE COOLER MAINTENANCE

It was very tempting to title this paper GODLINESS, CLEANLENESS, and MAINTENANCE rather than
GRATE COOLER- MAINTENANCE. At the risk of being disrespectful though, the importance of
maintenance on a grate cooler as well as any other piece of equipment in a pyro-process line probably ranks
right up in the same category as listed in the alternative title. In many cases, it probably ranks at the top ahead
of godliness. Of course, as-will be seen by discussion as we proceed with this paper, there are other factors
which make it extremely difficult to pull a good, lasting maintenance job on the cooler. One of the major
contributors to cooler problems in addition to maintenance is of course the operating philosophy of the
management and individual operators.

However, we are digressing much too early. Before proceeding further, we would like to explain it is not our
goal in writing this paper to provide a step - by step procedure for performing every maintenance task
encountered on grate coolers. As we have told many people in the past we are not good mechanics and cannot
give you the best advice as to when to use a hammer or a torch. We hope that the readers of this paper would
be in a better position than us to make decisions of this sort based on tools available to them as well as the
timing of the task that would influence their choices. Instead, our goal in writing this paper is to provide the
reader with areas and points of critical concern that would focus their efforts to provide a reliable cooler that
would enable the cooler to operate to the best of its ability. We have found that if the plant people are unaware
of the designers intentions when designing the equipment or the function of the various components, it is
likely that their efforts are misdirected and in many cases actually detrimental to the well being of the cooler.
We are sure that this phenomena is not limited to the grate cooler either.

SEALING

With all of that said, we believe its time to get into the meat of the subject. To start with any one who has read
any of our papers on grate coolers or who has attended any presentation we have ever made on grate coolers
will know that we continue to remind people that there is only one big secret for a successful cooler operation.
To iterate again, that secret is to make sure that the cooling air provided to the cooler goes through the active
grates of the cooler and absolutely nowhere else. This means that when performing maintenance on a grate
cooler, it is very important to check all potential air leaks. This includes all of the following areas:

1. Leakage through the side frame - The side frames should be observed for holes and other points of
leakage. Here are several ways to accomplish this. One is to walk along the side frame when the cooler
is operating and feel for air blowing from the undergrate area. This usually occurs around observation
ports, lights, and access doors. In some cases, such as observation ports, the glass is broken or missing.
Although this is a minor appearing item, it is just as important as alignment of the grate line. Another
point of leakage is the packing at the access doors. This packing should be replaced when leakage
occurs. Many times small cracks develop at seams or welded joints which should be repaired.
Sometimes this type of leakage is not readily apparent from outside of the cooler. To discover this type
of leakage, we find it best to go into the undergrate compartment without any light, and look around.
You will see light from outside of the cooler where there are -cracks, etc. These should be sealed
welded. A word of caution - naturally when we suggest entering the cooler, we mean to do this when the
cooler is off line, cooled and everything is locked out.
 For a better seal at the light, Fuller Company has developed anew observation light that is separate from
the observation port that we supplied in the past, and one that -incorporates what we consider to be
desirable features. The most important feature is that the light protrudes into the undergrate compartment
and the bulb is protected by an impact resistant glass globe which protects the bulb and makes it possible
to replace the bulb from outside of the cooler without stopping the cooler. This may be seen in figure I
which is attached to this paper.

Fuller also has a cast iron access door with built in packing that is used on many of your coolers, but
probably not all of them as many were furnished long before the development of this door. This may be
seen in figure 2.

2. Leakage at shafts - This is one of the largest areas of loss of cooling air from the cooler. Of course, it is
very important to maintain these seals. Unfortunately, we have to admit that some of the seal designs
used in the past make maintenance very difficult. There are several ways to get around this problem, and
they all involve some modification. We are recommending modification as we believe this is the best
way to eliminate a continue, on-going maintenance condition. The modifications available are:

Conversion to Internal Wheels - By putting wheels -inside the cooler, the shaft seals are eliminated
completely except for the seal at the crosshead shaft which will be discussed later. The first option for
internal wheels may be seen in figure 3 and 4. Figure 3 shows how the internal wheels are mounted on
channels which span the width of the cooler. The wheel track would be mounted upside down on a
bracket attached to the movable frame. The wheel is hardened as is the track, and the wheel rim itself
houses a double row, tapered roller bearing. Further, the wheel is flanged to keep the movable frame
running. straight.

An optional internal wheel of similar design but with a wider surface to reduce wear is also available.
Since this wheel does not have a rim to keep the movable frame tracking correctly, a guide roller would
also be employed. See figures 5 and 6.

For both of these designs, lubrication would be provided by a lube line enclosed inside a protective pipe
that is open at both ends to allow cooling of the lube line. The method of running the lube lines may be
seen in figure 7.

In cases where recirculated cooling air is being used or for those who do not like the idea of having
bearings inside of the cooler, we also have a third internal wheel design. This design does however have
the shaft protruding through the side frame as the pillow blocks with roller bearings are located outside
the cooler. This design may be seen in figure 8. To prevent air from leaking out of the cooler, we provide
a packing gland type of seal. There are three layers of packing plus a final ring which is a lantern ring.
The lantern ring is hollow so it may be pressurized with air which is done through airways drilled in the
packing gland housing. Thus, if there is leakage, it is into instead of out of the cooler.

The above alternatives do cost money, and in some cases, may have space limitations. A less expensive
solution would simply be to enclose the wheel boxes as shown in figure 9. However, for this to be
successful, the enclosure should be pressurized, and the wheel seal still should be maintained.

3. Sealing of the Crosshead Shaft - This is one protrusion of the side frame that remains on all of our
coolers to date. To effectively seal this area, a seal has been developed that we have been using for
approximately twelve years. Although it has been in use for this period of time, we have made changes
 which we consider to e improvements. The seal which can be seen in figure 10 has recently been
modified to provide a thick shoulder where the seal plate contacts the crosshead shaft. The reason for
making this change is because of the experience of having the hole elongate where it came in contact
with the crosshead shaft. The thicker cross section spreads the forces over a larger wearing surface. To
obtain maximum performance from this seal, a provision is provided to permit air pressurization of the
seal. Again, with the air pressurization, if there is leakage it is into the cooler instead of out. Thus,
cooling air is conserved and house cleaning of clinker dust is eliminated.

4. Drag conveyor seals - This is probably the next largest source of air leakage from the undergrate area.
On new coolers, we build the cooler either with a flat bottom or a hopper bottom and use air operated
double tipping gates. Some of your existing coolers do have this feature built into them. While on the
subject of double tipping gates, from the standpoint of maintenance, it is important that these gates
operate in the mode that Fuller intended them to operate. That mode is to have one gate of a pair closed
at all times. The operating sequence can be seen in figure 11. Many times when visiting a plant, it is
found that the operating sequence either has been altered or not maintained and the top and bottom half
of the gate open at the same time. This should be corrected as soon as possible in order to prevent the
loss of cooling air, and the subsequent overheating of the critical areas of the cooler such as grate plates.

For existing coolers without these gates, we first attempt to add the gates if sufficient headroom can be
found. Recently, our vendor has developed gates that require approximately half the headroom of their
original design so we can retrofit some existing coolers that previously could not be fitted with valves.
For some extreme cases, we have been able to use a single gate with a level detector that opens the gate
when a predetermined high level is reached and closes the gate while there is still a material seal on the
gate. This arrangement may be seen in figure 11,

On older coolers that have an internal drag conveyor and very limited headroom we have had moderate
success with air operated disc gate. At this time, we are not as excited about doing this as we had been in
the past. Whether or not we would recommend this would depend on the arrangement of a particular
cooler and the complexity of the disc arrangement. If the arrangement is simple with a short disc rod, we
feel we could provide a successful installation. Otherwise, we believe that your efforts should be to
maintain the drag air seals. 7bis would include maintaining the concrete that forms the trough of the drag
conveyor as well as the concrete walls that form part of the partition between compartments.

5. Partition Plates and Seals - Maintenance of these features is as important as the repair of leaks in the
sideframe. The cooling air always takes the path of least resistance, and as a result the cooling air
usually tries to go to the end compartments of the cooler. This is because the air finds it easier to go
through cool clinker than hot clinker. Therefore, it is particularly important to make sure the partitions
and seals we very good in the compartments of the feed end of the cooler.

Along these lines, we have a stationary partition seal that seals the movable frame where it penetrates the
partition plate. This feature is on some of your coolers. Our latest design which has been improved
from our first design to facilitate the repair and replacement of the seal element can be seen on figure 13.
It is important that the seal element be replaced as often as need be, and that it be adjusted when
installing it be as tight as possible. Our experience has been that a gap as small as a quarter of an inch
will permit the unwanted bypassing of cooling air. For existing coolers without a stationary seal, my
recommendations would be to retrofit these seals to the cooler.
6. Overgrate Areas - Openings and holes in the overgrate area and process ducting should be closed for two
very important reasons. One of course is safety. Hot gases and material could fly out and seriously burn
people in the area. Secondly, false air does infiltrate into the system and overloads the process equipment
such as the cooler vent fan. This makes it difficult to operate the system particularly during upset
conditions, and the overall efficiency of the system will be reduced. Finding these points of leakage can
be done the same way as finding leaks in the sideframe. That is viewing the area from a darkened
interior during a shutdown.

