CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Cement is considered as one of the most important building materials around the world.

It is primarily used for the production of concrete (Hendriks et al., 2004). The cement

production ranks among the most energy intensive industrial processes, for which

energy expenditure alone typically accounts for 30-40% of the production cost (Rasul

et al., 2005). Energy consumption by the cement industry is estimated at approximately

2% of the global primary energy consumption, or near to 5% of the total global

industrial energy consumption (Hendriks et al., 2004). This high energy intensity

industry should profit a great magnitude with efforts in minimizing energy use, or in

the methods and techniques of saving energy (Kolip et al., 2010).

Three major air pollutants are released to the atmosphere during the cement

production process, i.e. nitrogen oxides (NO x ), carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate

matter (PM). Cement production process also results in the emission of carbon dioxide

(CO 2 ), a greenhouse gas released during pyroprocessing and calcination (U.S. EPA

Sector Strategies Program, 2006). Energy efficiency improvement to the process of

cement production can often be an inexpensive opportunity to reduce the emissions of

major air pollutants and greenhouse gas (Sogut et al., 2009).

1
 The cement production industry can be considered very critical from the socio-

economic point of view due to its high energy consumption, as well as high emissions

of major air pollutants and greenhouse gas (Rasul et al., 2005). The industry is

continuously investigating and adopting more energy-efficient technologies to improve

its profitability and competitiveness, and to cope up with the stringent emission

requirements set by the authorities as of late. Numerous energetic and exergetic studies

have previously been performed on individual phases of the cement production process,

i.e. raw mill, rotary kiln, and etc., as well as the whole process of cement production.

Sogut et al. (2009) assessed the thermal performance of a trass-mill in a cement

plant based on the actual operational data using energy and exergy analyses method,

and successfully described the energy consumption and losses throughout the

production process. Meanwhile, Schuer et al. (1992) presented the energy consumption

values and described the electrical and thermal energy saving opportunities for the

German cement industry. Engin et al. (2004), on the other hand, made an energy audit

analysis of a dry type rotary kiln system working in a cement plant in Turkey and found

that about 40% of the total input energy was lost through hot flue gas, cooler stack and

kiln shell. They also showed that 15.6% of the total input energy could be recovered.

Rasul et al. (2005) assessed the thermal performance and energy conservation

opportunities of the cement industry in Indonesia. This study had focused on the first

law and the second law efficiencies of the kiln system as well as the cooler system, and

had identified the major thermal energy conservation opportunity, i.e. via waste heat

recovery. Nowak and Borsukiewicz-Gozdur (2009) had performed a study on the waste

heat energy utilization from the process of burning cement clinker in the power station

via supercritical organic cycle. The waste heat available from cooler stack was proven

to be of benefit after its conversion to electrical energy.

2
 Karbassi et al. (2010) investigated the role of Iranian cement industry towards

the contribution of greenhouse gases. They had performed the strength, the weakness,

the opportunity and the threat technique analyses in order to conclude that the best

strategy to combat greenhouse gases in the Iranian cement industry is to implement

energy efficiency measures.

Worrell et al. (2000) performed an in-depth analysis on the US cement industry,

identifying cost-effective energy efficiency measures and potentials. Thirty energy-

efficient technologies and measures had been identified. The energy savings, carbon

dioxide savings, investment costs, and operation and maintenance costs for each of the

measures were determined accordingly. An energy conservation supply curve for the

US cement industry had been constructed, concluding a total cost-effective energy

saving of 11% of the year 1994 energy use for cement making and a saving of 5% of

the year 1994 carbon dioxide emissions.

1.2 Motivation of Study

Despite the numerous thermal performance studies performed on the cement

production process, there has been a lack of extensive studies on the energetic and

exergetic performance of the clinker cooling system, and particularly on how the

operational parameters of the cooler affect its performance. A bulk of previous the

studies had focused on the more energy intensive phases of the cement production

process, such as the raw mill and the rotary kiln. In depth analysis on how the

operational parameters of the cooler affect the exergetic performance of the clinker

cooler will further assist in the optimization of the energy process.

3
 The cost of energy, i.e. fossil fuel and electricity had been continuously

elevating over the years due to the further depleting sources. It is without saying that

cost is a major concern in operating a business, and the huge volume involved in

manufacturing cement calls for a need to explore new ways to reduce the cost of

energy. There is a limited amount of studies that had presented the cost benefit from

running an energy efficient clinker cooling system. This situation provides an

opportunity to present the forecasted amount of cost saving from the energy saved by

optimizing the operational parameters of the cooler.

