World Cement - May 2021

May 2021

Global Survey: Producing sustainable cements

THE HOW, WHAT, AND WHY OF GRINDING SCMs

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CONTENTS 03 Comment 05 News REGIONAL REPORT: NORTH AMERICA 10 Update From The States Mike Ireland, Portland Cement Association, outlines how the US cement industry aims to increase its sustainability efforts whilst recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVER STORY 14 Global Survey: Producing Sustainable Cements – The How, What And Why Of Grinding SCMs John Terembula, FLSmidth, discusses the changing requirements of finish grinding that are being driven by the industry’s carbon reduction goals.

DOMES, SILOS & STORAGE 24 Project Paris Daniele Sciuto, Euromecc s.r.l., describes the company’s role in the installation of a 9000 t storage facility for LafargeHolcim’s Gennevilliers cement terminal in Paris.

31 Clean Is Key Dennis Blauser, Marietta Silos, outlines how routine professional cleanings can help to prolong silo life, protect the integrity of the material stored inside, avoid costly repairs and prevent downtime.

FEEDING & DOSING 35 Adding The Finishing Touches Amir Zarei, Simatec Process Co., and Amirhossein Sadighi, Saveh Cement Co., discuss how a modified rotor weigh feeder helped prevent rotor blockages and ensure smooth running of the system at Saveh Cement.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY & EMISSIONS REDUCTION 60 Change Is In The Air Ari Alkalay, Nesher Israeli Cement Enterprises, explains how AugWind Energy’s solution helped optimise the efficiency and productivity of the company’s compressed air system.

67 Cutting The Cost Of Compliance Dr. Ian Saratovsky, Gerald Hunt and Martin Dillon, Lhoist North America, suggest how cement producers could achieve the most operationally cost-effective dry sorbent injection (DSI) programme, whilst complying with stringent SO2, HCl and mercury (Hg) emissions limits.

75 Considering Carbon Capture Dr Paula Carey, Carbon8 Systems, describes how the process of carbonation could help to reduce the cement industry’s large-scale CO2 emissions.

DIGITALISATION & INDUSTRY 4.0 79 Power To The People Diego De La Sotta, Parsable, considers how people-centric technologies, like connected worker solutions, could be the key to successful cement plant digitalisation.

85 Stronger Than Ever Martin Provencher, OSIsoft, explains how digitalisation could help cement companies emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever.

91 Operation Optimisation Angus Maclean, Proudfoot, discusses how cement manufacturers could optimise their business operations through Maintenance 4.0 and Target Operating Models.

39 Flash Forward Dr. Dominik Aufderheide and Dr. Luigi Di Matteo, DI MATTEO Group., consider the advantages of integrating a flash dryer into handling lines for alternative fuels.

LEVEL MEASUREMENT 46 Levelling Up Armin Waibel, UWT Gmbh, explores the benefits of using electromechanical measuring technologies for continuous level monitoring and interface measurement in the bulk materials industry.

CONVEYING 51 Finding The Perfect Match Dan Blanchet, Motion Industries, explains how matching conveying applications to the correct conveyor belt rubber compounds for each stage of cement production could effectively improve performance and lower maintenance demands.

IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference Preview

97 Welcome 2021 Organising Chair, Mark Mueller, welcomes attendees to this year’s virtual edition of the IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference.

98 Going Virtual The IEEE-IAS Cement Industry Committee introduces the highlights of this year’s IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Conference programme.

May 2021

GRINDING & MILLING 55 Feeling Flexible Moisés R. Nunez, Cemengal, outlines how modular grinding systems could offer a faster, more flexible, and portable solution compared to more conventional set-ups.

ON THE COVER This month’s cover is brought to you by FLSmidth. The calcination of limestone is the industry’s largest source of emissions. Grinding SCMs is a key part of FLSmidth’s MissionZero pledge to enable zero emission cement production. With many decades of experience grinding a wide range of different materials, FLSmidth is in a position to share know-how to help the industry make strides in reducing its carbon footprint.

Read the full article on p.14.

Global Survey: Producing sustainable cements

THE HOW, WHAT, AND WHY OF GRINDING SCMs

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May 2021 World Cement

DAVID BIZLEY, EDITOR

B

ack on 31 March, President Biden officially announced ‘The American Jobs Plan’. The plan is the second part of the President’s ‘Build Back Better’ agenda to rescue the US economy and support recovery by taking advantage of future economic opportunities; the first part, the US$1.9 trillion ‘American Rescue Plan’ passed earlier in March.

Costed at ~US$2 trillion, the American Jobs Plan is a sweeping package designed to create jobs through the upgrading of ageing US infrastructure, the revitalisation of manufacturing, and investment in the so-called ‘caregiving economy’ (schools, child/elder-care, etc.). Whilst nearly US$1.2 trillion of this package will be directed at projects with little or no demand impact on cement, Mike Ireland, President & CEO of the PCA, points out in this month’s Regional Report (p. 10) that the remaining projects would still result in around 7 million t of additional annual cement consumption.

And with respect to infrastructure, the US certainly needs the investment. Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ACSE) provides a ‘Report Card’ for US infrastructure and, by their reckoning, the US is not exactly on the path to an Ivy League future. Though an improvement on 2017’s D+ rating, the ACSE gave the US a lowly C- this year, citing that: 43% of US roadways are in “poor or mediocre condition”, 46 154 bridges (7.5%) are “considered structurally deficient”, 6 billion gal. (>9000 swimming pools) of drinking water are lost every day due to leaks, and that 45% of Americans have no access to any form of public transit, amongst other areas of concern.

Whilst the case for improving US infrastructure in principle is unarguable, forming a consensus on exactly how much to spend and where may prove to be a difficult task. Despite equating to roughly 10% of US GDP, the American Jobs Plan is less than a quarter of the US$10 trillion proposed as necessary by some groups. Whilst this particular disagreement is unlikely to scupper the plan, it goes to show the range of opinion in terms of how far such projects should go, even from those broadly supportive of the objectives.

Where the plan might face real difficulty, however, is from those who think it goes too far. According to Reuters, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the US Congress have already begun work on an alternative infrastructure plan that would cost roughly half as much yet spend far more on roads and bridges. Senior Republicans also recently announced an even cheaper plan costing a ‘mere’ US$568 billion.

House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has expressed hopes to pass the American Jobs Plan by July, but with opposition from both sides of the House, only time will tell.

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NEWS Waste Knot Energy develops alternative fuel pellets to help cement companies reduce carbon emissions Cement production still largely relies on fossil fuels to achieve the incredibly high temperatures necessary to conduct the calcination process.

Burning fossil fuels results in high carbon emissions, so with worldwide targets for CO2 reduction, the industry is looking for alternatives.

Waste Knot Energy, a manufacturer of alternative fuels, has developed a new range of pellets made from non-recyclable waste, designed specifically for high-energy-use industries, such as cement, that need to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Solid Improved Recovered Fuel pellets (SIRF) are made from dry commercial and industrial waste materials such as wood, card, paper and non-chlorinated plastics, with a minimum 50% biomass content.

They reduce waste going to landfill and are far cleaner to burn than fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions and helping to fight climate change.

The development of these pellets means cement companies now have a cheaper and greener alternative to using traditional fuels such as coal, pet coke or gas.

Dr Matt Goodwin, Director of Waste Knot Energy, said: “We believe that SIRF pellets are an exciting innovation as the UK looks to be carbon net zero by 2050.”

“A detailed analysis of the carbon footprint of our pellets, conducted by independent environmental consultants, revealed highly positive results.”

“It showed the pellets save 550 kg of CO2/t – so over half a ton of CO2 equivalent – compared to sending the contents to landfill.

“Even when you ignore the fact that the material might otherwise have gone to landfill, and look at the embedded carbon footprint including transport of the material to site, and energy used in the manufacturing process, the carbon footprint is just 108 kg CO2e/t.”

SIRF pellets also provide carbon emissions savings when compared to other fuels.

“Compare that to coal for electricity production which results in 2222 kg of CO2/t, and coking coal at over 3000 kg CO2e/t, and you can see the environmental advantages of this alternative fuel”, Matt added.

May 2021 World Cement

The fact that the fuel is pelleted makes it easy to transport and handle, and minimises storage space, and the particle size of < 3 mm means it can be milled or co-milled with other fuels.

Waste Knot Energy will begin producing SIRF pellets in July at their newly built pelleting facility in Middlesbrough, UK, with further factories planned across the country. The company aims to have up to eight sites operational in the UK by the end of 2026, with the next plant near Carlisle already going through planning and a third site under negotiation.

Nobody expects fossil fuels to disappear overnight, but cement companies can significantly reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, reducing their running costs and carbon footprint by using Waste Knot Energy’s fuel pellets as part of their fuel mix.

Comparing fuels and their carbon emissions: f SIRF pellet production: 108 kg CO2e/t. f SIRF pellet production, including avoided landfill emissions: -550 kg CO2e/t. f Coal (electricity): 2223 kg CO2e/t. f Coking coal: 3222 kg CO2e/t.

HeidelbergCement and FLSmidth collaborate on world first carbon capture installation The well-known carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at Norcem Brevik in Norway – the first of its kind – is taking shape. In February 2021, Heidelberg and FLSmidth signed an agreement for FLSmidth to deliver the necessary plant modifications allowing for downstream CO2 removal. Final commissioning is scheduled for the first half of 2024.

Carbon capture is considered to be one of the key technologies in solving the CO2 emissions challenge in hard-to-abate sectors, like cement. Emitting approximately 7% of the world’s carbon emissions, the cement industry is attacking the challenge from all possible angles.

HeidelbergCement’s Norcem Brevik plant is now prepared to become the first cement producer in the world to move from test into full-scale production after years of preparation together with FLSmidth and other technology providers.

The capturing process at the Norcem Brevik plant will use a mixture of water and organic solvents to remove the CO2. But before CO2 can be removed, the production process must be 5

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adjusted, and particles in the flue gas removed. FLSmidth has the plant knowledge and the necessary expertise in air pollution control for this rebuild of the plant.

“We are very excited to have FLSmidth on board and to finally begin the construction of the full-size installation,” said Tor Gautestad, Project Manager at Norcem. “FLSmidth’s extensive process knowledge, and air pollution control in particular, will be critical to the success of the project,” Mr Gautestad adds. “Having installed more than 4000 filters around the world, I can say that ‘Brevik CCS’ is no ordinary project. We are looking forward to working with Norcem on unleashing the potential of the project,” says Carsten Riisberg Lund, Cement Industry President, FLSmidth.

The agreement between Heidelberg and FLSmidth is effective and work on site will start during the winter shutdown in 2022. It is scheduled to end early 2024.

Cementos Argos receives recognition for energy efficiency in the United States Two of Argos’ plants in the United States have been recognised for their commitment to the efficient use of energy and the care and preservation of natural resources.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted the ENERGY STAR® certification to the cement plants located in Harleyville, South Carolina, and Calera, Alabama. These distinctions ratify Argos’ environmental commitment.

“I am happy to receive this award which confirms our commitment to sustainability and validates our practices in this area. The responsible use of energy is a fundamental pillar of our environmental strategy and every day we work on the development and implementation of technologies that allow us to make efficient use of this resource and manage it strategically,” said María Isabel Echeverri, Legal and Sustainability Vice President at Argos.

The Harleyville plant in South Carolina also stands out for its cement grinding, which operates with approximately half the energy consumption required by a traditional grinding unit and, additionally, is involved in the co-processing of waste.

The Roberta Plant (Calera) has an installed capacity of more than 1.5 million tpy and has been historically recognised for implementing, to a great extent, alternative fuels and energy optimisation processes.