GRATE LINE MAINTANANCE

It is always good to have the opportunity to write about cooler maintenance because so often assumptions are
made that a particular subject is understood by everyone as everything about that subject is obvious. Such is
the case with grate lines. The following paragraphs will contain some important information that we believe to
be obvious, but they are features that we have seen to be set up wrong in many coolers, and in some cases the
work was done by our own people. The areas that would we like to highlight are:

1. Grate Plate Overlap - Before a cooler is put onto operation the overlap between rows of grate plates
should be checked. The cooler should be operated without any material on the grates, and the grates
should be observed and measured. At the end of the return stroke, the top grate should overlap the
bottom grate by one inch. All rows should be examined. If all rows fail by the same amount, the movable
frame should be repositioned by adjusting the jacking screws at the connection to the crosshead shaft. If
only one or two rows do not overlap correctly, the position of the grate plate support mounting clips
should be examined. If the overlap is incorrect only on one or two rows, most likely the mounting of that
row has shifted. Figures 14, 15, and 16 show typical set up dimensions for our standard grate coolers. An
easy method of checking the grate overlap is from the undergrate area. At mid-stroke the distance
between the grate plate supports should be five inches. Most coolers have a five inch stroke, so when the
stroke is retracted there should be two and one half inches between supports and when the stroke is
extended, the distance between supports should be seven and one half inches. Please keep in mind that
some coolers have a three or four inch strokes instead of the five inch stroke. Consequently, the
dimension during retraction for a three inch stroke will be three and one half inches of two and one half
inches. 7be dimensions for a four inch stroke would be adjusted similarly.

2. Vertical GIM Between Rows - Obtaining the correct gap has caused almost as many problems as
alignment of the balance crank drive. Fuller drawings call for a one quarter inch vertical gap between
rows of grates. This dimension is an ideal dimension based on the dimensions used to engineer the grate
cooler. However, when setting the grate line, this dimension should be considered as a nominal
dimension. The vertical gap may be one eighth of an inch larger or smaller. To obtain the proper gap,
only the movable row of grates should be adjusted. Either shims should be added or taken away from the
mounting of the movable row. The stationary rows should never be adjusted when setting the gap
between rows. The movable row should be moved up or down so the gap upstream is equal to the
downstream gap. A common mistake is to put shims under every row of grates to obtain the gap. What
happened when this is done is that by the time every row in the cooler is adjusted, the shims at the feed
end of the cooler are two inches high. When this occurs, it is almost impossible for the bolts to hold the
grate plate support in place.

3. Shims - Perhaps this is not the place for this subject. However, since we talked about shimming in the
last paragraphs, we believe this is a good time to provide this cautionary advice. Whenever shims are
used in a cooler, the largest shims required to fill a gap should be used. Never stack a bunch of thin
 shims to fin a gap. Stacks of shims usually work free, and required clearances are lost. Additionally,
once all required gaps are achieved and the cooler is given a dry run to ensure everything is improper
order, all shims should -be tack welded to lock them in place.

4. Side Clearances - The clearance between the end grate in a row and the dead grate or side casting should
be one quarter of an inch. An attempt should be made to spread the grates in a row to get this end
clearance before tightening the grates. If your cooler has dead grates, the side clearance can be obtained
by moving the dead grate toward the center of the cooler. If there is a gap between the side frame and the
dead grate, it may be filled with plain steel plate and covered with refractory.

5. Dead Grates - Fuller strongly recommends that dead grates be covered with refractory. Many people are
reluctant to do this because if the dead grate plate has to be replaced, it is necessary to remove the
refractory. Additionally, the refractory has to be removed to replace the grate plate supports. Our
argument however goes back to controlling the flow of cooling air and making sure that the cooling air
goes through the active bed of material. If this is done, it is less likely that the grate plate supports will
be damaged by heat. As far as having to replace the dead grate, Fuller Company has developed a dead
grate with a replaceable Up. With this design, see figure 17, the lip on the dead grate can be replaced
without removing refractory. This design may be installed in any cooler that now has dead grates.

6. T-Bolt - In order to pre vent emergency -stoppage of the kiln, it is necessary to be extremely cautious
when installing and tightening T-Bolts. First, it is very important to properly install the cup washer: The
convex surface should go against the grate plate support (see figure 18). The purpose of the cupwasher is
to take up any misalignment between the bolt line and the grate plate support. The grate plate lug should
be checked for burrs or flashing that may affect the seating of the T-Bolt. The T-Bolt should be tapped
with a hammer to help seat it.

From the figure, it can be seen that a double nut is used on every T-Bolt. Both nuts should be tightened.
After alignment of the cooler grate line is checked and the grates are tested for tightness, the outside nut
on the T-Bolt should be tack welded. After the initial installation, the T-Bolts and grates should be tested
for tightness at every opportunity. If a bolt becomes loose, the inside nut should then be tightened and
tack welded. One method of checking the grates for proper seating is to walk on them. If they are not
setting correctly, the grate will rock.

Fuller does have grates now that do not use T-Bolts. One design shown on figure 19 is called the T-Bolt
Eliminator and simply mounts in the same place that the existing plates do. No modification to the grate
plate support is needed. A second design called the fingerless design, and shown in figure 20, uses
common structural " bolts to secure the grate. Each single width grate has two bolts holding the grate in
place. This design requires that new grate late supports be installed in order to use it. However, in
addition to increasing the number of bolts holding the grate and the elimination of the T-Bolt, it has the
convenient feature of being able to replace the grates from underneath instead of from the overgrate area.
This is possible because the grate plate supports do not have fingers.

DRIVE ALIGNMENT

The alignment of the cooler drive is a very important factor In order to have a trouble five campaign. It is also
one factor that is often overlooked and misunderstood. Misalignment puts a lot of unusual stress on the drive
that cause failure due to fatigue. A cooler running at 10 or 12 strokes per minute and twenty-four hours a day
accumulates a lot of cycles very quickly. A good procedure to follow for setting the drive is:-

1. Center the crosshead shaft in the wheel seal opening and level the shaft

2. Square the crosshead shaft to the movable frame and the center line of the cooler. The first thing that
must be done here is to insure that the movable frame is centered on the center line of the cooler. Once
this is accomplished, the squareness of the crosshead shaft to the movable frame can be checked by
measuring along the shaft three feet from the intersection with the movable frame and marking that
point. Then measure four feet along the movable frame from the shaft and mark that point. Measure
between the marked points. If you measure five feet, the crosshead shaft is squared. This is the old 3-4-5
right triangle.

3. Following the installation procedure for the drive for your cooler (figure 21 attached gives a typical
installation drawing for reference only), position the balanced crank drive.

4. Install the connecting rods and measure along the length of the connecting rod from the center of the
crankhead to the center of the crosshead. Compare this dimension with that on the opposite side of the
cooler. Both sides must be identical. If they are not, take steps to correct them. Do not assume that
someone else has done this.

5. After the cooler is given a trial run to insure everything is set properly, drill holes through the crankhead
and the connecting rod or the crosshead and the connecting rod and insert roll pins to prevent the rod
from backing out. On new installation Fuller provides a pre-assembled one piece connecting
rod/crankhead/crosshead assembly. This eliminates one point of adjustment.

On drives and wheels, the bearings, wheels and tracks should be inspected periodically for wear. Bearing wear
in the drive vain will cause the stroke to shorten and conveying efficiency will be lost Wear of the wheels and
tracks will cause the movable frame to drop, and will cause other components such as grates and seals to wear
or fail.

GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING

In the opening paragraph, we half-heartedly talked about godliness and cleanliness. In order to have a well
maintained cooler, the area around the cooler must be kept clean. This is recommended for a couple of
reasons. First, if it is difficult for people to get to the equipment, it is unlikely that the equipment will be
maintained. Secondly cooling fans pick up dust that lays on the floor and this causes the fans, etc, to wear.

Since there is limited time for this presentation, it is not practical to go beyond this point on the subject of
cooler maintenance. However, we believe we have covered the most critical area of the grate cooler. If at any
time you have questions or wish to discuss any point in more detail please feel free to call us at Fuller.
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 10

The Repol RS
KTF92021301E 1 A200

I
Distributor: I
V-As, V-Rz;V-W, 1 Issued on : 10.08.92
Polpar, Polcot, Polbras, I ~
Poldrid, Polat, Poljob, 1 Responsible : 210-Kgstingschgfer
Mr. Ktjster (Tiga Ikan, Jakarta) 1
010, 110, 130, 140, 160, 200, 300,/ No. of pages : 24 w
400, 470, 500, 616, 710, 730, 750,1
770 I
 1. Short description of the REPOL-RS

The REPOL-RS is provided with individual or

multiplate aeration in the inlet section (5 - 13
plate rows). The crux of this new aeration system
consists of optimally cooled jet-ring plates with
autogenous wear protection. The jet-ring plates
have an inclination of 4 degrees in contrast to the
horizontal grate plates. Due to this inclination, a
stage in the recuperation zone of the first grate,
and installation of grate plates with different
conveying characteristics, an increasing clinker
bed height is obtained in conveying direction. With
these improvements the following can be realized:
rapid initial clinker cooling; increased clinker
conveyance and distribution, thus avoiding
fritting; and high clinker bed depth resulting in
increased heat recuperation through a uniformly
driven grate.
In addition to improvements in process-technology
the cooler mechanism was also optimized. The newly
developed vibroframe and the drive supports are
arranged in bearings outside the dust-laden cooler
inside.

