Capture and Store Solar Heat in a Cement Plant

Recoup heat from Clinker Cooler Exhaust air

D S Venkatesh, Freelance Industrial Consultant
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Growing Green, Waste heat recovery from the system represents an important strategy at present. The need
is for “Waste heat recycle “to improve system efficiency by economical and simple equipment. Apart. All
Cement plants should aim to Capture and Store Solar Heat to augument thermal requirements of process to
limit use of fossil fuels. Herein is an innovative approach to Capture and Store Solar heat and
simultaneously recoup heat from Clinker cooler Exhaust air...

1.0 Introduction:

Cement production has been one of the most energy intensive industries in the world. In majority of the
plants, at least a major part of the preheater exhaust gases is utilized in drying of raw materials while
grinding. In most of the cases, Recouping of heat from Clinker Cooler Exhaust air has not been attempted
and goes as waste..These two streams together account for approximately 25% of waste heat., of which
about 6% would be Clinker cooler exhaust air waste heat. The exhaust gases from the kilns are, on average,
around 315 deg. And the temperature of the air discharged from the cooler stack is 215 deg C As the
process demands, for drying raw material during grinding, higher temperature gases/hot air at around 400-
450 deg C, would be required to dry the raw materials while grinding, Conventionally This heat required
is generated generally from a Hot air generator. This is not economical nor optimal.

2.0 Optimum Approach:

Recouping waste heat from both preheater exhaust gas stream and clinker cooler exhaust air stream will be
optimum to achieve lower specific thermal requirement/fuel consumption. As Preheater exhaust fan handles
varying quantity of Am3/kg clinker depending upon temperature and dust content , cooling exhaust gases
down to around 150 deg C ,by recouping the same to kiln feed raw meal, will result in higher clinker
production while maintaining the same volume of preheater exhaust gases. Obviously, clinker cooler
exhaust air needs to be tempered, with additional hot air to meet requirements of raw material drying while
grinding. This can be achieved by an innovative approach of employing Solar Heat. Besides, the set up ,
can otherwise, be employed to “warm” the feed raw meal to preheater.

3.0 Capture and Storage of Solar Heat in a Cement Plant

To employ solar heat in a cement plant, Fresnel lens based solar heat capture and molten salt storage would
be most appropriate technology. Simultaneously, the clinker cooler exhaust air heat is recouped.

In principle, the system comprises of Fresnel lens based rectangular box with a set of internal Central “T”
heating elements, mounted over the top of an overhead adequate volume holding molten salt reservoir,
captures solar heat and transfers the same to increase molten salt liquid temperature to around 600 deg C
for thermal storage schematically shown in figure below..The set up can be on the top roof of the raw mill
house.
 S
Fresnel Lens Box with Molten Salt Storage

4.0 Generation of Hot air for Raw material drying

The hot air for the raw material drying at requisite higher temperature is achieved by employing a
Cemtherm Recirculation Heat Exchanger set up adjacent to raw mill All the clinker cooler exhaust air is
ducted to the inlet side of the Heat exchanger by an ID fan, similar to tertiary air ducating arrangement.
Discharge of ID fan will be to the inlet of Heat Exchanger. Stored Molten salt at high temperature will be
the heating medium, and is gravity fed continuously into the Heat exchanger. As the clinker cooler gases
pass through the exchanger, its temperature is enhanced to requisite degree for direct passage to the raw
mill. The molten salt liquid is recirculated by pumping back to the overhead Storage tank through the
Fresnel lens box set up for capturing the solar heat..The system is less capital intensive, and requires no
additional fossil fuel and the required hot air is produced almost “free”.

Cemtherm Recirculation Heat Exchanger

For Hot air generation

5.0 Raw meal “Warming” by Cemtherm Recirculation Heat Exchanger

Cemtherm Recirculation Heat exchanger does this job efficiently. Cemtherm Recirculation Heat
exchanger “warms” up feed meal much above ambient temperature as it enters the preheater.. The heat
exchange medium will be the high temperature molten salt liquid flowing from overhead storage into the
Heat Exchanger. Indirect heat exchange is the basis of this Unique Recirculation heat exchanger. The raw
meal is gravity fed into the Heat exchanger located below the kiln feed bin. . The molten salt liquid is
recirculated by pumping back to the overhead Storage tank through the Fresnel lens box set up for
capturing the solar heat. The schematic arrangement of the set up is shown in figure below. Cemtherm
Recirculation Heat Exchangers are engineered on a custom basis as required by existing plant set up.
 Cemtherm Recirculation Heat Exchanger
For Warming Feed Raw meal

“Warm” raw meal leaves at the bottom of the heat exchanger at a regulated rate to be fed to preheater.
Moreover, there would be no phase change in the heat exchange liquid, thus the unit is of pressure free. The
unit has a low foot print. Maintenance wise, a suit blower is employed to keep the heat exchange elements
free of any coating

5.0 Conclusion:

All Cement plants should aim to Capture and Store Solar Heat to augument thermal requirements of
process to limit use of fossil fuels.. To employ solar heat in a cement plant, Fresnel lens based solar heat
capture and molten salt storage would be most appropriate technology. Simultaneously, the clinker cooler
exhaust air heat is recouped and its temperature is enhanced to meet the high temperature air required for
drying of raw materials by employing Cemtherm Recirculation Heat Exchanger. Besides, the feed raw meal
can be “warmed” up by a separate Heat Exchanger.The innovative approach is of low capex, as well as
has low operational and maintenance costs.The measures are custom built to suit every installation

Please refer your specific enquiry to:

D.S. Venkatesh,
Freelance Industrial Consultant,
# 682, 17th Cross, Phase 6, J P Nagar, Bangalore 560078
E-mail: dsvenkatesh40@gmail.com