Carbon Clean partners with Taiheiyo Cement Corporation Taiheiyo Cement Corporation (TCC) has announced plans to implement technology for CO2 capture from the flue gas of rotary kilns used for cement production. The project will see the first demonstration plant in Japan with a capacity of 10 tpd. For this purpose, Taiheiyo Cement has selected the technology for CO2 chemical absorption supplied by Carbon Clean of the United Kingdom. This technology will be installed at Taiheiyo Cement’s Kumagaya Plant located in Kumagaya City, Saitama, and demonstration tests will begin in September 2021.

World Cement May 2021

NEWS Taiheiyo Cement has positioned the reduction of CO2 emissions as an important growth strategy and formulated ‘specific measures of their long-term vision for greenhouse gas emissions reduction towards 2050’ on 30 March 2020. It is necessary not only to develop existing technology but to develop innovative technology in order to realise the reduction in CO2 emissions stated in this long-term vision. The most important project among the innovative technologies that Taiheiyo Cement is currently working on is the development of CO2 capture and carbon recycling technology suitable for cement kilns. Taiheiyo Cement has been developing this technology as a sole grant recipient of the ‘Development of Carbon Circulation Technology for the Cement Industry,’ a project funded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO) which was awarded in June 2020.

The Carbon Neutral Technology Development Project Team which was newly launched as an internal across-divisional project team on 01 April 2020 has led this project.

Carbon Clean’s technology enables highly efficient and low-cost CO2 capture from industrial flue gases.

The company has developed innovative technologies and was recognised as a ‘Technology Pioneer’ by the World Economic Forum. It has a proven track record in the US, UK, Germany, India, Norway, and the Netherlands and has developed best-in-class cost effective CO2 capture technology.

Marubeni Protechs is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation that invested in Carbon Clean,

Menzel manufactures large special motors for cement mills, fans, and shredders and can supply quick replacements from a large stock to keep downtimes down.

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and has been involved in a variety of domestic and international projects involving equipment supply and construction beyond the scope of a conventional machinery trading company. The facility is expected to be the first CO2 capture plant that Marubeni Protechs and Carbon Clean have introduced in Japan. With this achievement as a foothold, Marubeni Protechs and Carbon Clean will continue to jointly introduce CO2 capture plants in the future.

Taiheiyo Cement believed that CO2 recovery technology from cement kiln flue gas would require compact equipment that could be installed in cement plants and that suitable amine solvents for cement kiln flue gas were essential conditions. The company believed that Carbon Clean’s technology fulfilled such conditions.

This project will have a significant impact since creating suitable CO2 capture and carbon recycling technology for cement kilns will contribute to the future of the cement industry. Through this demonstration, TCC will establish a technology that can be implemented to help achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Menzel Elektromotoren forms US partnership German motor manufacturer, Menzel Elektromotoren, a long-standing partner of the cement industry, has recruited an industry expert as a representative in the US to serve customers’ needs even better than before. Marc Amato has 27 years of experience in the electric motor and machine industry, particularly in motor manufacturing, re-manufacturing, troubleshooting, and machine applications. He has led teams of engineers and technicians during installation, startup, and commissioning of machines up to 30 000 hp. He has an in-depth background in forensic failure analysis and is a specialist in bearing systems. He has worked with cement companies for many years. Menzel supplies the US market with large special motors in the medium and high horsepower range. The manufacturer has a large stock of AC and DC motors for urgent replacements, and specialises in quickly adapting them for various applications as well as manufacturing bespoke motors from scratch.

The portfolio includes DC motors up to 3000 hp from 160 V to 1000 V and induction motors from 220 V to 13 800 V, as well as squirrel cage induction motors up to 33 000 hp and slip ring induction motors up to 20 000 hp.

World Cement May 2021

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UPDATE FROM THE STATES

10

Mike Ireland, Portland Cement Association, outlines how the US cement industry aims to increase its sustainability efforts whilst recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

R

emarkably, United States’ cement consumption recorded 2% growth during 2020. It is remarkable because COVID-19 exerted a terrible toll on the economy. Consumers bunkered down; states enacted rigid lockdowns. Real GDP declined to a rate not matched since 1946 as the economy transitioned from war time to peace time. Nearly 10 million fewer jobs now exist compared to pre-COVID levels. Many businesses did not survive the threat. Yet through all of this, cement consumption grew.

While major storms resulted in a weak start to 2021, it is likely that cement consumption growth will match or exceed 2020’s performance. Record low mortgage rates have prompted strong gains in 2020 single family construction. These low rates are expected to remain in place through 2021 – resulting in further strong demand for cement consumption. More than US$350 billion in federal support to state and local governments will ease fiscal stresses. Nonresidential declines are expected to continue this year and next, but the drag on overall growth is expected to lessen. Finally, as oil prices rise, oil well

cement will increase as well. Together, these dynamics will result in cement consumption growth of 2% – this year and next.

This recovery is predicated on continued progress in fighting COVID-19. The rapid pace in vaccinations and increased mask usage has resulted in a decline of death rates – from over 3000 daily in January to less than 825 at the time of writing. The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) projects the path of COVID-19 through the second quarter of 2021. IHME’s forecast suggests a sustained and significant decline in daily COVID deaths to less than 170.

Lower death rates signal increases in consumer safety and that changes consumer behaviour. Since late-January, consumers’ comfort levels have increased in socialising, dining out, going to public events, shopping and other key facets of ‘normal’ behaviour.

Progress associated with COVID-19 is the critical factor in the near-term outlook. Contrary to IHME projections, some suggest a revival of COVID associated with variants of the disease.

If this materialises, the anticipated recovery could be compromised or delayed.

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Perhaps the most significant long-term impact on cement consumption may unfold this year. The US Congress will decide the fate of President Biden’s over US$2 trillion, eight-year infrastructure programme. The programme expands the traditional definition of infrastructure and contains more than US$1.2 trillion in low or no cement intensive projects. If the Biden proposal passes, it could contribute more than an additional 7 million metric t of cement to consumption annually.

After committing to spending US$5.2 trillion in COVID-19 relief, and adding another US$2.0 trillion in ‘normal’ operations – federal US debt could rise an additional US$7 trillion dollars in 2020 – 2021. This puts the discussion of the Biden proposal into context. The proposal must pay for itself. This means higher taxes. While investing in traditional infrastructure such as road and bridges has bi-partisan appeal, tax increases and some programmes dubiously labelled as ‘infrastructure’ have caused concern.

This concern threatens the potential passage on the infrastructure initiative.

The administration has also tied the infrastructure programme to addressing climate change, investing in industry and solutions that not only help the country and economy recover from the pandemic, but also look to ways to build a more sustainable, environmentally responsible country and economy.

As demand for cement increases, the industry recognises the need to meet that demand while also progressing toward a greener future.

Sustainability from cement Sustainability contributions from the industry are two-fold: cement is the main ingredient in concrete, which is the construction material best suited to help mitigate the realities of climate change in the built environment, and the Portland Cement Association (PCA), on behalf of the cement and concrete industry, is developing a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality across the concrete value chain, congruent with the administration’s climate agenda.

In this roadmap, PCA will outline the levers and opportunities for the industry to reach carbon neutrality, including a mix of near-term and long-term recommendations for industry stakeholders, research partners, and policymakers and regulators.

With this focus on sustainability and preparing the built environment to adapt to the realities of climate change, the industry has identified three priorities for 2021: f Rapidly driving the adoption of products like Portland-limestone cement (PLC) as it can immediately reduce carbon emissions by up to 10%.

12

f Increase access to alternative fuels, especially materials that otherwise end up in landfills, for cement plants to use. f Investing in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology and critical infrastructure to support it, including a robust and smart electric grid, to reduce process emissions.

Increasing the adoption of performance based concrete mixtures, blended cements and others like PLC can immediately reduce emissions by 10%. PLC offers the same durability and resiliency benefits by optimising the amount of clinker, which is the main ingredient in cements, to incorporate more limestone. This process reduces the amount of energy used to produce cement. Currently, 34 state DOTs allow the use of PLC, yet until recently it was still less than 1% of total cement shipments.

Alternative fuels and raw materials have long been routed directly to landfills, but materials such as fly ash, carpet remnants, tyres and other non-hazardous materials could be used in place of many non-renewable resources currently used to power cement plants. Cement producers can continue meeting demand while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Finally, investing in carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) is critical to reducing process emissions. While promising CCUS technologies are under development domestically and overseas, none have reached the commercial stage of development, and nearly all research and federal funding has focused on the energy sector, not industrial sector solutions.

At this moment where there is a renewed focus on sustainability, the US cement sector is excited about joining and leading the conversation on how critical industries can drive down emissions while continuing to support US jobs and manufacturing.

Summary 2021 is shaping up to be a year where many industries are in recovery from COVID-19’s lasting effects, and the cement industry is no different.

While the outlook improves, we need to continue to push for real change within the industry for our sustainability efforts, while also recovering the jobs and infrastructure in our cities.

About the author Michael Ireland is the President and CEO of the Portland Cement Association (PCA). Founded in 1916, PCA is the premier policy, research, education and market intelligence organisation serving America’s cement manufacturers. Previously, he was Associate Executive Director of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), as well as CEO of two other professional associations.

World Cement May 2021

GLOBAL SURVEY: PRODUCING SUSTAINABLE CEMENTS THE HOW, WHAT AND WHY OF GRINDING SCMS

I

n recent decades, the cement industry has made great strides towards reducing its carbon emissions. But while the utilisation of alternative fuels is increasing and new technologies are driving efficiency in the cement manufacturing process, a sticking point remains: The calcination of limestone is the industry’s largest source of emissions. To address this, cement manufacturers must reduce the quantity of clinker in the mix and replace it with supplementary cementitious materials, or SCMs.

What, where and how much? – SCM adoption worldwide The adoption of SCMs varies widely depending on where you are in the world. In India and Brazil, for example, it is common to use flyash and slag to reduce the clinker factor to as little as 65%. In the US, the clinker factor remains high at around 95%. Worldwide, according to the Climate Technology Centre & Network, the average clinker/cement ratio is about 0.81, with the balance comprising gypsum and additives such as blast furnace slag, fly ash, and natural pozzolana.1 The UNEP-sponsored white paper ‘Eco-efficient cements: Potential economically viable solutions for a low-CO2 cement-based materials industry’ suggests a reasonable worldwide average of 0.60 is achievable by 2050.2

14

COVER STORY John Terembula, FLSmidth, discusses the changing requirements of finish grinding that are being driven by the industry’s carbon reduction goals.

15

Availability of SCMs is certainly a factor, together with standards and regulations, which are more restrictive in some countries than others.

But there is also a lot of uncertainty in the industry: Which materials are ‘best’? What is the most suitable grinding technology for SCMs? How easy is it to integrate new materials into existing plants?

With many decades’ experience grinding a wide range of different materials in vertical roller mills, ball mills and hydraulic roller presses, FLSmidth suggests how the industry can make strides in reducing its carbon footprint.

Types of SCM SCMs can be naturally occurring materials, or arise as a by-product of other industrial processes. The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) groups SCMs according to how they harden3: hydraulic SCMs harden in the presence of water (like Portland cement) and includes granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) and burnt oil shale. Pozzolanic materials require the additional presence of dissolved calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) – a by-product of the hydration of Portland cement – in order to harden.

These include fly ash, silica fume, calcined clays, burnt rice husk and natural pozzolans. Hydraulic cements have a higher early age strength, while pozzolans continue to gain strength for a longer period, giving a higher long-term concrete strength. Both have been proven in construction applications. Limestone is not classified as either hydraulic or pozzolanic but also contributes to

the hardening of concrete, putting it in an SCM category all of its own. Table 1 gives a general overview and some background information for the different SCMs used in cement manufacturing today.

Current examples of SCM adoption Subcontinental India India is a successful adopter of SCMs, with an average clinker factor of 0.71 in 2017. This is largely thanks to the introduction of standards for composite cements in 2015, which encouraged market adoption, as well as the widespread availability of fly ash from thermal power plants.