KTF92021301E 3 A200
 2. Technical advantages of the REPOL-RS

Individual and multiplate aeration with jet-ring plates

optimal cooling of plates -- low wear of plates
clinker remaining in -- autogenous wear protection
depression of plate
individually aerated -- no blow-throughs,
fields adjusted air distribution,
prevention of Red River
and Snowman
large-surface -- low air velocity and
injection of cooling air good air distribution
in the jet-ring plates in the clinker bed

Staae of first crate

optimized clinker bed -- rapid initial cooling and
height intense clinker movement
in the inlet section,
-- increasing clinker bed
height to obtain a high
degree of recuperation

Vibroframe with encased support arranaement

dimensionally stable frame -- min. gaps between the
plate rows
-- exact parallelism of the
vibroframe
dust free support -- minimum wear
arrangement -- easy maintenance
-- no central lubrication

KTF92021301E 4 A200
 3. Functional description of the REPOL-RS

3.1 Aeration svstem with jet-ring plates

With the new aeration system, with individual
cooling, it is possible to adjust the air
distribution to a non-uniform clinker distribution,
i.e. to a non-uniform flow resistance of the bulk
clinker material in the inlet section of the
cooler. This aeration system guarantees adequate
cooling of all plates and uniform aeration of the
bulk clinker. The uniform cooling of the plates
prevents hot cracks, reduces wear and thus,
increases the service life of the plates. Due to
the longer service life of the plates the
availability of the cooler is considerably
increased. The uniform aeration of the bulk clinker
and exclusion of blow-throughs facilitates improved
clinker cooling and a high degree of heat
recuperation.
T h e uniform aeration is achieved through adjustable
specific cooling air feed to the aeration zones.
The dimension of the aeration zones, that can be
aerated separately, depends on the respective
cooler size.
The cooling air is supplied through a piping system
via the grate plate supports that are provided with
compartments.
The manually operated throttling valves, for the
individual aeration zones, are installed outside
the cooler and facilitate adjustment of the air
volumes during cooler operation.
The thrusting motions for clinker conveyance cause
increased lateral distribution of the clinker and
closure of channels in the clinker bed. Every 2nd
plate row in the cooler, including the rows with
jet-ring plates, is therefore a row with moving
plates.
Due to the slightly higher overall height of the
jet-ring plates (compared with a normal grate
plates) the grate surface in the area of the jet-
ring plates has an inclination of approx. 4 degrees
in conveying direction.
KTF92021301E 5 A200
 l

This inclination is desired as the rate of clinker

conveyance and distribution and clinker bed height
increases in conveying direction.
Four fans provide the system with cooling air at
pressures of 100 and 80 mbar. An additional
confining air fan maintains a sufficiently high
pressure in the compartment, thus preventing the
cooling air from flowing back into the compartment.
Moreover, the air stream, from the compartment in
the clinker bed, reduces the number of grate
riddlings at the remaining front apertures between
the moving and the fixed grate rows and provides
the thrust faces with additional cooling air. The
confining air only enters at the described
apertures between the thrust faces and the
subsequent plate surfaces, as the jet-ring plates
are sealed (airtight) to the grate plate supports.
This aeration system can be installed in new
Polysius coolers as well as retrofits of POLYSIUS
or other coolers.

KTF92021301E 6 A200
 Aeration system with Jet-Ring plates

KTF92021301E 7 A200
 3.2 Staae and arranaement of orate plates on the cooler
crates
The heat recuperation in a reciprocating grate
cooler is improved with longer retention time of
the cooling air in the clinker bed and with the
largest possible recuperating surface area. The
retention time of the cooling air is optimized by
specific air distribution between the individual
compartments. The height of the clinker bed in the
inlet section is limited as the clinker tends to
frit. After the initial rapid cooling of the
clinker, the bed height can be increased in order
to improve heat recuperation. These requirements
have been taken into account by providing a stage
for the first grate and a special arrangement of
grate plates with different conveying
characteristics. The height of the REPOL-RS clinker
bed increases in direction of clinker conveyance.

7
=u J

(1) Jet-ring plate

(2) Standard plate
(3) Plate with reduced thrust face
KTF92021301E 8 A200
 4. Description of desian of the innovations

4.1 The Jet-Rina Plate

The box-type jet-ring plate is sealed (airtight)
with the grate plate support, forming a single
unit. Air is supplied via connecting sockets in the
grate plate support. Cooling air enters through two
slightly inclined horizontal annular gaps of 4 mm
gap width. The gaps are formed by two covers
inserted in the base body at a defined distance.
Each cover is welded to the base body with
4 protruding bolts.
Having passed the ring gaps the air enters a
vertical channel, flows against the outside walls
of the channel and then reaches the depression of
the plate. All parts of the plate are well cooled
by the passing air.
The lower sections, i.e. the ring-shaped channel
and also the plate depressions, are or remain
filled with clinker that is not exchanged. Through
this method, uniform air distribution is achieved
and a large part of the plate surface (approx. 70%
is protected (autogenous wear protection, thermal
protection).
The pressure loss resulting from the air flowing
through the air gaps amounts to approx. 20 mbar at
an air volume of 600 m3/h/plate. With this supply
restriction the air is uniformly distributed to all
plates of an aeration zone connected to one supply
pipe. The air velocity through the gap is approx.
45 m/s at an air volume of 600 m3/h/plate. The
plate has positive fit with the grate plate support
and is held by 4 bolts.
Thermal expansions between the grate plate and the
grate plate support can be compensated by sliding
on the plain contact surfaces. An additional hook
connection in the front area of the plate prevents
the two parts from bursting open.

KTF92021301E 9 A200
Jet-rina plate
 4.2 Grate plate support for the iet-rina plates
The grate plate supports are used for fastening the
grate plates and also for connecting the plates
with the air supply system. The partitions between
the compartments in the grate plate supports
consist of screwed in covers. Depending on their
location, the required sections are divided or
concentrated. The location of the connecting
sockets is determined by the space availability in
the given substructure (oscillating stringers
etc.).
The base body is cast and air supply sockets are
welded to the base body. The brackets for securing
the front plates are also welded on (the material
is readily weldable). The upper surface of the
support and the supports on the lower side of the
support are machined.

RTF92021301E 12 A200
 Aeration system of the iet-rina plates

KTF92021301E 15 A200
 Aeration svstem f o r jet-ring plates

r
k 1” nl
I

KTF92021301E 16 A200
 Aeration zones
Aeration fields with individual aeration

Q A
27 56 9 10

KTF92021301E 17 A200
 Fans for aeration of the iet-rina plates

’ 31-kB
- - - -
ConFining o i r fan
- -_ -
,+- ’
I
I t

Coolina air supDlv

KTF92021301E 18 A200
 4.4 Vibroframe with substructure
The vibroframe consists of oscillating longitudinal
stringers, cross girders and drive supports. The
oscillating stringers and the cross girders are
IPB-beams (standard profiles). These standard
profiles can be replaced, when required, by welding
structures. The drive support is always constructed
by welding. The individual supports are connected
to the complete vibroframe by threaded joints. The
grate plate supports are installed on the
vibroframe. The vibroframe is carried through guide
rails on roller blocks that are installed in the
cooler side walls.

Lower Part of the cooler

KTF92021301E 19 A200
 4.5 Encased drive unit and rollers
The cross girders and the drive support of the
vibroframe are carried, through guide rails, on
stationary roller blocks. The roller blocks and the
guide rails are installed in an airtight housing,
outside of the dust-laden cooler, in the side walls
of the lower cooler housing. The break-through of
the cross girders through the side wall to the
inside of the lower part of the cooler is sealed by
a labyrinth seal. The roller blocks and the guide
rails in the dust free housings can be inspected
from outside through a thick glass pane.

KTF92021301E 20 A200
 6. Hammer- and roll crushers
According to standard a hammer crusher is arranged
at the cooler outlet. To increase the service life
of the crushing equipment and thus, increase the
availability of the cooler, a POLYSIUS roll crusher
can be installed instead. The roll crusher is often
arranged between the grates at the end of the
recuperation zone in order to ensure optimum
aftercooling of the clinker.

KTF92021301E 22 A200
 7. Edvantaaes of the REPEL -RS

KTF92021301E 23 A200
 8. Install e d REPOL -RS

Aeration-W&em!

KTF92021301E 24 A200
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 11

Controlled Flow Grate System

 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 12

CFG Cooler
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - CFG COOLER

Cooler Design Philosophy

Fuller Company has been very active, over the years, in working with the plants to solve operating problems
with retrofits. Conceiving the design philosophy for the Controlled Flow Grate(CFG) System Retrofit and the
Coolax New Cooler design was therefore influenced by the desire to incorporate concepts that have been
proven in the past to eliminate problems such as 'snowman' buildups and warping or heat distortion of the
cooler structural members.

1. Fuller decided to stay with alternating rows of moving and stationary grates in horizontal configuration
or inclined in retrofits. This solves the problem with snowman buildup under upset conditions and
remains logical way to provide good distribution.

A) We do not need blaster valves to clear snowmen from shelves or stationary quench grates. Wasters
do not always clear the buildup, which unfavorably alters the temperature profile of the cooler.

B) We do not need extensive concentration of continuously operating valving and flexible connectors
which ultimately require maintenance.