Another important benefit from optimizing the energy efficiency of a cement

production phase is the reduction in emission of major air pollutants, as well as the

greenhouse gas CO 2 . A number of studies have shown the extent to which the cooler

may affect the volume of CO 2 emission. However, it can be said that hardly any study

had focused on the impact of optimization of cooler efficiency on emissions of major

air pollutants such as NO x , CO and PM. With measures currently taken by the

authorities toward providing a greener environment, extensive analysis on emission

reductions will further provide a strong support in improving the energy efficiency of

the cement production process, and particularly the clinker cooling system.

4
1.3 Objectives

The goal of this study is to improve the efficiency of a grate clinker cooling system in a

typical Portland cement production plant employing a dry process, which consequently

reduces the cost of energy and the emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gas. The

goal is achieved through successive implementations of three objectives:

i) To determine the operational parameters of the clinker grate cooling system

that affect its performance by means of energetic and exergetic analyses;

ii) To perform cost benefit analysis from the optimized cooler;

iii) To perform emission reduction analysis from the optimized cooler.

Comparisons shall be made to determine the improvements for all the three aspects

aforementioned. Figure 1.3 shows the flow diagram of the objectives, methods and

outputs of the study.

5
Figure 1.3
Objectives and methodologies

6
1.4 Scope of Study

The study focuses on the thermal performance of the clinker cooling system in a cement

production plant employing the dry process. The aim is to study how the operational

parameters, i.e. cooling air input rate and temperature, clinker input rate and grate

speed, affect the energetic and exergetic performance of the clinker cooler.

Energy and exergy analyses can provide two different views of the considered

thermal process. The interest to perform exergy analysis arises from the need to

discover the causes and to quantitatively estimate the magnitude of imperfection of a

thermal process. Exergy analysis leads to a better understanding on the influence of

thermodynamic phenomena on the process effectiveness, and the determination of the

most effective ways of improving the process under consideration.

The optimization of the aforementioned operational parameters will result in a

more energy efficient clinker cooling system. Consequently, this results in the reduction

of cost incurred in procuring energy. The study intends to predict the amount of annual

cost savings that had resulted from the improvements made only on the cooler, using

economic formulas adapted from literature reviews performed.

The scope of study also includes determining the amount of emission reduction

of major air pollutants such as NO x , CO and PM, as well as greenhouse gas CO 2 after

the optimization of each of the operational parameters of the clinker cooling system.

The reduction in emission is an indirect result of the declined amount of thermal energy

consumption.

7
1.5 Research Report Structure

Chapter I: Introduction briefly summarizes the energetic and the exergetic, as well as

the cost and the emission reduction benefit studies that had been performed by previous

scholars on the cement production process. It then introduces the opportunity to perform

a study on the thermal performance of the grate clinker cooling system, as well as the

objectives that need to be implemented to successfully achieve the goal. The chapter

lastly includes the scope of study, a section which explains the approach and the

boundaries in conducting analyses.

Chapter II: Literature Review explains the current trend in the cement industry

energy usage and emission. It also introduces the general concept of cement production

process, focusing particularly on the grate clinker cooler and the energy efficiency

improvement opportunities. Previous studies on the energetic and exergetic analyses of

the grate clinker cooler and their operational parameters are summarized in the last two

subchapters.

Chapter III: Methodology is a brief description of the methodology for the

study. This includes methods to analyze the first and the second law efficiencies of the

grate clinker cooling system, i.e. by studying the individual energy and exergy input and

output through the system. A set of assumptions are also presented to guide the study.

The second part of the chapter introduces several methods to calculate the cost savings,

directly from the amount of energy saved by optimizing the operational parameters of

the grate clinker cooler. The last subchapter is dedicated to the method of performing

emission reduction as a result of energy savings.

8
 Chapter IV: Results & Discussions first analyzes the energy and exergy

interactions of the base case grate clinker cooler using idealized theoretical data. The

first and the second law efficiencies of this system serves as a benchmark for the

optimization of the operational parameters. The chapter then discusses the results of

optimizing cooling air mass flow rate and temperature, clinker mass flow rate, grate

speed, and heat recovery of exhaust air, in terms of improvements in the first and the

second law efficiencies. The increment in energy requirement for the optimized system

is also discussed in the subchapters. The energy and cost savings for the optimization of

each operational parameter of the grate clinker cooling system are first studied without

taking into account the cost incurred for the system’s improvement, or the additional

cost of energy consumed. The chapter then determines the payback period, the present

value of investment, the capital recovery factor and the cost of energy conserved for

each parameter from the optimization performed. Lastly the chapter discusses the

amount of emission reduction achievable with the amount of energy saved as a result of

the increment in the system’s first and second law efficiencies.

Chapter V: Conclusion & Recommendations concludes the findings of the

analyses done on the operational parameters of the grate clinker cooler. The

improvements in the abovementioned efficiencies are summarized for each operational

parameter. The cost benefit and emission reduction of these optimizations are

emphasized on to paint a better picture on which operational parameter is the most

crucial to be optimized.