Portland Pozzolanic Cement (PPC) production in 2017 amounted to about 65% of the market, and the clinker factor of PPC was also improved from 0.68 in 2010 to 0.65 in 2017. Portland Slag Cement (PSC) makes up about 10% of the market and also reduced clinker content in that time from 0.55 to 0.40.4 Meanwhile, LafargeHolcim-owned ACC has achieved a clinker factor as low as 44% through the use of fly ash from power plants and slag from steel production.

In the Sub-Continental India region FLSmidth has supplied grinding systems with all types of mills. The most common grinding systems installed over the last 10 years have been VRMs or HRP with ball mill in semi-finish arrangement.

The number of VRMs installed for cement grinding trends higher due to better overall

Table 1. Common types of SCMs.

Hydraulic SCMs

Type of SCM

Source

Availability

GBFS

By-product of steel

Available in industrialised countries, but as iron and steel production grows

production

By-product Fly ash

Pozzolanic SCMs

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of coal combustion for power

more efficient, availability of GBFS will diminish.

Around 900 million tpy available, but only around a third of this is of high enough quality for use in cement and concrete.

Grindability

Comments

High, varies between 120 - 200% of

Can be substituted up to 100% (70% is common).

clinker Low to moderate,

As coal is expected to diminish

30% clinker

substantially, fly ash is not a long-term solution.

Calcined clays

Naturally occurring worldwide

Widely available, sometimes even stockpiled as waste from ceramics manufacturing.

Easy, <30% clinker

Previously, colour control was an issue, but this has been resolved with the development of new technology.

Natural pozzolans

Naturally occurring worldwide

Availability & applicability varies

Varies, 30% –100% clinker

Can be very abrasive and may require finer particle size.

Limestone

Naturally occurring worldwide

Widely available

Low, 30% of clinker

Use as a filler is regulated in varying amounts from 5 – 35% and has been proven in greater quantities with proper grinding.

World Cement May 2021

power efficiency and lower maintenance costs.

One example is the Guinness World Record largest VRM for cement grinding at Shah Cement in Bangladesh. This mill regularly produces both PPC and PSC Cements as shown in Table 2.

Throughout Asia, a wide range of blended cements or Portland Composite Cements (PCC) are made, encompassing many different additive materials including trass, which is very hard-to-grind overburden from the quarry.

Stable and reliable operation has been proven in the OK mill even with this difficult material.

Table 3 shows typical operation for an OK Mill grinding PCC with 71% clinker factor.

development plan of clinker substitution with SCM in Brazil.

In Brazil, the VRM has been the standard for new cement grinding for the last 10 years, with OK Mills accounting for 30% of the country’s total annual cement production since 2015. This is due to the mill’s flexibility and efficiency. Some examples of OK Mills operating in Brazil can be seen in Tables 4 and 5.

United States Use of SCMs in the US is considered as blended cement by the USGA8. Blended cement refers to a finished blended cement product made at a cement plant or its terminals. In 2020 blended cement accounted for only 3.2% of total cement Brazil production. This low level of SCM use is largely The Brazilian cement industry has a long history because US cement plants generally follow the (more than 70 years) in the production of ASTM C-150 Standard (American Society for blended cements, with a nationwide average Testing and Materials) which defines a limit of 5% clinker-to-cement ratio below 70%.5 In Brazil, limestone (which in practice often translates to the most widely used SCM is currently blast 3%). furnace slag from steel mills6, though calcined However, the 3.2% does not include the clay and fly ash are also in the mix. This balance blended cement produced at concrete plants. is likely to change, however, as the country aims In fact, the ready-mix industry blends their to achieve a significant reduction in the clinker products to a much more diverse standard, often quantity of its cement from current levels to 59% introducing various additives and even recycled in 2030 and 52% in 2050.7 Given that slag and concrete to accommodate the needs of their local markets and specific applications. This, fly ash availability will be unlikely to keep up with together with experience with masonry cement demand, the industry is looking to limestone filler (1% of annual cement production, with as much and calcined clays to meet these targets. The as 70% limestone addition), and Type III cement graphic in Figure 1 shows the historic and future (95% clinker, 5% gypsum but with a Table 2. Cement production at Shah Cement in Bangladesh with an product fineness FLSmidth OK™ 81-6 Mill. of +5000 Blaine9) – both suitable for Cement type OPC PPC PSC Slag PCC production in VRMs – should give the 45% clinker + industry and end 65% clinker + 65% clinker + 95% clinker + 5% gypsum + users the confidence Feed mix 5% gypsum + 5% gypsum + 100% slag 5% gypsum 25% fly ash + that different 30% fly ash 30% slag 25% slag ‘recipes’ can be successful, and that handling a wide FINENESS 2800 – 3200 3400 – 3800 3600 - 4000 4000 – 4200 3600 - 4000 range of product (BLAINE) Blaine Blaine Blaine Blaine Blaine characteristics is perfectly possible as expanded cement 100% Clinker factor standards are 80% Gypsum adopted.

68% 65% 59% 54% 52% In the future, it Others 60% is hoped that end Fly ash users will specify for 40% Calcined clay performance rather 20% Blast furnace slag than recipe when 0% Limestone buying cement. This 2014 2020 2030 2040 2050 will give cement and concrete Figure 1. Evolution of clinker substitution materials in Brazil. companies greater 18

World Cement May 2021

Table 3. Example of Portland Composite Cement production in Asia with an OK Mill (71% Cl, 2% Gyp, 16% Trass, 7% LS, 3% Ash).

Production (tph)

253

Mill DP (mbar)

37

Vibration mm/s

0.2

Blaine cm2/g

3650

Residue (45 µm)

5.4

Specific Power Consumption Mill

14.3

Separator

0.4

Fan

7.0

flexibility withtheir blends, and will make it easier to reduce the clinker factor. In the meantime, Portland Limestone Cement10 has been championed by the Portland Cement Association as a lower-carbon alternative to OPC, utilising limestone filler to reduce the clinker content and thus the environmental impact of cement by 10%.

The UNEP-sponsored white paper ‘Eco-efficient cements: Potential economically viable solutions for a low-CO2 cement-based materials industry’ referenced earlier in this article also includes references for limestone addition to Portland Cement in various markets around the world. Figure 2 shows the percentage of limestone substitution in grey cement by country from 2000 through to 2015. The wide range of variation from countries with higher substitution levels to those with the lowest, including the United States, demonstrates the potential improvement with further adoption of Portland Limestone Cement.

How – which mills are best for SCMs?

The grinding operation is critical in order to achieve the necessary particle size distribution for the successful use of SCMs. Some Table 4. Example of composite pozzolan cement production in Brazil materials can be (72% Cl 14% fly ash 10% limestone 4% gypsum). ground together with the rest of the cement mix (so-called OK Mill 30-4 Actual ‘intergrinding’), while others may benefit Production capacity (tph) 142 from a separate grinding operation.

Power consumption (mill, fan and separator) 22.6 Likewise, water (kWh/t) demand (to increase Fineness (%R #325) 9.0 workability) can present another Blaine (m²/Kg) 390 sustainability concern that requires additional process treatments – such as chemical Table 5. Example of composite slag cement production in VRM admixtures – to and ball mill in Brazil (75% clinker, 5% gypsum, 15% slag and 5% address. limestone).

In terms of mill type, the answer is Ball mill (CC) almost always vertical VRM Ø 4.0 x 12 m OK 33-4 roller mills (VRMs).

(2720 kW) (3000 kW) Over the last few O-Sepa 2.000 decades the industry has been gradually Production capacity (tph) 114 50 moving towards the use of VRMs for Mill power consumption (kWh/t) 23 47 both raw and cement Combined mill and fan power consumption grinding, due largely 36 52 (kWh/t) to the reduced energy consumption Blaine (m²/Kg) 440 440 compared to ball Total

20

21.7

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clear advantage over other mill types, enabling the optimisation of the system’s temperature profile, mill airflow, separator speed and grinding pressure for optimum efficiency and productivity.

If the cement industry truly hopes to achieve net zero carbon by 2050, VRMs are the only way to get there for cement grinding.

mills – a saving of between 30 and 50%. This transition will prove crucial as the adoption of SCMs increases, from a practical as well as economic and environmental perspective. VRMs provide much greater flexibility to grind a number of different materials, to switch between different cement mixes, and to adjust to changing material characteristics – all while protecting quality.

For example, FLSmidth has a customer using the OK mill to grind 100% slag with raw feed containing more than 20% moisture to product moisture levels less than 1%. This would not be possible with a ball mill or roll press with ball mill circuit without adding additional flash drying equipment because they do not have the drying capacity of the VRM. This level of flexibility is imperative to SCM adoption.

Ultimately, product quality is defined by cement strength development and setting times. To achieve the best result, optimal particle size distribution and dehydration of the gypsum within the cement is needed. For that, the precise operational controls of the VRM are a

Digital makes it easier Digital technologies simplify the adoption of SCMs and increase the potential for greater clinker replacement in the future. The capability of digital technologies is continually advancing – giving even more reason for optimism about the future of SCMS – but even now there are a number of digital tools that optimise performance and productivity: f Process Expert control solutions give operators greater control over their mill operating parameters. Advanced automation enables real-time adjustments to optimise performance and ensure maximum efficiency. f Sensors continually monitor mill operation, enabling you to see any drop in stability as it happens and react swiftly.

This is helpful to avoid a decline in performance when switching from one Africa material to another. f Automated laboratories enable Asia - China, optimum quality India, CIS control throughout the CIS process, giving the opportunity to adjust India mill feed in real-time. f Condition monitoring China services and remote service support Latin America provide 24/7 access to expert assistance, so if there are any Morocco problems, they do not have the opportunity Thailand to escalate.

Limestone filler (% of grey cement)

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

EU 28 USA

0 2000

2005

2010

2015

Adapted from Eco-efficient cements: Potential economically viable solutions for a low-CO2 cement-based materials industry, United Nations Envrironment Programme Figure 2. Average limestone substitution in various regions.

22

Predictive maintenance sustains performance The use of a wider range of materials typically has a negative impact on wear rates and mill stability, which can lead to a higher maintenance burden. However, that does not have to be

World Cement May 2021

the case. With tools such as online condition monitoring, it has become much easier to be proactive about maintenance to the extent that cement producers can eliminate unexpected downtime and considerably reduce their maintenance budget.

For example, by monitoring equipment performance, it is possible to develop a predictive maintenance programme that is based on real-time operating data. Cement producers can identify how and why wear is occurring, prepare the necessary response (e.g. order in spare parts, plan repair work around peak operating times), and carry out the right repairs at the right time for minimal loss of productivity. Ultimately, a predictive maintenance approach is the best way to guard against the mechanical failures and rising maintenance costs that would otherwise be inherent to adopting these new, harder to grind materials.

Why use VRMs?

f With greater control over the operational variables, it is much easier to adapt to different material types. f Due to the short residence time, changing from one product mix to another is a relatively quick and simple process compared to ball mills. f Drying is incorporated and efficient.

Conclusion As the cement industry works to reduce its carbon footprint, investments have to be made in future-proof technologies capable of adapting to changing cement mixes and regulatory requirements. In the grinding process, cement manufacturers need a flexible, efficient system that is operated and maintained in an optimal manner. With the latest VRM technologies, advanced digital offerings and condition monitoring services, FLSmidth believes the industry is ready to achieve more widespread use of SCMs and achieve its carbon reduction goals.