2. Fuller retains the concept of deadgrates, replaceable lips, and refractory curbs to protect the cooler
structure and skin from warping. During rush conditions with full width active grates, the heat of the
clinker bed would cause the cooler structure to warp or distort. This was solved by going to dead grates
and refractory walls to shield the structure and minimize the downtime and lost production required to
repair and realign the cooler.

Since the CFG technology changes the cooler rating from 38 MT/M² to 50 MT/M², a 31% increase in
capacity, normally there is more than sufficient grate area to accommodate dead grates. Airload is
reduced from 3.2 Air/Kg clinker to 2.4 Kg/Kg.

The full width approach looks good on a comparative spreadsheet, but misleads the producer by not
pointing out the additional risk. Once the full width is installed, the customer cannot install dead grates
and refractory walls on the rest of the cooler since it would dam up the deep bed.

3. Increased Bed Depth - Improve Product Quality

Bed depths up to 30 inches and higher undergrate pressures with lower airflows result in increased
retention time of the cooling air in the clinker bed for better heat exchange.

Air velocity into the grate pocket is approximately one-half that of air into the clinker bed in a normal
grate. It is then distributed by the clinker in the pocket of the grate, such that by the time ft enters the
bottom of the live clinker bed, is very low velocity. This optimizes retention t1me in the bed for heat
exchange. Since the heat and surface area of the fines is also retained in the clinker bed, heat exchange
and utilization of the air is optimized.
 The low velocity also results in fewer fines being blown out of the clinker bed into the air stream to the
throat and firing hood, such that those systems are experiencing clearer conditions, enhancing burning
zone conditions and the clinker crystalline structure and quality.

4. Fuller concentrated on making the design "Maintenance Friendly”

A) Flexible connectors were minimized by going to the more difficult larger diameter (8") connectors,
double wall stainless steel to minimize undergrate obstructions.

B) Grate connections are vertical on CFG grates for easier access.

C) Replaceable lips can be removed from under the grate without tearing out the refractory walls.

D) The new "adjustable pusher" developed under the front wall to allow adjustment of clearance and
replacement without tearing out the front refractory wall.

E) The concept of maintaining sufficient velocity under the front wall and between grate rows to
reduce fall-through of fines, reduces undergrate maintenance.

1. Reduces cycle of tipping valves

2. Reduces load on drag
3. Reduces heat undergrate
4. Keeps fines in clinker bed
a) More surface area for heat exchange
b) Enthalpy available for heat exchange
 FULLER COMPANY

PAYBACK - CONTROLLED FLOW GRATES

LOWER FUEL COST -100,000 - 250,000 BTU/T*

CONTROL RED RIVER - LOWER PRODUCT TEMPERATURE

DROP AIR LOAD TO COOLER - FAN POWER SAVINGS

GROSSLY REDUCE FALL - THROUGH

• REDUCE UNDERGRATE MAINTENANCE

• REDUCE UNDERGRATE PARTS

INCREASE CAPACITY ON GIVEN COOLER SIZE.

ELIMINATE NEED FOR THIRD DRIVE SECTION

REDUCE VENT AIR BY 25 - 30%

• POWER SAVINGS
• LOWER COST BEAT EXCHANGER
• SMALLER BAGHOUSE
• MORE RESERVE FOR UPSET
• MORE CAPACITY FOR EXISTING EQUIPMENT
 FULLER’S “RFT” CLI KER COOLER
GRATE PLATE
Prior to 1970, grate clinker coolers were designed with spillage conveyors or screws inside the clinker cooler
undergrate compartments; or the undergrate compartments were sealed with a single discharge gate, resulting
in a large amount of undergrate air escaping to the atmosphere. In many clinker cooler modernization
projects, the spillage conveyor is enclosed, which left Insufficient room for a double discharge gate to be
installed in the clinker cooler undergrate compartment. In order to seal the undergrate compartment a single
discharge gate was employed. Due to the high operating frequency of the discharge gates, the gates exhibit
excessive wear; causing additional loss of cooling air from the clinker cooler, increased maintenance and
downtime and a dusty atmosphere around the clinker cooler.

As part of Fuller's development program of the Controlled Flow Grate System, we installed several versions of
an improved grate plate design, which replaces the holes in conventional grate plates with air chambers and
longitudinal openings. One of the grate plates installed was the “RFT” Grate Plate. The “RFT” Grate Plate has
several of the of the Controlled Flow Grate advantages which are as follows:

• Reduced Fail Through of Fine Clinker from the Clinker Bed to the Undergrate Compartment.

• Improved Undergrate Air Dispersion into the Clinker Bed.

• Improved Heat Recuperation from the Clinker Bed to Secondary Air.

• Improved G rate Plate Life resulting from lower air velocities and reduced grate plate wear.

By limiting the amount of fine clinker failing into the undergrate compartment, the cycling time of the single
discharge gate is greatly reduced. This creates several positive effects:

• Less wear on the single discharge gate. One of the installations where the "RFT" Grate Plate was
installed experienced a reduction in the opening of the discharge gate from every live minutes to every
eight hours.

• Improved clinker cooling and heat recuperation. With the reduction in the intervals between opening
the discharge gate, less cooling air is lost to the atmosphere, which results in increased stability of the
system.

The "RFT" Grate Plate exhibits most of the design features of the Controlled Flow Grate such as air
distribution chambers, prima air outlets and secondary air distribution channels. The air distribution chamber
design Includes longitudinal primary air outlets on each side of the air distribution chamber. The primary
outlets are small in height and are designed to prevent fine clinker from falling through the grate plate.
The primary air outlet configuration aids in the air distribution across the longitudinal section of the grate
plate. The air passes through the' primary air outlets Into the secondary air distribution channels. The clinker
residing in the secondary air distribution channel also aids in the air distribution through the remainder of the
clinker bed.

The “RFT” Grate Plate can be Installed in existing clinker coolers without modification to the existing
supports. The “RFT” Grate Plates are available in the fingered design, the fingerless design and the pyramid
attachment (which requires rework to the existing supports). The wRF7- Grate Plates are of the single grate
plate design width and are manufactured of 25/12 nickel/chromium alloy.

The "RFT" Grate Plate is the answer to clinker cooler problems where a large amount of cooling air is being
lost to the atmosphere through a single discharge gate. If one is looking for reduction in maintenance to the
clinker cooler due to overheating, look to the "RFT"" Grate Plate for help.
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 13

Cooler Modification at Eiberg Zement,

Austria
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 14

Benchmarking Cooler Efficiencies

 BENCHMARKING COOLER EFFICIENCIES

1. Summary

Inefficient operation of a grate cooler will add a significant cost penalty to kiln operation in
terms of fuel consumption and , potentially , output restrictions. However it is difficult to
compare one grate cooler to another, for a number of technical reasons, and hence it may not be
obvious that cooler performance can be improved. This paper discusses the reasons why direct
comparisons of grate coolers is not possible, and presents a method by which cooler performance
can be compared, and from which the potential savings from improved operation can be
predicted.

2. Introduction

The grate cooler is a cross-current heat exchanger in which clinker is cooled by forcing a series
of controlled air streams through the clinker bed. The air moves approximately at right angles
to the movement of the clinker. Once it has passed through the clinker bed the heated air is
either pulled into the kiln for use as preheated combustion air (secondary or tertiary air) or
exhausted away from the kiln. The old ‘rule of thumb is that in a traditional grate cooler a
cooling air to clinker mass ratio of 3.5: 1 is required in order to cool the clinker to 60 degrees C
above ambient, if the cooler is being operated properly. Many of these traditional coolers now
operate with cooling air to clinker mass ratios of between 2.8 and 4.0: 1.

Depending on the type of process and firing system the kiln will require between 0.75 (SP
process, high primary air) and 2.0 (wet process, low primary air) kg of preheated combustion air
for each kg of clinker production. The difference between this combustion air stream and the
total cooling air input will have to be exhausted and this is a heat loss from the kiln system,
although in many cases part or all of it can be used for another unit operation - such as coal
drying, extra heat for raw material drying, or - in a limited number of cases - power generation.

As clinker falls over the nose ring of the rotary kiln it possesses a sensible heat content of
approximately 310 kcals per kilogram (figure 1) as a consequence of its temperature at that point.
In the clinker cooler some of this heat is transferred to air, which is then drawn directly into the
kiln and used for combustion of fuel. The heat that was transferred into the air for combustion
becomes an integral part of the overall heat input to the burning zone. It effectively reduces the
amount of heat that has to be supplied by the fuel, and hence reduces the consumption of fuel
necessary for the production of cement clinker. The greater the proportion of heat that can be
recovered from the clinker to a given quantity of this air (known as secondary and/or tertiary air),
the greater the potential for minimisation of fuel consumption.

The heat content of the secondary air directly supplies heat (kcals) which would otherwise have
to be supplied by a prime fuel. High temperatures in secondary air also contribute to the
provision of a high flame temperature, to early ignition of the flame in the kiln and to the
production of a stable flame. The high flame temperature in turn promotes effective heat transfer
and, for a given total heat input, is likely to encourage lower backend temperatures. Conversely
poor heat recuperation in the cooler will give a lower secondary air temperature, and hence
increases in fuel consumption and kiln exit gas temperatures. These, in turn, will both tend to
increase the kiln exit gas volume at a given output, and this can effectively give a down-rating
of a kilns production capacity (see the earlier paper :“Benchmarking Kilns - The New Targets”).
The penalties of poor heat recuperation are summarised in figure 2. The overall consequence of
all these effects is that each unit of heat recovered from the clinker into the secondary air stream
is worth more than one unit in terms of fuel saving, with the multiple normally falling between
1.1 and 1.4.

