An Analytical 160-En A

—
A B B M E A S U R E M E N T & A N A LY T I C S | A P P L I C AT I O N N OT E
Measuring false air in cement production
Components to be measured:
• Oxygen (O2)
ABB Solution:
• AZ-series Zirconia in-situ oxygen
analyzer
—
Cement production and the environmental challenge
Rotary kilns in a
cement plant CO2 emissions from the cement industry contributes production are due to this conversion. The remain-
6-7% of global human-related CO2 emissions. Hence, ing 40% comes mostly from the combustion of fuels
a significant reduction in emissions from the cement to provide heat for clinker production.
industry is required for meeting the global green-
house gas (GHG) emission targets. CO2 generation is One option to significantly reduce greenhouse gas
an inherent part of the cement production process, emissions from the cement industry is CO2 Capture
due to the calcination of its raw material, limestone and Storage/Utilization (CCS/U). An alternative direct
(CaCO3). CaCO3 is converted into lime (CaO) and CO2 action could be to reduce the amount of energy
and about 60% of the CO2 emissions from cement needed for the same amount of cement produced.
Increase plant efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions
Cement production has high efficiency demands As we can see, the result of using too much fuel
from combustion, particularly in the preheater and or too much air is that we must burn even more
the rotary kiln, resulting in high CO2 emissions. To fuel to get the required energy output. This is
reduce these emissions, it is important to control the both financially and environmentally wasteful.
combustion in the most efficient way possible, mean-
ing we get as much energy as we can from as little From the graph below, we can see that the ideal
fuel as possible. To achieve maximum efficiency, it is efficiency does not occur at ‘stoichiometric’ con-
important to control the air/fuel mixture entering the ditions, when the air and fuel are in perfect bal-
combustion zone. ance. Peak efficiency occurs with a small amount
of excess air, to allow for complete combustion
Too much fuel will result in fuel loss efficiency and an because in real world conditions it takes time
increase in general emissions such as CO because for the fuel and air to fully mix and combust. The
there is not enough oxygen and some fuel will pass exact amount of excess air required will vary de-
through combustion without being fully burned. Too pending on the fuel, combustion chamber design
much air will result in stack losses because some of and other site-specific factors such as the build
the energy released from burned fuel will be absorbed up of scale and deposits in the combustion zone
by the excess air and then lost to the atmosphere. or on heat exchangers.
Stoichiometric
Stoichiometric point is Combustion
NOT the point of greatest
efficiency
Efficiency
High
Fuel efficiency
CO
Oxygen
Excess Fuel Excess Air

False air will drop plant efficiency
Because the air mix is so critical, it is important Due to its impact on combustion efficiency, the
to avoid air leaks (also known as ‘False air’), where impact of false air in cement plant has got various
additional unwanted air enters the process. One effects:
way of finding false air in gas streams of less than • Increase of power consumption
21 % oxygen is to measure the oxygen content at • Increase of fuel consumption
different points in the process. • Unstable operation
• Reduction in productivity
• Higher wear of fans
Point Point
1 2
Gas
False air entering
False Air Ingress

In a cement plant, there several potential ingress By measuring the % oxygen content and flow mea-
points of false air, such as the kiln section, mill surement at carefully chosen locations, we can de-
section or power sector. The ingress points at termine the amount of false air entering individual
each section could be sector inlets, outlets, seals, sectors, such as the pre-heater of mill circuit.
inspection doors, fan casings etc. Due to the var-
iation from site to site with different layouts and
equipment, the areas at highest risk of false air
ingress are plant specific.
Calculating false air
In general the calculation is done in terms of outlet :
(% O2 outlet – % O2 inlet)
% of false air = * 100 %
(20,95 % – O2 % inlet)
Whereas 20,95 % O2 is said to be the average concentration of oxygen in dry air.
But the calculation can also be done as a calculation of the total volume of false air:
(20,95 % – O2 % outlet)
V2 = Vt *
(20,95 % – O2 % inlet)
Where
V1 = normal volume
V2 = false air volume
Vt = total volume (V1 + V2)
False air detection by Zirconia Oxygen Analyzer
Zirconia analyzers are an ideal choice for the mea- the maintenance and production departments.
surement of oxygen concentration in industrial This is where the Endura AZ Series is introduced
processes, even in the demanding environments as the world leader in oxygen measurement.
present throughout cement production. They are
therefore an ideal choice for the critical detection The AZ series are available for temperature ranges
of false air in the cement industry. from -20°C up to 1400 °C, making it suitable for
a wide range of measuring points inside a cement
Harsh environments demand rugged and robust plant and are available with a wide array of config-
measurement equipment; solutions that are effec- urable options to ensure application suitability,
tive and efficient even in the toughest applica- such as additional dust protection and filter op-
tions. They also demand equipment that can be tions.
quickly and easily maintained, saving time in both
Specifications AZ20 series :

• From -20 to 800°C process temperature
• Integral or remote transmitter
• Probe lengths up to 4 m (13 ft)
• Full servicing and maintenance on site
Specifications AZ25 series

• From 600 to 1400°C process temperature
• Remote transmitter only due to high application
temperatures
• Probe lengths up to 1.25m (4ft)
• Variety of probe material options available to
ensure application suitability
Conclusion
The AZ Endura in-situ Zirconia probes are ideally
designed to measure false air ingress to achieve
the following:
• Substantial potential for cost savings through
in improvement in both thermal and electrical
energy efficiency, which can account for approx-
imately 40-60 % of manufacturing costs in
cement production.
• Energy efficiency also reduces greenhouse gas
emissions, mitigating the environmental prob-
lems associated with cement production.
Sources :
CEMCAP report : Optimised operation of an oxyfuel cement plant, VDZ gGmbH, 2018
Cement & Beton Roadmap 2050, Febelcem 2021
False air calculator at mill, Thecementgrindingoffice.com
—
Notes
—
ABB Measurement & Analytics
For your local ABB contact, visit:

www.abb.com/contacts
For more product information, visit:

www.abb.com/analytical
AN/ANALYTICAL/160-EN Rev. A 09.2021
—
We reserve the right to make technical changes or modify the contents of this document
without prior notice. With regard to purchase orders, the agreed particulars shall prevail.
ABB does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for potential errors or possible lack
of information in this document.
We reserve all rights in this document and in the subject matter and illustrations contained
therein. Any reproduction, disclosure to third parties or utilization of its contents – in whole
or in parts – is forbidden without prior written consent of ABB.
©ABB 2021
All rights reserved. 3KDE010129R3001

An Analytical 160-En A

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

An Analytical 160-En A

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

An Analytical 160-En A

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

—

Measuring false air in cement production

Excess Fuel Excess Air

False air entering

False Air Ingress

Calculating false air

In general the calculation is done in terms of outlet :

Whereas 20,95 % O2 is said to be the average concentration of oxygen in dry air.

Specifications AZ20 series :

Specifications AZ25 series

For your local ABB contact, visit:

For more product information, visit:

AN/ANALYTICAL/160-EN Rev. A 09.2021

You might also like