References & Notes 1. https://www.ctc-n.org/technologies/clinker-replacement 2. https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/ handle/20.500.11822/25281/eco_efficient_cements.pdf 3. https://gccassociation.org/sustainability-innovation/ health-safety-cement-innovation/clinker-substitutes/ 4. https://docs.wbcsd.org/2018/11/WBCSD_CSI_India_ Review.pdf 5. WESTON. J., ‘Brazil gives OK to VRM’, International Cement Review, 20 June 2016 6. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/ dotcom/client_service/infrastructure/pdfs/pathways_low_ carbon_economy_brazil.ashx 7. http://snic.org.br/assets/pdf/roadmap/roadmaptecnologico-do-cimento-brasil.pdf 8. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1152/2005-1152.pdf p.10 9. FLSmidth has experience and references for OK Mills making TYPE III cement as part of standard production schedule along with OPC. The proven ability to make such a wide range of product fineness is reassuring when it comes to future products that are likely to have similar requirements.

10. https://www.greenercement.com/

May 2021 World Cement

An OK Mill installed for blended cement production. The pneumatic conveying system for feeding fly ash is seen on the front of the mill.

About the author During his 26 year career at FLSmidth, John Terembula developed his expertise in grinding through firsthand work with mills of all designs and equipment suppliers. He began his career gaining operating experience as a Commissioning and Service Engineer. For the last 16 years, John has been a Product Manager focused on FLSmidth’s grinding products. Today, he is the Global Product Line Manager for Vertical Roller Mills.

23

PROJECT

PARIS

W

ith extensive development underway in Paris, the increasing demand for cement has encouraged companies such as LafargeHolcim to expand their assets. This was one of the reasons behind the company’s decision to install a flexible 9000 t storage facility that was capable of both feeding and being fed from barges/vessels or road tankers, together with a direct load from train wagons. The decision stemmed from a long discussion involving both Euromecc and LafargeHolcim’s technical departments and other consultants and sub-suppliers, aiming to outline the basic requirements for the project. Every aspect

24

of the project was discussed over 9340 design hours, focusing on specifications, expectations and environmental integration.

Storage The storage compartment is made up of a 4710 m 3 main unit, available in a single Ø15 000 mm internal diameter silo, which set a new benchmark in the industry of bolted steel silos, and two satellites of 1890 m 3 each, with an internal diameter of 9276 mm.

Every silo is installed over a steel support structure with drive-through setup, designed to have sufficient room to house the pneumatics and discharge components, which are the technological heart of the site.

Daniele Sciuto, Euromecc s.r.l., describes the company’s role in the installation of a 9000 t storage facility for LafargeHolcim’s Gennevilliers cement terminal in Paris.

25

At the top, a common penthouse has been built to protect all the filtering and detection devices from the weather, thus reducing the impact of any kind of dust or acoustic emissions. This kind of installation required proper engineering of the connections and junctions, and the possibility for minimum oscillation over the total height of nearly 46 m.

Although the storage area can be recognised from the surroundings as a large single compartment, this configuration allows the flexibility of independently and safely storing up to three different products with no contamination.

In addition to the three silos, a Ø7680 mm buffer is located near to the wharf, increasing the total storage capacity by an extra 460 m3, with the purpose of serving the barges’ load operations.

All the silos and steel work were manufactured using high-quality steel, in compliance with both the UNI EN 1090-2 and the UNI EN ISO 3834-2, which regulate the processes and welding operations.

Additionally, a large amount of CNC equipment such as automatic welders or painting robots helped achieve a quality finish, in line with the contractor’s expectations.

For the support structure of all three silos, steel pipes with a diameter of 610 mm and 30 mm thickness were used. Therefore, to weld each leg, it was necessary to use tailor-made positioning tools. Looking at the bodies, the Ø15 000 mm is made up of 60 vertical panels, and the Ø9276 units have 36 vertical panels each. This was one of the key factors of the construction technology, and was achieved by using large welded sections that are externally flanged, in order to limit the number of vertical connections and achieve a high-grade of sealing as well as reduce the number of bolts for installation. The same principles are used for the cones construction, made up of 52 sections on the bigger unit and 30 on the smaller ones.

Receiving

The Gennevilliers cement terminal is located over an area of 5300 m2, in Paris.

The design phase involved several CAD instruments which focused on the main features as well as every single bolt.

26

Powders that are meant to be stored can be loaded into the silos either by road, rails or wharf. Road tanker is probably the easiest option, and this is realised by connecting the tankers to dedicated pneumatic lines.

For rail wagons, there is a single lane system with a compressor and the provision for an extra lane and two additional compressors as part of the customer’s expansion programme. At present, up to 11 single wagons can be positioned and then, one by one, they are put under pressure with a dedicated compressor and emptied into one of the three silos. The extra lane will be able to World Cement May 2021

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Having long vertical panels with limited horizontal flanges reduces the need for operations at height and the overall number of bolts.

This setup only requires four horizontal connections per silo, for a perfect sealing of each unit.

connect 11 additional rail wagons to different silos, and the two extra compressors will give the site more flexibility to boost one lane or the other, provided that the filters are already designed to assist with it. To reduce the loading phase, the filling pipeline has been equipped with a dedicated booster which is meant to increase the efficiency as well as shorten the process duration.

Looking at the wharf, the facility is suitable to receive materials from barges at a rate of 180 m 3/hr: there is a designated area where either a pump can be connected or material can be fed from a compressor and unloaded onto one of the three main silos.

The complexity in loading operations has required the use of high-spec filters which can adjust to different situations without compromising on external emissions and internal contamination. For this reason, of a total filtering capacity of 58 000 m 3/hr, 33 000 m 3/hr are dedicated to the main storage silos.

Delivering Considering the emptying phase, the powders can follow different routes. First of all, the material goes through the extraction process, which ensures an emptying rate of up to 98% and is realised with an aerated flat bottom.

The internal fluidisation covers most of the flat surface, so that every silo can efficiently meet the discharge criteria, and is designed in order to avoid any build-up or funnel effect. After leaving the silo, the material flows through a system of airslides, able to feed both road or wharf loading operations.

Road tankers can be loaded with a drive-through setup, which allows two lanes under the biggest silo and one for each satellite. Every spout is fed by airslides and can reach a capacity of 250 m 3/hr, reducing the loading time per truck down to 7 min., 12 sec.

The barge loading operations require the material to be conveyed with a main pump from the storage area to the small buffer. Then it is delivered to a rotating arm that can feed any of the proposed barge models with only two manoeuvres. To achieve this result, the arm can pivot around a main axle, and then can also rotate the loading spout in order to reach four different positions with a fixed angle on the pivot.

Surroundings and installation The train unloading area is served by multiple inlets that reduce down to one manoeuvre required for positioning.

28

A key role in the project was played by the integration of the terminal with Gennevilliers’ landscape. From the beginning of the project, a team of architects were involved in the World Cement May 2021

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Each silo has a truncated cone covered by fluidisation airslides able to guarantee an emptying percentage of 98%.

Under the discharge cone, it is possible to see all the pneumatic equipment.

discussion regarding the best way for the plant to integrate with its surroundings. Looking at the whole industrial area, five different colours were selected and used to ‘vest’ every single item. This process was supported by 3D simulation, as well as monthly meetings at the site, which led to the decision to use the four different greys for silos, main structures and cladding and the red which blends in with some of the neighbourhood sheds. The complexity of the terminal required nearly one kilometre of pipelines, serving both loading and unloading operations, and also required extensive use of supports and bridges to merge with the site. In total, more than 1000 t of steel have been used for the construction of the entire terminal, manufactured over more than 30 000 manhours.

Euromecc looked after the mechanical side of the installation phase and had its own staff attending every phase, from the casting done by local contractors, up to commissioning, ensuring that the logistics at every phase did not affect the viability at the site. In order to achieve this, a Euromecc team of around 20 experienced fitters, engineers, and other professionals from Italy moved to Paris and lived there for several months on a shift base, alternating with those based in Italy, for a total of nearly 32 500 manhours.

The whole process took almost one year to complete, with a satisfactory start-up in February 2020, in line with the set target.

Conclusion

The movable arm has two main pivots in order to feed barges in only two manoeuvres.

The project has required the design and construction of Ø15 000 mm bolted silos, through the entire production chain from engineering and 3D modelling that has been validated by a pool of expertise, continuing with trails, shop-assembly and factory tests.

The Gennevilliers terminal has now been operating for nearly one year, with some fine tuning conducted over the first period of operations in order to reach the customer’s full satisfaction, setting a new benchmark for cement terminals that can easily be recognised as infrastructure assets, and whose role is becoming more popular due to their flexibility and ease of integration with their surroundings.

About the author

Every silo is designed to feed cement tankers with movable and retractable loading spouts.

30

Daniele Sciuto is the Area Sales Manager for UK and Commonwealth regions at Euromecc.

He has a Mechanical Engineering background, and has been involved in the costing and sales of several terminal projects all around the world since 2012.

World Cement May 2021

KEY

Dennis Blauser, Marietta Silos, outlines how routine professional cleanings can help to prolong silo life, protect the integrity of the material stored inside, avoid costly repairs and prevent downtime.

K

eeping silos clean and in top working condition saves time and money.

Over weeks, months or even years, stored material becomes compacted. Regardless of whether the silo is used to store coal, clay, cement, salt or any of a multitude of other materials, compaction is always a possibility. Reducing compaction is critical to maintaining an efficient, reliable material flow. When flow is slowed and the silo’s capacity is compromised, it is time to call in silo cleaning professionals who can get a silo back to full capacity and optimal flow in as little time as possible.

Plugged or compacted material can reduce silo capacity by 30 – 50% and can in some cases damage the silo itself. The very nature of silo storage means pressure causes material to compress over time. Add to the material moisture from the outside air, a leaky roof or leaky equipment operating on the roof of the silo, and the conditions are set to lead to non-flowing material.

31

There are some steps that silo operators can take to avoid cleaning emergencies. Operators should control the compaction of material by frequently emptying material from the silo. It is the material sitting over an extended period of time that leads to compaction.

It is also important to avoid hydration of the material housed within the silo. Make sure any air injected through the material handling system is dry and free of moisture. Air should only be run when necessary and there should be no leaks throughout the silo.

Even with these measures, routine cleaning is necessary. Compacted material within the silo can

take many forms, each diminishing productivity and threatening the integrity of the silo in its own way.

Some of the most common include: f Bridging – This occurs when the material bonds together to form a hardened arch above the outlet of the silo; a void is created underneath and the arch holds the material back, preventing its flow. f Rat Holing – Material flow is maintained, but it is greatly diminished due to severe buildup of material along the silo walls. This can also relate to asymmetric flow. f Plugging – The outlet to the silo becomes completely blocked, ceasing the flow of material all together. f Caking – The scale build-up on the inside of the silo walls becomes so thick it diminishes flow and can cause damage to the actual structure of the silo. It is also possible for this caked material to break off the wall, falling onto unloading equipment below. This not only creates a production concern, but a safety concern as well.

A significantly lower storage capacity, clumps or chunks of material coming out of the silo, or the observation of a diminished flow are warning signs that a silo is experiencing one of these conditions.

These are also signs that it is time to call in cleaning professionals. Silo operators should look for a company that can remove build-up quickly and safely, collect lost material for re-use, or properly dispose of unwanted material either on site or off.

Hardened cement forms boulders that ultimately clog Common cleaning methods include a basic the silo discharge outlet and restrict flow. whip method, which involves lowering a head equipped with rotors into the silo to cut away hardened material, or the pneumatic whip system which uses compressed air to ‘blast’ the compacted material loose. USA Silos of Marietta, Ohio, has developed specialised equipment that can dislodge the compacted material as much as 65% faster than pneumatic methods.

The company uses its own silo cleaning tool, the Boss™. This tool permits interchangeable heads and different power settings based on specific situations including the type and condition of Caking and rat holing of stored material indicates dangerous material involved. problems with the silo or the material itself that must be first removed A clean silo is comparable by cleaning, then resolved. to a clean bill of health.

32

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When it comes to silo cleaning, it is important to use tools suited to the scale of the job.

The ability to increase the intensity at which material is removed means it takes significantly less time for the Boss to do its work, limiting the silo’s downtime and saving the client money in the long run.