A heat balance for an efficiently operating cooler is shown in figure 3, together an indication of
typical ranges in values for each heat stream. This indicated a maximum potential range of 130
kcals/kg in the quantity of heat recovered into secondary air, and hence of between 140 and 190
kcals/kg in terms of kiln fuel consumption. Consequently this is potentially a valuable fuel
saving, but how do we know if it is available on a particular kiln / cooler system?

3. Cooler Recuperation Efficiency.

Figure 4 indicates the potential areas by which heat can enter or leave a grate cooler. It enters
from the kiln with the clinker (l), or from the local area with the cooling air (2), whilst it leaves
the cooler with the clinker (3), as radiated heat from the outside surface of the cooler (4) or in
one of three air streams: secondary/tertiary air (5), cooler exhaust air (6) or mill heat source air
(7). The latter two can be considered as one stream: total exhaust air (8). Typical ranges in value
for the heat content of each input and output have already been presented in figure 3, which
clearly demonstrates that the clinker supplies the only significant heat input to the cooler, whilst
the secondary/tertiary air and total exhaust air are the major output streams.

The purpose of the cooler is to transfer as much as possible of the heat leaving the kiln with the
clinker into the air that is required for combustion - other than primary air - in the kiln or
calciner, and consequently cooler efficiency is defined as follows:

Efficiency = 100 *(A/B)

Where A = heat content of secondary/tertiary air

and B = heat content of clinker leaving kiln

Unfortunately it is not possible to measure the heat content of the secondary air, and so this has
to be inferred from measurement of all the other possible exit heat streams and subtracting these
from 'B'

Where C = total heat out (other than secondary/tertiary air)

Then A = B - C,

So Efficiency (E-J = 100 * (B - C)/ B

These equations are presented in figure 5. It should be noted that in calculating the cooler
efficiency, only heat recovered into the secondary/tertiary air streams are considered. As
indicated earlier, in many cases further heat is also recovered into an air stream which used for
drying purposes either in the coal mill (most commonly) or in the raw mill. For efficiency
calculations this stream is considered as a heat loss from the cooler, as it is not used directly -ie
before further processing - in the kiln

A basic approach for benchmarking grate cooler operation would simply be to compare the
efficiencies of a number of coolers as calculated by the above method. Typical heat balances for
three types of clinker burning process, operating under reasonably efficient conditions are set
out in figure 6. These show total losses from the cooler of 93 kcals/kg for the wet process whilst
this figure becomes 125 for the long dry and 142 for the suspension preheater. These examples
will in turn give efficiencies of:

wet process: 68%

long dry process: 60%
suspension preheater: 54%

This is not an indication that the wet process cooler is being operated in a more correct manner
than the one on the suspension preheater, but simply shows that when two coolers are operating
under the same conditions, the one attached to the kiln with the higher fuel consumption will
have to supply more secondary combustion air and hence should recover more heat from the
clinker, although the overall secondary air temperature will be lower. Consequently basic
recuperation efficiencies cannot be used to compare one cooler to another.

4. Benchmarking Cooler Efficiency.

From the above discussion it becomes apparent that the air requirement of the kiln becomes an
important factor in assessing the effectiveness of grate cooler operation. As indicated earlier the
grate cooler is a cross-current heat exchanger. Basic texts on heat transfer include extremely
complex formulae for the calculation of effective heat transfer and theoretical maximum heat
transfer efficiency in cross-current heat exchangers. These are of no immediate use in the case
of a clinker cooler as it is not possible to measure a number of the required inputs to the formulae
in the practical situation which faces our industry. However within practical limitations the
maximum potential efficiency formula can be simplified to the following form:

Potential Efficiency (E,) = 1 - e +

where p = mass ratio between secondary air and clinker

This gives a formula for predicting the maximum potential efficiency that would be expected
from a cooler in terms of the direct air requirement from the cooler to the kiln. In any given
situation, this can be calculated from the difference between the cooling air input and the total
cooler exhaust air stream, and so the potential efficiency can be calculated. The potential
efficiency equation is set out in figure 7, together with a number of examples of what potential
efficiency would be derived from selected air flows. This can further be expanded to give a
graphical representation of potential efficiency against the fuel range of secondary/tertiary air
flow - figure 8.
Once the potential efficiency is known, this can then be compared to the cooler recuperation
efficiency, and the easiest way to do this is to express the later as a percentage of the former:

Benchmark cooler efficiency (E& = 100 * E&,)/E(r,,J

For most traditional grate coolers this method would give a benchmark cooler efficiency of
between 65 and 95%. At this time a target of 90 to 95% benchmark efficiency is considered to
be realistic. From the limited evidence available to date, modem generation (air beam type)
systems appear to be capable of attaining benchmark efficiencies of 95 to 1 10% although some
suppliers are producing data which suggests even higher values.

Using the above benchmark calculation from the data given in the kiln heat balances would give
the following results:

E W”P Epot Em4

wet process 68 77.2 88.1
long dry process 60 68.6 87.5
S P process 54 57.2 94.4

Assumptions that have been made in this quick calculation are as follows:

Total combustion air requirement: 1Okg per kg standard coal.

Total primary air: 25%
Calorific value of standard coal: 7000 kcals/kg
All the indicated heat requirement supplied by coal

The benchmark efficiency shows that each cooler is working reasonably well, and that the SP
system has the most efficient unit, with little potential benefit available from further work on the
cooler unless conversion to a modem generation air beam unit is considered. The other two units
each have some potential for further optimisation which could produce cooler loss savings of up
to 15 kcals/kg. This in turn could yield kiln fuel consumption savings of between 17 and 20
kcals/kg

5. Conclusions

Grate cooler operation can have a significant impact on the overall costs of the clinker burning
process. Recuperation efficiency is the standard by which cooler operation have been judged
in the past but this does not allow one cooler to be easily compared to another. It is possible to
estimate the potential efficiency of a cooler based on the quantity of air that must be supplied
directly from the cooler to the kiln/calciner. By comparing the recuperation efficiency to the
potential efficiency in each case, a direct comparison of the performance of a range of grate
coolers can be made.
1Figure

Available Heat in Clinker over Nose Ring

Clinker temp Heat content

deg C deg F kcals/kg mBtU/st

1250 2280 310 1.12

1050 1920 250 09

1450 2640 380 1.37

datum temp: 0 C
Figure 2

Penalties of Poor Heat Recuperation

Extra Fuel usage

Lower Flame Temperature

Poorer Initial Heat Transfer

Greater Exhaust Gas Volumes:

extra fuel
reduced heat transfer
 Figure 3

Cooler Heat Balances

all data in kcals/kg clinker anticipated anticipated

typical typical minimum maximum
IN kcaIs/kg temp kcaIs/kg kcaIs/kg
Clinker ex kiln 310 1250 246 380

Cooling air 0 20 -28 23

-------11------(111I
Total In 310

out
Clinker ex cooler 11 80 7 20

Radiation 5 3 10

Secondary/tertiary air to kiln 186 130 260

Cooler exhaust 93 40 150

Drying air to mill 15 220 0 30

----m--------w---.
Total out 310

base temperature: 20 C
 ‘i

Figure 4

Process Inputs and Outputs on a Grate Cooler

1 Clinker ex kiln into cooler

2 Cooling air into cooler

3 Clinker ex cooler

4 Radiation from cooler body

5 Secondary (and/or tertiary ) air to kiln

6 Cooler exhaust air

7 Drying air for coal mill

8 Total cooler exhaust air

5Figure

COOLER EFFICIENCY

typical range
kcals/kg
LOSSES : Radiation 4to10
With Clinker 7to19
Wiih Air to Coal Mill or Raw Mill 0to20
With Cooler Exhaust up to 150
 Figure 6

Cement Kiln Heat Balances

all data in kcals/kg clinker

wet Long dry 4 stage SP

Theoretical Heat 420 420 420

Water Evap. 579 5 5

Dust Loss 20 85

Kiln Exit Gases 125 290 150

Radiation - kiln 143 155 75

a Radiation - cooler 5 5 5
b Clinker 13 15 17
C Total Cooler Exhaust 75 105 120
1-Mw-1-11-m1-m--* -------W-------W.
Total 1380 1080 792

(MBTU/SHORT TON) 4.97 3.89 2.85

Total cooler loss(a+b+c) 93 125 142

Total cooler exhaust includes cooler exhaust and any air to coal mill
7Figure

Theoretical Potential Cooler Efficiency

Efficiency (potential) = 1 - egP

where p = mass ratio between secondary air and clinker

secondary air(kg/kg clinker)

0.75 Eff (pot)= 52.8

1.00 Eff (pot)= 63.2
1.25 Eff (pot)= 71.3
1.50 Eff (pot)= 77.7
2.00 Eff (pot)= 86.5
2.80 Eff (pot)= 93.9
3.50 Eff (pot)= 97.0
 Figure 8

THEORETICAL PERFORMANCE OF GRATE COOLER

100

SECONDARY AIR / CLINKER RATIO (kg air/kg clinker)

 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

Module 9

Section 15

Journel Articles
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

HBM PROCESS ENGINEERS

CONFERENCE

• Cooler Technology
Overview

• Grate Cooler Upgrades-

HOPE
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

HBM PROCESS ENGINEERS

CONFERENCE

• Cooler Technology
Overview
0
HBM PROCESS ENGINEERS CONFERENCE

COOLER TECHNOLOGY

OVERVIEW
As it falls over the nose ring of the rotary kiln, cement clinker will have a heat content
of between 250 and 380 kcal/kg. Any heat that can be recovered from the clinker by
the secondary air stream will directly contribute to the heat available in the kiln and so
reduce the fuel requirement. in simple terms, if a kiln has a fuel consumption of 850
kcal/kg whilst recovering 200 kcal/kg then if that heat was no longer recovered with the
secondary air, the kiln fuel consumption would immediately rise to 1050 kcal/kg Extra
fuel would have to be burnt to provide this heat which would in turn increase the waste
gas volume and the heat loss from the system. in addition use of cold air rather than
preheated secondary air would reduce the peak flame temperature and hence reduce
heat transfer rates leading to a further increase in waste gas temperature. Overall,
therefore, the increase in fuel consumption in this situation will not be 200 kcal/kg but
more like 260 to 330. As a simple rule of it is considered that every kcai recovered from
the cooler can be worth up to 1.3 kcal off the overall fuel consumption. The reduction
in fuel consumption and higher flame temperature that is achieved with good heat
recuperation to the secondary air will also lead to a reduction in the waste gas volume,
and hence can often increase the potential output from a kiln.

BCI have standards for the sizing and air requirements from a conventional grate cooler
which depend on the potential throughput. A grate set at an angle of less than 5
degrees should be capable of operating at a loading of 40 tonnes/day/m2 of active
grate area, and producing clinker of a satisfactory temperature. Within the Blue Circle
Group the grate operating with the highest material loading is at El Melon, about which
a subsequent paper will be presented. For efficient cooler operation the material has
to be spread evenly across the surface of the grate, and to achieve this the width of the
initial grate must not be more than 50 to 60% of the kiln diameter (inside brick).

With proper air distribution and a well maintained cooler, the total air requirement to
cool clinker to 60 C above ambient is 3.5 kg air per kg clinker. it is normal to design the
cooler fan system so that it can supply at least 4.0 kg air per kg clinker in order to cover
operational disturbances and some degree of potential kiln uprating, but there should
not normally be a need to operate at more than 3.5. Most BCI grate coolers are
currently operating with air to clinker mass ratios of between 2.9 and 3.8:1, although in
the past values as high as 4.8 have been found. A high air to clinker ratio is a sign of
inefficient cooler operation.

Air distribution is critical to the efficient operation of a grate cooler. if the air flow is too
high the air will blow straight through the bed of material, giving poor heat transfer,
whilst if the air flow is too low, heat will travel down from the clinker to the grate plates
and can cause heat damage. Obviously this is more critical at the hot end of the grate.
The recommended range of plate velocities across a grate cooler is shown below:
 m3/min/m2 ft3/min/ft2
chamber 1 90 to 120 300 to 400
chamber 2 90 to 100 290 to 300
chamber 3 85 to 95 270 to 310
chamber 4 65 to 85 210 to 280
chamber 5 60 to 70 190 to 230
chamber 6 45 to 60 150 to 200

As indicated earlier the balance across the initial chambers is especially important. The
air flow rate at which fluidisation will begin depends on the type of clinker; the finer the
clinker the lower the air velocity for the on-set of fluidisation. For almost any type of
clinker some fluidisation will occur above velocities of 110 m/min, and so if at all
possible chamber 1 should have a plate velocity at around this level whilst for fine
clinker a value nearer 100 rn/min is preferable. Heat transfer to the plate is dependant
on the clinker temperature, the air flow through the bed, the bed depth and the
mechanical condition of the grate, but typically an air loading of 100 to 110 rn/min is
required to control plate temperatures with a standard grate cooler. By establishing a
gradual reduction in chamber plate velocities down the length of the cooler from the hot
to the cold end, then the compartment pressures will also reduce in small steps so
minimising the potential for air to leak from one compartment to another below the
grate. As the clinker shuffles down the grate the bed depth will tend to become more
consistent, and as the undergrate pressures also reduce there will be less potential for
the blow through of the bed, and hence compartments can become larger (fig.3).

At the start of this paper the importance of heat recuperation was emphasised. As this
is such a major factor, the cooler efficiency is not measured in terms of how well it
reduces the temperature of the clinker, but by how much heat it recovers from the
clinker into the secondary and/or tertiary air streams. The mass of these streams will
depend on the fuel consumption, the type of firing system, and the quantity of inleak at
the kiln hood, and so each kiln will have a different mass flow in this stream which will
obviously effect the potential for heat recovery. Therefore even if the efficiency is known
one cooler cannot be directly compared to another. In order to do this we need to able
to calculate the potential for heat recuperation in a given cooler. This is done by use of
the following equation:

Efficiency (potential) = 1-e-P

where p = mass ratio between secondary/tertiary air and clinker.

From this equation a plot of potential cooler efficiency against secondary and tertiary
air requirement can be produced (fig 4), and expressing the actual efficiency divided
by the potential efficiency as a percentage (the benchmark efficiency) gives a method
of directly comparing one cooler to another. Within the Blue Circle Group, the best
traditional grate coolers are operating with benchmark efficiencies of 90 to 95%, whilst
conversion to a modem generation (air beam technology unit) should allow values of
95 to 105% to be achieved.
The factors which effect grate cooler efficiency are shown in fig 5, but in the end they
all come down to maintaining an even flow of air throughout each section of grate. The
latest generation of coolers - known as Controlled Flow Grates or CFG systems - are
intended to minimise the potential for uneven air flow through the grate and do so using
some or all of the following factors.

Airbeam technology: this allow&- the initial chambers to be split up into a

number of much smaller sub-compartments, and by the use of multiple fans
and/or dampers permits the air quantity to be tuned to the requirements of each
sub-compartment, taking account of variation in material size across the width
of the cooler. Airbeam technology has been applied using both static and moving
grates. Where a static grate is used this portion of the grate must be set at an
angle of between 15 and 25 degrees, air distribution is relatively easy but this
section should not be more than eight plates long, and may have to be shorter.
With a moving grate air distribution is more complex, and each supplier has
come up with a different solution. IKN brought out the original static grate system
in 1984, whilst in 1992 the major equipment suppliers (Fuller, FLS, Polysius and
BMH) all brought versions of air beam technology using moving grate
technology. Over the last two years both BMH and Polysius have incorporated
a number of static rows at the start of their standard designs for new coolers (3
to 4 rows for BMH, and 4 to 6 rows for Polysius) which is followed by a moving
grate section with air beam technology. These two companies have also each
brought out an uprating /modemisation kit which utilises a static grate up to 6
plates long.

Increased plate pressure drop: Each manufacturer has increased the

pressure drop created by the plates. This means that a change in bed pressure
drop caused by either variation in bed height or material size distribution across
the width of the grate will be a smaller proportion of the overall pressure drop
and so will have a reduced effect on the air flow across a compartment, or sub-
compartment. Care should be taken not to mix plates of different design within
an air supply, and if plate design is changed then a different undergrate pressure
will be necessary to run with the same air volume and bed depth.

Plates with pockets: These are intended to hold a non-moving quantity of

clinker within the pocket. This is meant to prevent mechanical wear around the
air distribution slots, and on the surface of the plates. The permanent layer of
clinker also gives additional heat protection to part of the plate. The air
distribution is now horizontal into a layer of coarse clinker - fines will be blown
out of the pocket - and suppliers claim that this also improves the initial air
distribution.

Reduction in fall through of fines: Reduced fall through of fines minimises the
potential for heat damage to the undergrate areas such as support beams, and
allows those systems in place to clear these areas to operate on an extended
cycle with improved life. Most suppliers do this by minimisation of the clearances
between plates, and the use of horizontal air inlets set within plate pockets.
These inlets will normally be above the base of the pocket (fig 6). FLS are the
exception and here the air inlets are vertical but of labyrinth design (fig 7).
 Improved plate cooling: With air beam technology, the air is supplied via the
support beam to the rear underneath surface of the plate, and then has to flow
across the lower surface to the distribution slots or holes. This gives improved
cooling of the plate, and so reduces the potential for heat damage. The improved
plate cooling also facilitates the minimisation or elimination of plate gaps by
reducing the potential expansion of the individual plates.

Application of modem technology allows grates to be operated at higher material

loadings and with lower air to clinker ratios. The various suppliers claim to be able to
operate at the following levels:

Supplier material load air/clinker ratio

(tonnes/day/m2) (kg/kg clinker)

IKN 51 (best 65) 1.8 to 1.9

Polysius 51 2.3
Fuller/FLS 50 2.4
BMH (CPAG) 55 2.1

At present BCTC consider these values to be slightly optimistic and would recommend
that for design purposes a material load of 45 tonnes/day/m2 should be used, and an
air to clinker ratio of at least 2.8 to 2.9 kg/kg should be designed in where a short static
grate is to be used. This can possibly be further reduced to about 2.6 kg/kg where CFG
technology is extended at least over the full proportion of the grate that will supply the
secondary/tertiary air requirement.