In addition to methods that clean a silo from the top down, a vacuum truck is used to remove the remaining material from the bottom of the silo, which is then collected in the truck and either kept for re-use or properly disposed of. A vacuum truck can also be used in conjunction with one of the other cleaning methods by helping to collect dislodged material to either be saved or discarded.

Case studies One recent client brought in the professionals at USA Silos after a gypsum silo experienced build up that had created a rat hole causing limited flow. In addition to the diminished flow, the silo’s capacity had been reduced by 75%. This repeated problem resulted in disruptions to productivity because the gypsum had to be removed more frequently.

USA Silos used its Boss cleaning machine to systematically loosen the hardened material. The job was completed in a matter of days and as a result of a thorough, professional cleaning, the silo continues to operate at full capacity resulting in a reliable production schedule.

Another case saw coal build up cause asymmetric flow that damaged the silo walls. In addition, discharge chutes were plugged causing slow output and delays in the manufacturing process. Using proprietary equipment, USA Silos lowered the coal material level, forcing residual material down and out of the open discharge points. The cleaning process was completed without any damage to the silo’s interior stainless steel cone liner.

As these case studies show, routine professional cleanings help to prolong silo life, protect the integrity of the material stored inside, avoid costly repairs and overall, ensure a consistent production schedule with little downtime.

Regular cleaning also keeps job sites safe.

Material build-up within the silo increases the potential for collapse, which puts workers and productivity at risk. Improperly maintained silos are a danger to everyone who works around them.

Next steps When determining which silo cleaning company to call, operators should look for: f A professional company with a proven track record of recognising, understanding and meeting the customer’s goals. f A company and cleaning method that will save time and money while also offering a sustainable solution instead of a short-term fix.

34

f A company that knows the difference between and has a reputation for dependability and customer service. f A company with skilled service technicians that put safety first and limit liabilities by utilising a ‘no-entry’ material removal/clean-out technique. f A company sensitive to the reality of new site access restrictions brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a company that can screen and adapt to get the job done within these restrictions. f A company that will respond quickly, provide regular cleaning services to avoid interruptions to production schedules, and be available to handle emergency silo cleaning when necessary. f A company that can clean any type of silo (concrete or steel, flat bottom or cone bottom, funnel or mass flow) and remove any type of material (cement, coal, fly ash, foundry sand, pallet, lime, etc.). f A company that can take you beyond cleaning and material removal. USA Silo Services also offers single application roof-top rubber coating to further prevent future leakage problems. The material is not a membrane but actually bonds to the cement or steel surface and will not allow water to get below the surface and migrate. To keep material in the silo moving and dry, the company offers repairs to vibrating systems designed to keep material from compacting. Air pad diffuser replacement, maintenance and inspection services are also available. f A silo cleaning proposal that is transparent.

Ask for an itemised list of expenses to include hotel, consumables and mobilisation costs.

Then, compare quotes with those from competitors and make sure all quotes include any additional fees or premiums.

Conclusion It is important not to make routine silo cleaning an afterthought. Extending the life of a silo can be done at a fraction of the cost of new silo construction. Too often, silo operators delay cleaning in an effort to avoid silo downtime and interruptions in productivity only to find the silo needs cleaning, and in many cases repairing, because an emergency situation occurs. A professionally cleaned silo should be part of a routine maintenance protocol; it will protect the business, productivity and jobs at the site while also limiting potential liability.

About the author Dennis Blauser is the CEO of Marietta Group, which includes Marietta Silos, Marietta Inspection Services and USA Silo Service.

World Cement May 2021

Adding the finishing touches Amir Zarei, Simatec Process Co., and Amirhossein Sadighi, Saveh Cement Co., discuss how a modified rotor weigh feeder helped prevent rotor blockages and ensure smooth running of the system at Saveh Cement.

T

he Saveh White cement plant is located in the centre of Iran, near Saveh City, and was constructed in 1988, with a capacity of 1000 tpd of clinker. The white cement production line was designed by FCB France, and uses a recuperator heat exchanger to reach maximum energy efficiency and whiteness of the clinker at the plant.

Simatec Process Co. is an engineering company specialising in process optimisation, mainly in the field of weighing technologies.

The company purchased a Hasler SAS belt scale manufacturing license in 2006 and continues to co-operate with FLSmidth Pfister.

Tackling blockage problems Saveh Cement had previously experienced problems with its dosing system for its kiln feed ‘raw meal’, particularly in the area of dosage accuracy.

35

Figure 1. Installation of rotor weigh feeder at Saveh White Cement.

In 2011, Simatec Process introduced its rotor weigh feeder as a solution to solve this problem.

Saveh Cement received the Pfister rotor weigh feeder via Simatec Process Co, and the system was installed in the summer of 2011 (Figure 1).

Since the installation of the rotor weigh feeder, the plant is no longer experiencing accuracy problems.

Simatec found that the factory operators were very satisfied with the accuracy of the rotor weigh feeder, however they described a problem that they experienced from time to time.

The plant experienced a blockage of the rotor every week, meaning plant operators needed to manually empty and restart the system, and so Simatec sent technicians to investigate the problem.

This problem was also found to be occurring in other plants and was taking place during the re-start of the rotor.

Rotor weigh feeder basic technology A rotor weigh feeder is a dynamic weighing system, with a load sensor and speed pick up module that measures load and speed and uses a controller to calculate the feedrate related to these values. The controller also governs the load and speed to reach to the feed rate setpoint (Figure 3).

Mechanical points Typically in weighing systems, the bottleneck of accuracy is the analogue-to-digital conversion Figure 2. Rotor weigh feeder sample design.

(ADC) time and the speed of sampling. For this reason, static weighing systems are more accurate than dynamic weighing systems.

In dynamic weighing systems, as the material is ongoing, the weight must be measured, and the ADC opportunity is based on the time that material is in the weighing area. As the sampling rate is limited by electronic technology, the remaining option is to extend the Figure 3. Advance process control principle of rotor weigh feeder. weighing area.

The rotor weigh feeder extends the weighing area to the whole throughput of the machine and in this way the accuracy and also stability is extended as much as possible (Figure 4, 5).

On the other hand, to avoid vibration of gear and rotating parts affecting the accuracy of the system, all friction of rotating parts and housing Figure 4. Weighing area division. should be minimised.

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Electrical and control points The rotor weigh feeder’s mechanical design weighs the whole of the machine instead of only dynamic parts. The advantages of this include: f The average material weight in total is not much changed and is easier to measure. f Extending the time for analogue-to-digital conversion provides a chance to check the measurement and reach a good level of accuracy.

In this way, the accuracy of the measurement and stability is increased. The controller is also equipped with an advanced process control strategy to omit fluctuation.

Typically, PID based controllers are used in the industry, however one problem with this strategy is that when an error occurs in the target value, the PID controlling system will try to correct the future target value based on the error.

In this way, there will always be some fluctuation in measurements and there is no way to omit these lapses. However, using APC technology that is theoretically based on model base controlling technology (MBC), the system will not use the error in the target value, but will instead use the input process value and model of the machine to predict future possible errors and correct them before they affect the target value (Figure 6).

To implement the APC controlling system in a rotor weigh feeder, the controller uses the material weight in each chamber at the entrance and calculates a related speed of each chamber in the output. In this way, it reaches an output without any fluctuations.

Solution When reviewing the problem at Saveh Cement plant, it was discovered that the heat exchange system was causing pellets to be mixed up with the raw meal to enter the system from time to time.

As this problem was also occurring at other plants, Simatec altered the design of its system.

As a result, the company modified the rotor parts to solve this problem. Simatec increased the material fluidisation of the rotor and also created a flexible part under the rotor to avoid

Figure 5. Material conveying principle.

blockage or pellets between the steel plate and rotor steel parts that could cause rotor unbalancing.

The company’s engineers decided to change the rotating down part from solid part to rubber

(Figure 7); in this way, the pellets or any small parts will be prevented from blocking solid steel parts or becoming lodged between down plates and rotor plates, as they will be swept out without any problem.

To tackle the restarting problems which sometimes occurred at the plants, the company added some extra air injection systems which created fluidisation on the powder material to reduce the blockage problem (Figure 8).

Review

Figure 7. Simatec changed the solid rotating part to rubber.

Regarding the modification of the rotor, Simatec expects that blockages will be reduced. f With the changing of the rotor down part to a flexible rubber part, the gearmotor power usage is reduced in normal operation and the blockage problem has been reduced to every six months on average. f With the installation of extra air injection units under the rotor for fluidisation of the material upon the start of the rotation, the problem has been solved.

As a result, after one year of operation with these modifications, Saveh Cement were satisfied with the project outcome. Simatec will therefore implement these modifications as standard and reach the same level of satisfaction in upcoming projects.

About the authors Amir Zarei is an electrical engineer and studied at Beheshti university. He is currently Vice President of Simatec Process Co Ltd. Figure 8. Added air injection systems on the material area were installed to reduce the blockage problem.

Amirhossein Sadighi is an industrial engineer and studied at Amirkabir university. He now works as a project planner for Saveh Cement Co.

Figure 6. Predictive controlling sample diagram.

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World Cement May 2021

FLASH Dr. Dominik Aufderheide and Dr.. Luigi Di Matteo, DI MATTEO Group., discuss the advantages of integrating a flash dryer into handling lines for alternative fuels.

FORWARD M

any alternative fuels (AF) are derived from waste streams and therefore are prone to changing material properties.

A high variation of humidity especially can often lead to challenging process situations, since the variation of the water content causes a non-constant energy influx in the combustion process. One possible means of compensating for these problems is the integration of modern fuel flash dryers into the AF handling line.

This article provides an overview of the functional principle of these machines and summarises typical characteristics of the operation of dryers, which need to be considered by the plant operator.

The high energy demand of the cement manufacturing process has promoted the goal of substituting classic fossil fuels for the clinkering process with more cost-effective and sustainable alternatives.

Besides the obvious economic advantages of such an approach, there appears to be little alternative when it comes to an evaluation of the ecological aspects of modern cement production.

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In times where typical stakeholders in cement plants are more sensitive towards the protection of the environment and sustainable manufacturing strategies, it is important that the implementation strategies for alternative fuels are chosen wisely.

In this context, it needs to be understood by all involved parties from the very beginning of a project, that typical material streams for AF differ immensely from those of other raw materials and fuels. Most substitute fuels are nowadays derived from industrial and/or municipal waste streams (e.g. residue derived fuels – RDF), biomass (e.g. rice straw, corn plants, etc.) or tyres (e.g. in shredded or fluffy form). One of the major challenges for the utilisation of AF starts even before the material arrives in the cement plant.1 The establishment of a proper logistics

chain often requires the involvement of more than a single exclusive preparation plant as a supply partner, which has certain advantages if it comes to guaranteeing a continuous material stream, but the more fuel sources are used, the greater the instability of the quality and properties of the AF. Even if smart contracting and purchasing can compensate for some problems, it is important to consider that the typical AF material properties are volatile and that these inconsistencies will lead to challenging situations during the utilisation of these fuels. This article will detail a short case study on how the moisture content of AF might affect the combustion process by taking into consideration the typical dosing scheme utilised in modern AF feeding plants. Flash drying techniques will also be introduced as an efficient methodology to dry out the surface moisture of fuel particles within a few seconds and homogenise the characteristics of each fuel; this therefore helps to increase the process stability. Finally, the article concludes with an overview of the typical advantages accompanied by the integration of flash dryers into AF handling concepts.

Figure 1. Adaption factor for the calorific value of an alternative fuel according to its humidity.

Humidity and its

importance for the combustion process

Figure 2. Case study for an alternative fuel with varying characteristics.

Left: Histogram and derived Gaussian distribution of the humidity variation of an AF; Right: Resulting variation within the calorific value of the AF.

Figure 3. Combustion process of AF particles in the flame.3 40

As mentioned, the volatile nature of almost all alternative fuels, which are derived from waste, leads to challenging process conditions.