Currently within BCI, and our consultancy projects there are modem technology coolers
installed as follows:

IKN Cookstown -UK

Northfleet - UK
Westbury (2) - UK
Bamburi - Kenya
Golden Bay -New Zealand (Consultancy)
FLS/Fuller Aalborg - Denmark
Tulsa - USA
Rawang - Malaysia
Lakshmi - India (Consultancy)

Over the next eighteen months, further installations are proposed at Tulsa, Harleyville,
Dunbar, Hope, Kanthan, Yanbu (Consultancy project in Saudi Arabia) and Cauldon.
Included in these are further installations by IKN and FLS as well as units by Polysius
and BMH, and so the BCI experience base with these latest generation of coolers will
be expanding rapidly during these modemisations.
Latest grate cooler technology offers the potential to improve heat recuperation and
reduce mechanical problems when properly applied. However in general the suppliers
still have limited experience in the installation and operation of these units and are still
refining their designs. Operators have also to learn how to get the best out of the
improved systems and, as process engineers, it is our responsibility to use our
broadening experience base to develop our understanding of these systems as quickly
as possible.
 Figure I

Grate loading loading

angle (deg) tonnes/day/sqm st/day/sq ft
10 28 2.87

5 to 10 35 3.58

BCI best 48.4 4.96

 Figure 5

Grate Coolers

Efficiency depends on:

Cooling air: Volume Grate plate arrangement Automatic control

Pressure
Inter-compartment seals Evenness of bed

Waste gas capacity Spillage seals Bed depth

Grate plate condition Air balance

Grate plate type Clinker characteristics

 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

HBM PROCESS ENGINEERS

CONFERENCE

• Grate Cooler Upgrades -

HOPE
0 Day2-6

HBM PROCESS CONFERENCE

GRATE COOLER UPGRADES - HOPE

 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

PRESENTATIONS

• CLINKER COOLING
• COOLER DESIGN GUIDELINES
• COOLERS- NEW GENERATION
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

PRESENTATION

CLINKER COOLING
CLINKER COOLING

Colin Paxton
 OVERVIEW

EQUIPMENT AND ITS FUNCTIONS

CONSIDERATIONS FOR EFFICIENCY

COOLER GRATE DESIGN

PROCESS CONTROL
 CLINKER COOLER

Hot Air Take Off

Secondary Air
CLINKER CRUSHER
 COOLER - FUNCTIONS
• COOL CLINKER FROM KILN
– TYPICALLY 1250 -1300 C
– Need to Cool to ~100 C
– Easier to handle, avoid damage to equipment
– Lower temperature better cement mill performance

• RECOVER HEAT BACK TO PROCESS

– Cool clinker by intimate contact with air
– Hot air used as preheated combustion air in kiln
and precalciner
 COOLER EFFICIENCY

• MEASURE OF THE HEAT

RETURNED BACK TO THE PROCESS
Efficiency = Heat in Secondary and Tertiary Air X 100 %
Heat in Clinker ex Kiln

Heat = Mass x Temperature x Heat Capacity

•Maximum Efficiency
•Maximum Secondary and Tertiary Air Temperature
•Maximum Mass of Secondary and Tertiary Air
 COOLER AIR BALANCE
exhaust air 200C
Secondary air
900 C Tertiary Air 700 C

primary air
10 C
inleaks

Recuperation Cooling

IKN Fan

inleaks
Chamber Fans Clinker 150 C
 COOLER AIR BALANCE

INPUT AIR OUTPUT AIR

• IKN FAN • SECONDARY AIR
• CHAMBER FANS • TERTIARY AIR
• INLEAKS • COOLER EXHAUST

COMBUSTION AIR = PRIMARY AIR + SECONDARY AIR +

TERTIARY AIR+ INLEAKS

MASS INPUTS MUST EQUAL MASS OUPUTS

 COOLER EFFICIENCY
BED DEPTH
Temperature T2 Temperature T3 • Highest Air
Temp
– T2 or T3 ?

• Highest
H2
H1 Pressure
– P1 or P2 ?
Pressure P1 Pressure P2

Airflow Q1 Airflow Q1
Temperature T1 Temperature T1
Section of bed in recuperation zone
 EXCESSIVE BED DEPTH
Pressure
P1 Cannot achieve airflow
What will happen ?
Bed Depth 2

Bed Depth 1

Volume
Power

kW1

Fan Curves
 CLINKER AND AIRFLOW
DISTRIBUTION
• Highest Air Temp
Temperature T2 Temperature T3 – T2 or T3 ?

• Lowest average
clinker
temperature ?
H1 H1

Pressure P1 Pressure P2 • Highest plate

temperature ?

Airflow Q1 Airflow Q1 • What if resistance

Temperature T1 Temperature T1 of the plates was
greater?
 AIRFLOW

Clinker Temp

H1

Airflow
Airflow Q
Temperature T

•What has happened ?

•What about finer clinker ?
 COOLER EFFICIENCY

• SUMMARY
– Deepest Bed Operation
– Good Airflow Distribution
– Even Clinker Bed
– No Spouting of Clinker
– Consistent Operation
– Operation within limits of fans
 COOLER GRATE DESIGN

IKN BMH SECTION

Rows 9 15 27 27 28
BEAMS

14 Wide
FANS FANS FANS FANS FAN
1,2 and 3 4,5 and 6 7,8 and 9 10 and 11 12
 IKN SECTION
• Higher plate resistance lessens the effect of
varying bed depth on airflow distribution
• Beams deliver air directly to plates
• All the air passes through the plates - improved
plate cooling
• Having a fixed grate inlet section - no moving
parts less wear, zero spillage
• Levels out material bed before moving grate
section
• Air canons for movement of build up
IKN AIR BEAM
BMH AIR BEAM
CLINKER SIZE DISTRIBUTION

Fines Coarse
 CONVENTIONAL PLATES

• Drilled with ~10mm diameter tapered holes

• Smaller holes improve air distribution but
increase u/g pressure and fan power needed
• Gaps between plates more area than holes
• Bridge and blank plates used to improve air
distribution
• Material must resist wear and heat: chrome-
nickel alloys
CONVENTIONAL COOLER
CONVENTIONAL SECTION
CHAMBERS
• What do we need?
• All the air to pass through
bed
• Good sealing
– spillage gates
– moving beams
– division walls
• Even airflow distribution
– bridge and blank plates
Airflow Q1 – minimal plate gaps
CONVENTIONAL GRATE
 COOLER CONTROL
• WHY HAVE AUTOMATIC CONTROL ?
– Consistent Operation
– Tool for the operator
– Optimum operation
– Minimal operator attention
• MAIN CONTROL LOOPS
– Cooling fan airflow control - Fan damper / speed
– Bed depth control - Grate speed
– Hood pressure control - Cooler exhaust fan damper
/ speed
 NO CONTROL
Cooler Speed

Bed Depth
Cooling Fan
Dampers

Airflows

Secondary
Air Temp
Exhaust Fan
Damper
Hood
Pressure

Time
 BED DEPTH AND PRESSURE

Temperature T2 Temperature T3
Constant Airflow

H2
H1

Pressure
Pressure P1 Pressure P2

Airflow Q1 Airflow Q1 Bed Depth

Temperature T1 Temperature T1
 GASFLOW BALANCING
Bypass
Baghouse
Heat
Exchanger
Preheater

Hood Pressure
Cooler
Cooler Exhaust Fan
Kiln

Preheater Fans
Cooling Fans

• What happens to hood pressure when:

– Preheater fan speed / damper increased ?
– Cooling fan Airflow increased ?
– Cooler exhaust fan increased ?
• How can we control it?
 WITH CONTROL
Cooler Speed

Bed Depth
(pressure)
Cooling Fan
Dampers
Airflows

Secondary
Air Temp
Hood
Pressure

Exhaust Fan
Damper

Time
 COOLERS
SUMMARY
• FUNCTION OF COOLER
– Cooling clinker and heat recovery
• Highest Efficiency
– Consistent Operation
– Deep bed
– Highest proportion of secondary and tertiary
air
– Highest secondary and tertiary air
temperature
– Good Airflow Distribution
– Automatic Control Loops
THE END
 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

PRESENTATION

COOLER DESIGN
GUIDELINES
Cooler Design Guidelines

Blue Circle Technical Training

 Plate Velocities

• ‘Standard’ Fuller plate = 1 sq ft = 0.097 sq

m
• Airflow calculated at standard temperature
of 20°C (68°F)
• Plate velocity is nominal velocity over the
whole plate area, not velocity through holes

Blue Circle Technical Training

 Sketch of Bridge and Blank Plates

Side Plate
Bridge Plate Blank Plate
Side Plate

Fixed Row

Moving Row
2-4 mm gap
Fixed Row
Blank Plate

Note : Bridge & Blank plates = half nominal

plate area for normal plate

Blue Circle Technical Training

 Grate Cooler - Plate Velocities
3 2 3 2
m /min/m ft /min/ft
(m/min) (fpm)
Chamber 1 90 - 120 300 - 400
Chamber 2 90 - 100 290 - 330
Chamber 3 85 - 95 270 - 310
Chamber 4 65 - 85 210 - 280
Chamber 5 60 - 70 190 - 230
Chamber 6 45 -60 150 - 200

Blue Circle Technical Training

 Grate Coolers - Grate Loadings
2
Grate Angle (deg) Loading Loading (st/d/ft )
2
(mt/d/m )
10 28 2.87
5 - 10 35 3.58
5 40 4.1
BCI Best 48.5 4.96
Modern design 50 - 65 5.12 - 6.65
(manufacturers
quotes)

Blue Circle Technical Training

 Cooler efficiency
Cooler efficiency,η = Heat recovered in secondary air
Heat content of clinker coming over nose ring

Theoretical thermal
−P
efficiency of a cross
current cooler
η = 1− e
P = kg secondary air / kg clinker

Benchmark Efficiency = Actual efficiency

Theoretical efficiency

Blue Circle Technical Training

 Grate Cooler Design Parameters
Standard Partial air Full air
beam Beam
Air quantity At least 4.0 At least 2.8 At least 2.6
Design (kg/kg)
Air quantity 3.0 to 3.5 2.3 to 2.6 2.0 to 2.4
Operational (kg/kg)
Max grate load (t/d/m2) 40 45 45 to 50

Cooler exhaust temp C 550 450 450

(max)
Plate velocities 90 to 130 70 to 100 70 to 100
M3/min/m2
Benchmark efficiency 90 - 95 % 100 - 110 % 105 - 110 %

Blue Circle Technical Training

 Blue Circle Cement

PROCESS ENGINEERING TRAINING

PROGRAM

PRESENTATION

COOLERS- NEW
GENERATION
Coolers - New Generation

Blue Circle Training

1
1
 Penalties of Poor Heat
Recuperation
• Extra Fuel Usage

• Lower Flame Temperature

• Poorer Initial Heat Transfer

• Greater Exhaust Gas Volumes

Blue Circle Training
2
2
 Grate cooler efficiency
depends on :
• General
– Cooling air Volume & Pressure
– Waste gas capacity
• Mechanical
– Grate plate arrangement & condition
– Intercompartmental seals
– Spillage seals
• Operational
– Automatic control
– Bed depth & even-ness
– Air balance

Blue Circle Training

3
3
 Cooler Efficiency

• SUMMARY
• Deepest Bed Operation (within constraints
of fan design)
• Good Airflow Distribution
• Even Clinker Bed
• No Spouting of Clinker

Blue Circle Training

4
4
 Modern Technology
• High Pressure drop / “pocket” plates
• Fixed Inlets
• Airbeam Technology
• Reduced fines fall through
• Improved plate cooling

Blue Circle Training

5
5
 Fine Clinker
Coarse Clinker

Grate Resistance

Cooling Air

Figure 1 :Grate resistance and air distribution

Blue Circle Training
6
6
 Conventional Plates(2)
• Drilled with ~10mm diameter tapered holes
• Smaller holes improve air distribution but
increase u/g pressure and fan power needed
• Bridge and blank plates used to improve
clinker distribution, reduce wear and to
provide a seal where clinker bed is thin
• Material must resist wear and heat: chrome-
nickel alloys at hot end, cast iron elsewhere
Blue Circle Training
7
7
Gaps between Wall & Plate

Gaps between plates

Leading edge gaps Grate plate holes

Potential Air Paths in Traditional Grate Coolers

Blue Circle Training

8
8
 New Plate Designs(1)
Aiming for high plate pressure drop
Shakespear slotted plates :
– High pressure drop and reduced spillage
– Cooling air follows an ‘S’ pattern and exits horizontally
FLS/Fuller RFT plates :
– Pocket design gives long life, protection from hot
clinker and reduces spillage
– Uses conventional aeration principle
Claudius Peters Mulden plates
Blue Circle Training
9
9
Shakspear Plate

Blue Circle Training

10
10
FLS/Fuller RFT
Grate Plate

Blue Circle Training

11
11
Blue Circle Training
12
12
 Magotteaux
chamber
aerated plate

Blue Circle Training

13
13
 Problems with Chamber Aerated
Pocket Plates
• As a retrofit to existing chamber - not well
proven
– Bowmanville have removed chamber aerated
Mulden plates
• For a new cooler with small compartments
and high pressure fans - Probably OK
• DO NOT MIX PLATES IN A CHAMBER
Blue Circle Training
14
14
 New Generation Coolers
A higher throughput is possible with a
deeper clinker bed on a normal grate cooler
but :
• Air follows the path of least resistance
• Resistance from both plates and clinker bed
• Higher plate resistance results in a better
airflow distribution
• Gaps between moving plates reduce the
benefits of high resistance plates
Blue Circle Training
15
15
 Airbeam Technology

• Allows air to be ducted directly to the plates

– can balance air between coarse and fine sides
• Minimises leakage through plate-plate gaps
• Requires more elaborate mechanics -
sealing for moving rows
• Usually 2 piece plate used

Blue Circle Training

16
16
Blue Circle Training
17
17
Blue Circle Training
18
18
 Kiln

Uneven Air Flow

Profile
FINE Side
500-600 COARSE Side
mm WG
Cooling Air
TRADITIONAL COOLER

Kiln

Even Flow
Profile
800-1000
mm WG

Cooling Air Blue Circle Training Cooling Air

19
Sealing Air 19
Cooling Air
BMH cooler plate - 1

Blue Circle Training

20
20
 Beam aeration
• Allows better control of air distribution
through bed
• ‘Fishbone aeration’ pattern
– Allows partial beam aeration in compartment
on fixed rows
– can stop red rivers ?
• No clinker fall through into compartment
• Higher pressure than conventional
compartment aeration
Blue Circle Training
21
21
 New Generation Coolers
Fixed Inlets
IKN “KIDS” system solves this problem by:
• Having a fixed grate inlet section
• Material transport requires 15° slope
• Beams deliver air directly to plate ie no undergrate
chambers
• Air leaves plate through “Coanda” nozzle in
direction of clinker flow - Co-current heat transfer
• Plate design means almost zero spillage
Blue Circle Training
22
22
 40 m/s (131.2 ft/sec)

35ºC (95ºF)
1 m/s (3.28ft/sec)

Coanda effect
Blue Circle Training
23
23
IKN Plate and
principle of
Coanda effect

Blue Circle Training

24
24
Cross-Section through an IKN air beam

Blue Circle Training

25
25
 IKN Section
• Higher plate resistance lessens the effect of
varying bed depth on airflow distribution
• Beams deliver air directly to plate ie no undergrate
chambers
• All the air passes through the plates - improved
plate cooling
• Having a fixed grate inlet section - no moving
parts less wear, almost zero spillage
• Material transport requires 15° slope
• Levels out material bed before moving grate
section Blue Circle Training
26
26
 IKN Clinker Inlet
Distribution System (KIDS)
Blue Circle Training
27
27
 Fixed inlets

• IKN were first

• Now Polysius, KHD offer fixed inlets
– Similar principle to IKN

Blue Circle Training

1
1
KHD Pyrostep Fixed inlet plate

Blue Circle Training

2
2
 Problems with Fixed Inlets

• Higher Efficiency / SAT - ‘Quench’ cooling

• “Snowman” formation
• Transport of hot sticky clinker on fixed
grate
• Need Air Blasters around fixed section

Blue Circle Training

3
3
 New Generation Coolers (6)
Other new types of cooler:
• IKN pendulum cooler
• Polysius Repol-RS cooler with jet ring
plates
• FLS/Fuller CFG grate plates
• CPAG Mulden grate plates
• KHD Pyrostep
• Fuller Cross bar
Blue Circle Training
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4
 Clinker transport / Mechanical
Integrity
• Reciprocating grate -
– traditionally mechanical problems with drive -
with longer run time between major repairs
• CPAG - Hydraulic drive - “compact swing”
• IKN Pendulum
• Fuller Cross Bar
• You get what you pay for !!
Blue Circle Training
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5
KHD Pyrostep Cooler

Blue Circle Training

6
6
Blue Circle Training
7
7
Cross Section through a pendulum grate
Blue Circle Training
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8
Claudius Peters Combi-Cooler

Blue Circle Training

9
9
Blue Circle Training
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10
 Fuller Crossbar Principle

Fuller
Crossbar plate

Blue Circle Training

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11
 Fuller Crossbar plate
& mechanical flow
regulator

Blue Circle Training

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12
 Modern cooler experience in BCI
• IKN KIDS fixed inlet
– Northfleet, Cookstown, Hope, Bowmanville
• Polysius fixed inlet
– Cauldon, Harleyville
• Claudius Peters
– Dunbar, Bowmanville, Republic, KK4, Tulsa
• IKN Pendulum
– Bamburi, Ravena (2000), RK5 ?
• Fuller Crossbar
– Ewekoro ?
Blue Circle Training
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 Cooler Grate Design
Fixed inlet Beam aeration Chamber aeration
5-7 Rows 5 10 12 15

8 Wide
Generally a compromise - less
complicated chamber aeration at cold end
Blue Circle Training
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 Cooler layout with ‘Fishbone’
Aeration
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M

Ke y δ = B rid g e P la te
X = B la nk P la te
= C ha m b e r a e ra te d
= B e a m a e ra te d
= F ixe d Inle t

Blue Circle Training

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15
 Cooler air balance
exhaust air 200C

primary air
70 C hot air to
coal mill
Secondary air 250 C
inleaks 800 C

IKN Fan
inleaks
Blue Circle Training
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Chamber Fans Clinker 150 C
 COOLER AIR BALANCE
INPUT AIR OUTPUT AIR
• IKN FAN • SECONDARY AIR
• CHAMBER FANS • HOT AIR TO COAL
• INLEAKS MILL
EXHAUST • COOLER
EXHAUST
COMBUSTION AIR = PRIMARY AIR + SECONDARY AIR + INLEAKS

MASS INPUTS MUST EQUAL MASS OUPUTS

Blue Circle Training
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