However, it is possible to identify the humidity content of AFs and how the amount of water within the fuel streams affects the combustion process. It is also possible to maintain the correct temperature profile of the kiln by controlling the feeding system and the fuel homogeneity of alternative fuels with a uniform heating value and moisture content. In order to highlight the importance of this aspect, a short case study will be outlined, where the actual AF material stream is directly dosed to the combustion process (e.g. the rotary kiln main World Cement May 2021

flame or the pre-calciner). The composition of the alternative fuel can be used to estimate the lower heating value by using the following equation:

As can be seen, there is a direct relation between the water content of the AF and the resulting energy content. Thus, it can be concluded that, the higher the moisture content of a fuel, the lower its calorific value. Usually the influence of the moisture can be modelled for each composition by using an adaption factor, which can be used to calculate the increase or decrease in energy content based on a reference moisture (e.g. 15%) and is represented by a simple adaption coefficient. Figure 1 provides an example for such an adaption curve as gathered for a reference material.

If it is now assumed that the moisture of an alternative fuel varies between 5% and 20%, the actual energy content per mass also varies according to the adaption factor as shown in Figure 1 from 113% to 90% of its reference energy content gathered at a humidity level of 15%. Of course, this would only describe the change in energy content caused by the humidity variations; in reality, the deviation could be much higher, due to the influence of general inconsistencies within the composition of the AF. However, most AF handling systems use gravimetric dosing systems, where the actual amount of material transported to the burning process is metered in terms of a mass per time unit (e.g. tph). Usually gravimetric dosing systems, such as the ODM-WeighTUBE2 are able to dose the material with an accuracy of +/-1% from the massflow setpoint. Therefore, for a typical case, where 15 tph are transported to the combustion process, the variation over time in the actual energy content of the infeed fuel varies quite enormously. Figure 2 provides on overview of data captured from a typical scenario, where a humidity variation leads to a certain variation of the energy transported to the combustion process.

It can be concluded, that further control of the moisture content of the material instream would lead to a much more heterogeneous energy infeed and therefore a more stable process.

Furthermore, the combustion process of AF particles within the pre-calciner or the flame of the main burner can be also be considered as a process of different phases, as shown in Figure 3. Here, each AF particle subject to heat will first dry out before the actual combustion (pyrolysis, ignition and coke burn out) begins.

Therefore, the released thermal energy will be more efficiently used if the AF particles have a

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lower humidity when they enter the flame.

Pneumatic drying with a modern flash dryer

Figure 4. Typical setup of an ODM-FlashDRYER.

Figure 5. Typical drying curves: Left – Drying rate over drying time; Right – Drying rate as a function of the fuel’s water content.

Figure 6. Typical heavy particles sorted out during the drying process by the included air sifting element; Left – Case with primarily metallic parts and hard plastics; Right – Case with mainly mineral fractions, such as stones.

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Drying is a separation process that converts a wet solid, semisolid, or liquid feedstock into a solid product by evaporation of the liquid into a vapour phase with the application of heat.

Essential features of the drying process are phase change and production of a solid. Pneumatic or flash dryers may be classified as gas–solid transport systems that are characterised by continuous convective heat and mass transfer processes. Hot air produced by indirect heating or direct firing is the most common drying medium in these systems.

In direct flash dryers, the gas stream transports the solid particles through the system, and makes direct contact with the material to be dried. This gas stream (drying medium) also supplies the heat required for drying and carries away the evaporated moisture. Superheated steam can also be used as a drying medium, yielding sometimes to higher efficiencies and often to higher product quality.4 The large surface area for heat and mass transfer and the high convective heat and mass transfer coefficients, which take place at these units, result in high drying rates and, as a result, high drying capacity. The size of particulates to be dried is usually in the range of 10 – 500 mm. One of the features of these types of dryers is the relatively short contact time between the hot air and the particulate World Cement May 2021

materials (0.510 sec.) at the drying section.

Because of this, the material temperature stays low in the drying process.

Figure 4 shows a simple pneumatic flash drying system in which particulate solids are dried during transport in a hot gas stream (usually air or combustion gases). The simple flash drying system includes seven major components: the hot air fan or blower, the wet material inlet screw feeder, the drying duct, the cyclone or settling chamber, exhaust dust filter, a rotary valve and an outfeed screw feeder. The wet particles are fed into the hot gas stream, sometimes with special mixing devices. The stream flows up the drying tube. The gas velocity must be greater than the free fall velocity of the largest particle to be dried. The gas velocity in relation to the particle velocity is high. At the end of the drying process, a dust separation arrangement is installed. It must comply with the regulations for pollution control. For this purpose, cyclone dust separators, specially designed settling chambers, fabric filters, electrostatic precipitators, wet scrubbers, and fabric filters are used. In order to generate an air lock between the subsequent outfeed conveyors (e.g. outfeed screw conveyors) and the cyclone or settling chamber, there is usually an additional rotary airlock installed.

One of the major characteristics of flash dryers is the fact that the thermal contact between the conveying air and the solids as mentioned above is usually very short and therefore flash dryers are most suitable for removal of external moisture (surface moisture) and are less suitable for removal of internal moisture. If this is considered for AF, it should be noted that the majority of the humidity within their material streams can be associated with volatile surface moisture.

Therefore, the concept of flash drying perfectly fits with the actual properties of alternative fuels.

Furthermore, high rates of evaporation in flash dryers lead to low temperatures of the dried material. This is an indication that flash dryers are particularly useful for drying fuels, since the danger of an undesired ignition of the fuel during the drying process is very unlikely due to the low temperature profile. In addition, flash dryers are simple in construction, have low capital cost and are almost trouble free, seeing as there are almost no sophisticated moving parts involved. Figure 5 provides an insight into the drying process, where Figure 5 – (Left) shows the typical drying curve. This curve shows the drying rate over the possible drying time. As it can be seen from this curve, the most efficient drying period will be up to point B within the graph, where the dry out time will be almost constant. This is exactly the period utilised in a flash dryer. Afterwards, the drying efficiency

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decreases drastically. This can be explained by the fact that the efficiency depends actually on the water content within the fuel, as it can be seen in Figure 5 (Right).

Based on the classic flash drying principle, it is furthermore possible to incorporate a classic air sifting technique into the very same machine. As can be seen in Figure 4, at the lower end of the drying duct, there is an additional air lock installed.

This is typically built from two air-tight sliding gates, which are operated in such a way that the upper slider opens periodically and releases foreign and heavy particles which accumulate at the lower end of the riser duct due to the inability to transport heavy particles pneumatically within the air stream. When the first slide gate is opened, it will be closed again and the lower slide gate will then release those undesired particles to a waste container. This end of the machine can be interpreted as an air sifting device, which comes as an integral part of the flash drying principle.

Figure 6 shows typical particles, which are sorted out during the drying process by this sifting element.

This additional function of a flash dryer is often a very important aspect of its operation, when the actual combustion process is considered. Figure 7 illustrates the influence of undesired particles on the combustion process. The particles in the green colour represent high quality AF particles with a relatively small surface area and a general 2D morphology mainly based on plastic foil.

The particles ignite quickly and the combustion process is limited to the flame, while bigger particles with a bigger surface area and especially those with a 3D morphology (e.g. hard plastic pieces) would ignite much more slowly and would not completely burn within the flame. Particles with a larger ignition delay and higher particle-velocities burn later (low quality AF particle – red trajectory in Figure 7). As well as this, their heat release is also required for optimal conditions in the cement kiln.5 These particles can only be tolerated to a small degree.6

Conclusion The integration of a flash dryer into a handling line for alternative fuels has many advantages for

the operator, since on the one hand, the overall increase in the calorific value leads to a more efficient utilisation of the fuel itself. Furthermore, the homogenisation of the infeed fuel moisture helps to stabilise the clinkering process and to generally provide an opportunity to increase the substitution rate even further. As mentioned, the principle of the pneumatic drying also includes an air sifting element, which can be used to classify undesired foreign particles in the fuel stream.

The DI MATTEO Group in Germany has developed its modular ODM-FlashDRYER based on the general principle of pneumatic drying.

The overall system design is strictly modular and contains all of the necessary elements for possible inclusion in new projects.

Here, the company serves as the designer and fabricator of all necessary elements, as shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, the successful integration of a flash drying stage into existing feeding lines is possible. Figure 8 shows an example of an installed ODM-FlashDRYER for alternative fuels in a cement plant.

References 1. AUFDERHEIDE, D. and DI MATTEO, L., ‘A Holistic Approach for Alternative Fuel Utilisation in Cement Manufacturing’, In Proceedings of the 61st Annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference 2019, St. Louis, USA, IEEE – ISBN 978-1-7281-11599 2. AUFDERHEIDE, D. and DI MATTEO, L., ‘Toward Intelligent, Accurate Dosing and Weighing Systems for Bulk Materials.’, Cement Americas 1 (2020), pp. 19 – 28, Semco Publishing, Denver - ISSN 1533-5178 3. BAIER, H., ‘Proven Experience with Alternative Fuels in the Cement Kiln Process’, ZKG International 5 (2014), pp. 48 – 53, Bauverlag BV GmbH – ISSN 23661313 4. BORDE, I. & LEVY, A., ‘Pneumatic and Flash Drying’, Handbook of Industrial Drying, pp. 397 – 410, Taylor & Francis Group – ISBN 978-1574446685 5. AUFDERHEIDE, D., STROTKAMP, U., & WAGNER, K., ‘Increasing Alternative Fuel Utilization at Phoenix Cement’, Cement International, Vol. 18, n. 1, pp. 2 – 8, Jan. 2020, Verlag Bau+Technik, Erkrath ISSN 1610-6199

Figure 7. Trajectories of alternative fuel particles during co-combustion in a rotary kiln.

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6. AUFDERHEIDE, D. and DI MATTEO, L., ‘Best Practice Approaches for Co-Processing of Alternative Fuels in the Cement Industry’, Cement International, Vol. 15, n. 1, pp. 26 – 33, Jan. 2017, Verlag Bau+Technik, Erkrath - ISSN 1610-6199.

About the authors Dr. Dominik Aufderheide worked as the Head of the Automation and Research department at the DI MATTEO Group, Germany, for many years.

In 2020 he became a full professor for Industrial Metrology at the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bolton in the UK. He has been an active researcher in the field of process technology, automation and sensor technology for more than a decade and participates actively in the development of new technologies within the field of co-processing of alternative fuels within the cement industry.

Dr. Luigi Di Matteo is the CEO of the DI MATTEO Group, Germany. He received his doctorate degree from the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany. His contributions to the field of conveying and process technology, especially for problematic bulk materials, have become a key element for utilising alternative fuels within the clinkering process.

Figure 8. ODM-FlashDRYER.

Armin Waibel, UWT Gmbh, explores the benefits of using electromechanical measuring technologies for continuous level monitoring and interface measurement in the bulk materials industry.

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LEVELLING UP

C

oncerning precise interface measurement of different solids in liquids, there are popular project planning options for continuous level monitoring with lot systems and point level detection with vibrating forks. A company in England who manufactures stone recovery plants for the quarrying industry has recently implemented the electromechanical plumb bob NivoBob® for the detection of interface levels with the right feeling for the separating layer.

High solids content and moving surface There are various industries that require detection of sludge levels or detection of solids in liquids, e.g. in sediment containers or basins, filters or inclined clarifiers in the metal industry, chemical plants, lime or gravel works and the wastewater industry.

In these cases, the measurement accuracy and durability of the sensors is of particular importance as pollution, chemicals and gases can often affect measurement accuracy. UWT offers different configuration options for interface detection of solids in liquids as well as liquid layers for continuous measurement and for point level detection within these industries.

A manufacturer of stone recovery plants focusing on processing solutions for the quarrying,

aggregates recycling and handling industries was looking for consistent measurement equipment to improve its stone reclaim processes. The manufacturer provides washing systems and aggregate washing devices in England and Wales.

The process involves stones being placed in a container filled with water and stirred slowly. All the dirt is removed from the stones. The stones are then sold again as building material. The dirt in the water settles as mud at the bottom of the tank, and a measurement of the sludge level is required. From a certain height, the mud is pumped out. The plant operator had already tried a radar and an ultrasonic system, but both were unsuccessful due to the high solids content in the water and the movement of the water surface.

Several tests carried out by Graeme Hughes, Managing Director of UWT (UK) Ltd, with various sensors demonstrated that interface measurement using the electromechanical measuring principle of the compact NivoBob lot could be succesfully employed.

The electromechanical devices are robust and reliable due to their simple measuring principles.

The multi-functional technologies found in the NivoBob NB 3300 (rope version) and NB 3400 (tape version) plumb line systems have been specially modified for interface measurement.

47

The NivoBob system is designed to be simple to operate and durable, which keeps service and operating costs to a minimum.

They are ideal partners for use in the continuous measurement of sludge or salt levels in contaminated water containers or asbestos silos. The resistance to corrosive materials by the devices is of vital importance in order to achieve reliable results.

All process-contacting sensor parts are therefore coated or made of corrosion-resistant materials. The stainless steel wire rope version can be offered with a protective PA plastic covering and is highly resistant to aggressive media in waste water which can be found in settling ponds. The calibration of the sensor is straightforward and the weight adjustment can be implemented mechanically.

For the installations in England, the NivoBob NB 3300 with rope extension was used and proved to be a suitable measurement system for this interface application. The sensor weight, made of a suitable material and attached to a rope, is electromechanically lowered from the top into the vessel. Once the sensor weight rests on the material, the winding direction of the motor changes and the sensor weight is rewound to the upper stop position. For interface measurements, the sensor weight can be adjusted according to the density of the sediment. The distance is electronically measured and together with the programmed container geometry information, the microprocessors convert this distance into a volumetric output signal. The lot generates an analogue 4-20 mA signal and a Modbus RTU or Profibus DP interface for the evaluation systems. As the system is immune to dielectricity, conductivity, humidity and caking, the bob continuously delivers a reliable level signal. The sensing weight is not affected by the water movement. It moves through the water surface to the mud layer and detects the separating layer quickly and precisely. The sensing weight of the sensor can additionally be adjusted to the viscosity of the slurry. The plant was convinced by the reliable and easy-to-use system for measuring the sludge level in the wash tank.

Measurement without tangle One of the most commonly asked questions regarding this technology is: How can the tangling of the cables or ropes of the lot system be prevented, i.e. as a result of constant winding and unwinding or by material being drawn up causing interference? UWT has addressed this problem and has introduced a design which utilises only one or two reels. It has also been equipped with a brush cleaning system and a spring-tensioned tape fitted with a scraping mechanism that removes material from the rope when it is retracted into the housing. Additionally the NivoBob lot systems feature heavy-duty ropes which prevent the sensor weights from being disconnected and causing possible damage.

Precise interface measurement of solids in liquids with lot NivoBob for continuous level detection, or vibrating fork Vibranivo for point level detection.

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More transparency by level visualisation The plant operator also requested an economical and practical solution in the form of a central World Cement May 2021

level-remote system. The goal was to make the process management more transparent and efficient through continuous level control and detailed planning. Therefore, a level visualisation system was connected.

The electromechanical lot system devices communicate directly with PLC control systems via an analogue 4-20 mA signal or even a MODBUS RTU or Profibus digital protocol. Thus, the lot systems were directly compatible with all conventional control systems. Because of the wide range of different level control solutions within the UWT NivoTec® series, an economical model could be found for the plant. The level signals of the installed NivoBob on each container were bundled by the visualisation software combined with a WAGO WebController.

The information received was passed to the internet using an Ethernet connection via a routed IP address.

The plant could securely access this information (password-protected) via any internet browser at any time of the day over a pre-defined IP address. It is possible to include any number of other containers in the visualisation system, without additional hardware or costs.

If the priority is to keep installations at the plant to a minimum, a GSM modem can be used to remotely access the data. In this case, for the data transmission, no ethernet connection is required, but only a SIM card in the WAGO to pass the modem.

This modem collects all level signals and sends them in an encrypted log via mobile phone over the internet to the appropriate controller.

The installation of the system was straightforward and could be carried out by the plant’s own service engineers. Control cabinets only had to be set-up once; afterwards no additional IT support was necessary. The system can be dismantled at one location and installed again at another without further costs.

Interface limits measurement To measure limit levels of sludge and solids in liquids, vibrating forks of the Vibranivo® series VN 1000 or VN 5000 can be installed very simply. The parts of the forks which come into contact with the medium are made of durable stainless steel. International requested approvals for use in hazardous locations (gas and dust) are standard. Electronically stimulated piezos cause the fork to vibrate. As soon as the sensor is covered with material, the vibration is dampened and the resulting electrical current change causes the output signal to switch. Once the material level falls below the sensor, it is free to vibrate again and the output signal is reset. The vibration probe puts the switching point where the application needs it.

The forks have a flexible configurable range and are available with extension tubes or in shorter versions.

Using series VN 1030 or VN 5030, even depths of approximately 4 m (13 ft) in a tank or a basin are

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possible as long as the installation position is from the top. The forks Vibranivo VN 1020 and VN 5020 with short probe arms ensure high robustness for applications with heavy mechanical loads. The VN 5000 series offers more space for wiring due to the larger housing, and additionally a flameproof design. The high sensitivity required for the respective solids detection can be easily adjusted on the electronics. The point level switch fork is robust, easy to operate, and can, via its series range, be precisely configured for each application.

Case study: Kazakhstan Interface measurement in stone reclaim slurry with NivoBob NB 3300: The sensitivity can be adjusted exactly to the consistency of the sludge by coarse and fine adjustment. Parts in contact with the process are plastic coated.

From left to right: VN 5030, VN 1030, VN 5020, VN 1020. Interface measurement of solids in liquids with vibrating fork for point level detection. The electronic has an adjustable sensitivity to find the right switch point. The devices have a robust 316L stainless steel probe.

In one of the largest cement plants in Kazakhstan, UWT was confronted with especially harsh working conditions. For their cement silos, the plant operator was looking for reliable continuous measurement technology. The combination of an extremely dusty and clumpy environment in the silos and a high process temperature required the right choice of instruments. The configuration of measurement technology for the storage silos was made with the electromechanical plumb bob that fit to the special installation demands. The particular challenge was the high socket pipe of the process connection. The measuring device had to cope with large measuring distances up to 30 m, rapid response to overfill protection and measurement of material within steep gradient cones.

For continuous level measurement within the cement storage silos the NivoBob NB 3200 tape version, certified according to explosion protection, was chosen. The integrated tape cleaner reliably prevents contamination of the mechanical chamber.

The cement manufacturer automated their level measurement in 50 of their silo cells containing raw cement by the lot measurement system. It was important for the manufacturer that the device was easy to set up and could cope with the exceptionally dusty environment. The user-friendly software with its quick set-up option in different languages made the programming of the required parameters an easy job. For the powdery materials of cement dust with a steep angle of repose, the use of an optional pin to secure the sensor weight and prevent it from slipping or falling off was recommended. The extended socket pipe of the sensor allowed the installation in the required process connection. According to the request of the manufacturer, as an additional safety feature, a maximal travel distance parameter of the sensor weight was set to avoid it from getting caught in the bottom of the bin when the silo was emptied.

Neither very dusty, nor clumpy conditions affect the measuring results of the lot system.

About the author Continuous measurement technology for a cement producer in Kazakhstan.

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Armin Waibel, Technical Service at UWT GmbH, is responsible for installations and commissioning as well as technical support and new applications. He supports customers around the globe.

World Cement May 2021

FINDING THE

PERFECT MATCH

T Dan Blanchet, Motion Industries, explains how matching conveying applications to the correct conveyor belt rubber compounds for each stage of cement production could effectively improve performance and lower maintenance demands.

here is incredible variety in today’s conveyor belt rubber compounds. Rubber can be formulated to resist heat, cold, oils, cuts and gouges, abrasion, fire and material buildup. Each special compound of rubber, when applied to the correct conveyor belt carcass, can help mitigate many of the problems associated with bulk materials handling.

The cement production industry provides us with a microcosm to examine how conveying applications should be matched to the correct conveyor belt rubber compounds to improve performance and lower maintenance demands. Embodying many different and sometimes opposing stressors on conveyor belting, the cement production industry illustrates how one conveyor belt rubber compound does not fit all applications.

51

The stages of cement production There are six distinct stages of cement production where conveyor belting is often used. Each stage is demanding on the conveyor belting used, and the conveyor belt must be specifically engineered to meet those demands.

The phases of production are quarrying and crushing, storing and homogenising, raw grinding and filtering, clinker burning, finish grinding, and distribution.

Modern cement starts as limestone.

Limestone is a common type of carbonate sedimentary rock. Often formed in shallow marine environments, limestone formations make up much of the world’s bedrock but can sometimes be exposed to the surface.

Limestone must be quarried from the earth before the process of cement production can begin. After the limestone is exposed it is often blasted into large jagged blocks of rock.

These rocks must then be transported to a crusher where they are broken up into a smaller, more uniform size. Conveyor belting used to transport the limestone at this stage must be able to withstand punishing forces as sharp jagged limestone boulders are often dropped onto the belt from various heights.

Cutaway of heavy-duty belting construction.

Each stage of cement production is demanding on the conveyor belting used, and the conveyor belt must be specifically engineered to meet those demands.

Cement plants like this one can maximise uptime by using belting that can withstand prolonged high temperatures.

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This requires the conveyor belt to be able to resist punctures, cuts, and gouges. The rubber compounds used on these conveyor belts need to protect the conveyor belt carcass as much as possible against this impact. ARPM Grade 1 rubber compounds perform best in these applications. The Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (APRM) maintains a set of standards by which rubber products from various manufactures can be compared.

Grade 1 rubber has the highest resistance to impacts, cuts and gouges.

In the next stage of storing and homogenising, the crushed limestone is transported, sometimes over great distances, from the primary crusher to stockpiles.

Conveyor belts used in this stage need to offer easy troughability, resistance to material buildup, and the ability to withstand abrasion.

Abrasion can easily be the biggest factor in the working life of a conveyor belt, however it should not be confused with cutting and gouging, as many cut- and gouge-resistant belts can be less abrasion resistant. Consider using an ARPM Grade 2 rubber belt in applications where abrasion is the biggest concern.

In the raw grind and filtering stage, the limestone is mixed with other raw materials and ground into a fine powder. This powder can be difficult to contain and is likely to build up on conveyor idler rollers and around transfer areas. These build-up deposits are notorious for causing conveyor belt abrasion. ARPM Grade 2 rubber conveyor belts should be used in these applications.

The powdered limestone mixture is conveyed to a kiln where it is burned at high temperatures to become clinker. Coal is often used in the burning process, and the conveyor belt selected to convey that coal should be designed and certified to resist fire. The hot clinker comes out of the kiln at temperatures of over 200°C. Of all the demands placed on conveyor belts, heat can be the most unforgiving and damaging.

High-temperature environments accelerate the ageing process, which causes the rubber to harden and crack. Conveyor belts designed to convey materials at these temperatures must be able to withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures, not just a spike for a minute or two. Choosing the correct rubber compounds is essential when operating temperatures can exceed the melting point of the conveyor belt’s carcass. Abrasion is also a major concern with hot clinker. It is important to perform due diligence when comparing the claims of heat-resistant rubber conveyor belt manufacturers. Standards vary widely from one manufacturer to the next.

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In the finish milling and distribution stages, the cooled clinker is ground again, stockpiled, and loaded out for ground or water transportation. At these stages, the cement can be transported by horizontal conveyors and bucket elevators. The continuous heat these elevators operate under makes conveyor belt elongation, or ‘stretch’, a major concern.

Bucket elevators are usually constructed with minimal conveyor belt take-ups. Any elongation of the conveyor belt can cause costly downtime. The conveyor belt carcass is the determining factor in the amount of stretch in a conveyor belt, but a quality rubber compound is crucial to protecting that carcass.

The elevator may require the rubber to be heat resistant, and abrasion is also a concern.

be considered. Just as rubber compounds are engineered to meet the demands of various applications, so too are conveyor belt carcasses. Where the rubber on a conveyor belt is mostly the part that can be seen and is exposed to a variety of external forces, the carcass of a conveyor belt carries the load and is under immense tension. Conveyor belt failure can result from poorly manufactured, underspecified or even overspecified carcasses.

The importance of selecting the correct conveyor belting can easily be misunderstood.

Not all rubber conveyor belts are the same and they should not be treated as an interchangeable commodity. Using the wrong conveyor belt or using a conveyor belt incorrectly will cause premature failure and loss of production capabilities.

Conclusion In summary, it is imperative to understand the cement production process and the demands placed on rubber conveyor belts – relative to the belt’s rubber compounds – in order to make the best decisions and maximise uptime. It is important to remember that rubber compounds must be carefully formulated and tailored to match the application requirements. In addition to using the correct rubber compound, a quality conveyor belt carcass must also

About the author Dan Blanchet is a belt specialist at Motion Industries and manages the DP Brown service department. He joined DP Brown (now part of Mi Conveyance Solutions) in 2000, where he started the field service vulcanising and installation division. Blanchet grew up in his family’s conveyor business, manufacturing and installing conveyors for the poultry industry.

Moisés R. Nunez, Cemengal, outlines how modular grinding systems could offer a faster, more flexible, and portable solution compared to more conventional set-ups.

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oday, cement producers are facing major challenges that could make them doubtful about investing in new greenfield projects. One such challenge is that the time period between conducting primary market research, to reaching the cement production stage could dramatically change, especially in developing or undeveloped countries. It could be that by the time cement producers decide to invest, a competitor is already building a new facility, and the market research previously conducted could have no validity at all.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt all around the world – the fear of an

unknown situation, how long the situation will last, and how deeply it will affect people’s daily lives, as well as the impact on the economy.

Now more than ever, investing over €200 million in a clinker line could be a risky business. It would be likely to take a significant amount of time to recover the investments in such a project, while a grinding station could be an easier solution with better ROI, offering scope for a faster and less risky project.

A greater number of grinding station projects worldwide are being carried out compared to clinker line projects.

The question is – which of the many grinding station solutions available is the best?

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The ball mill and vertical roller mill are the two main grinding technologies available. The answer to which solution/technology is better, is not easy and depends on multiple factors such as: f The type of raw materials for grinding. f Grindability and percentage of moisture in these raw materials. f Blaine and regularity of the final product.

f f f f f f

Number of hours the plant is running per year.

Maintenance costs.

Spare part costs.

Location of the plant.

Production capacity of the plant.

The people running the plant.

Depending on the multiple possible circumstances, a ball mill or vertical mill would likely be the solution. Each technology has its advantages and disadvantages, but both will fulfil cement producers’ needs with no problem at all.

Cemengal works with each individual client to reach what would be the best solution for every single case. Cemengal has seen examples of plants using VRM, and in the next project with the same client, a ball mill has been chosen.

The client will be able to learn which solution is best suited for their application, if they are able to work with a company that can offer both ball mill and VRM technologies.

Cemengal works with both technologies and therefore can propose the best solution for each individual case.

Plug&Grind Classic with a production rate of 90 000 tpy Eight years ago the company noticed for Cementos Progreso at Belmopán (Belize). that there was a gap in the cement industry for small and medium size grinding station projects. For this reason, Cemengal invented the Plug&Grind®, a modular small/medium size grinding station with ball mill and VRM technology; 42 units of the grinding station have been sold. The company offers a full variety of technologies, and a wide range of different production sizes.

The company believes that cement producers should invest in a modular station over a conventional grinding station. The advantages of a modular grinding station such as a Plug&Grind include: f Quick payback. f A very moderate investment. f A modular grinding station offers a portable solution, which allows the Plug&Grind XL unit with a production rate of 220 000 tpy grinding station to be moved if the market for Invercem at Trujillo (Peru). requires it. It gives cement producers the flexibility to move their installations in case market conditions do not develop as expected. f The yearly cement production of the Plug&Grind Classic is around 100 000 tpy of cement, and for the Plug&Grind XL is around 250 000 tpy of cement. For the Plug&Grind X-treme, yearly production is about 400 000 tpy of cement and for the VP&G it is over 500 000 tpy of cement. f The real- and effective-time schedule is below 10 months including complete Plug&Grind XL unit with a production rate of 220 000 tpy delivery. for Cementos Argos at San Pedro Sula (Honduras).

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f Cement could be produced within 11 to 14 months after the contract is signed, depending on the selected model. f Plants are mobile and compact and are easy to assemble and transfer to other locations. f The equipment comes preassembled inside the regular containers and modules. The pre-assembling rates from 85% electrical to 96% mechanical. f Plants are fully equipped and ready to produce cement after final assembly. f Plants are simple and easy to operate/maintain. f It helps the logistics by grinding raw materials at destinations close to the concrete batching plants by avoiding the handling of cement directly (due to dust, leakages and expense). If the business experiences unexpected circumstances, the client can always pack the containers and transfer to somewhere else.

Cemengal’s Plug&Grind offers flexibility in brownfield projects as well as greenfield projects, to increase clinker grinding production capacity, or to produce special cements, such as: high blaine cement, etc.

These types of projects have been carried out with Lafarge Holcim and Cementos Fortaleza.

The company is proud to have Plug&Grind clients all over the world like Argos, CRH, Lafarge Holcim, CENOSA, Cemindo Gemilan, Mombasa Cement, Cementos Melón, Ndovu Cement, Kampala Cement, Cemento Regional, Big Boss Cement, Chingitty Cement, Invercem, Cementos Prima, and Cementos Bío Bío.

The Modern Way

About the author Moisés R. Nunez has been Cemengal’s Sales & Marketing Manager since 2008 and is the co-inventor of the Plug&Grind®. Moisés previously worked in the food and tobacco industry for a few years in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, before joining Lafarge Spain back in 1992, where he worked for 11 years. Later, he worked for a clinker and cement trading company in Spain for almost five years.

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CHANGE IS

Ari Alkalay, Nesher Israeli Cement Enterprises, explains how AugWind Energy’s solution helped optimise the efficiency and productivity of the company’s compressed air system.

A

ll around the globe, the energy market is changing: with the transition to cleaner energy and an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the importance of reducing energy consumption, ensuring energy efficiency, and optimising factory operations has become crucial.

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Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises is one of Israel’s leading cement producers and sees itself as a leader in technology, both in the production of cement and in the implementation of energy efficiency measures in its processes.

The company views innovation as a guiding principle and an integral part of its values.

IN THE AIR

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With these things as a top priority, Nesher invests in projects that support this strategy.

One project that Nesher is leading includes a plan to increase the efficiency of its compressed

Three AirX vessels during installation.

air systems, both in general, and more specifically in its pneumatic cement conveyor (conveying cement from the mills to the silos). Motivated to reduce energy consumption and reduce its footprint, Nesher collaborated with another Israeli company, AugWind Energy.

AugWind is a technology company in the energy sector specialising in energy storage and compressed air system efficiency. AugWind has developed the first compressed air energy storage (CAES) system that is green, modular, scalable, and reliable – the AirBattery. The system is based on the company’s patented technology of a large-scale underground compressed air storage unit – the AirX. Based on the industry’s needs to reduce energy consumption and operational costs for compressed air systems, AugWind has developed a product with the underlying AirX technology – the AirSmart. The AirSmart essentially acts as a large buffer between the compressors and the compressed air consumers, reducing the amount of energy required for efficient operation.

The challenge Nesher’s cement plant has 12 cement silos for the storage of six different types of cement. Each of the silos are fed from several cement mills which are between 150 and 500 m away from the silos.

The plant uses three pneumatic pump systems to deliver the cement to the silos by dense phase conveying.

Nesher’s challenge was to upgrade its current cement delivery system to a more cost-effective Augwind AirSmart underground storage unit process and optimise its compressed air illustration. production. To accomplish these goals, the energy consumption per ton of cement delivered needed to be reduced and the energy efficiency improved. AirSmart was the solution.

Augwind’s challenge was to reduce the compressors’ operating pressure and the air capacity per conveying cycle, increase stability and availability, and consequently reduce energy consumption.

To complete each of these targets, AugWind performed an analysis using its proprietary simulator on the best fit of the AirSmart based on the plant’s operation.

The solution was to connect The diagram displays the improvement in compressed air systems to the plant’s pneumatic efficiency before and after the implementation of AugWind’s pump system with a vast AirSmart, from 0.17 to 0.11 kWh/m3, resuting in a 35% improvement. underground compressed 0.06 kWh/m3 less energy is used to generate the same amount of air reservoir of 420 m3 compressed air as before.

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World Cement May 2021

(seven AirX pressure vessels of 60 m3 each) and its unique pressure control system. The system acts as a compressed air storage, available for each of the three pneumatic pump systems at demand, while being charged by the plant’s compressors in between conveying cycles.

The solution Augwind’s Airsmart is an underground, cost-effective large volume pressurised air tank. This reservoir allows the compressed air system to operate at best yield and efficiency, by connecting seamlessly with the plant’s operating system, including those at the Nesher plant. Augwind’s AirX unit is an elastic vessel designed to harness the geomechanical power of the earth to support pressure of up to 40 bar, eliminating the use of thick steel walls, as used in above-ground pressurised vessels. It comes in three off-the-shelf sizes of 30, 50 and 60 m3, and can be implemented in any size and configuration.

AirSmart supplies compressed air at the specific amount required and optimises factory operations.

With zero footprint, it enables the use of the factory above for the plant’s day-to-day needs. It can be implemented under a parking lot, a garden, an operational area etc., and therefore can save valuable space.

The system is completely scalable and suitable for all types of pressurised air consuming industries and processes. These systems have been successfully installed in industries such as plastic, metal, dairy, bottling, and of course cement. To supply the optimal solution for each customer, AugWind has developed a proprietary simulator for the AirSmart that analyses the plant’s compressed air system operation to calculate the maximum savings based on a cost-effective configuration.

AirSmart is a viable solution for any medium-to-large scale plants which use compressed air with a variable demand for their day-to-day operations. This specifically applies to cement production companies such as Nesher, looking to reduce their footprint and reduce energy consumption while improving operational efficiency. The system allows for savings of up to 50% in compressed air systems’ power consumption, depending on the industry and application, while improving production continuity.

Case study Augwind’s solution to meet Nesher’s targets has exceeded expectations. With a vast compressed air volume of 420 m3 (seven AirX vessels of 60 m3 each), smartly engineered to integrate into the plant while being invisible and with zero

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interference with any of the plant’s real-estate or other processes, significant improvements were made: f Compressor operating pressure setpoint was reduced from 7.5 to 4.5 bar. f Average flow rate per conveying cycle dropped from 4000 m3/h to 2200 m3/h. f Total flow rate stabilised for smoother operation of the compressors. f Average air volume per conveying cycle dropped from 580 to 450 m3. f Increase in density of the dense-phase process.

Three AirX vessels in operation. The operational area returned to previous state, with zero waste of real-estate or interruption to day-to-day use.

These numbers topped even the pneumatic pump system performance evaluated prior to project implementation, resulting in: f Air production efficiency improving from 0.17 kWh to 0.11 kWh for each cubic metre of compressed air produced, resulting in 35% savings. f Air consumption dropping by 13%.

Summary

The diagram displays the improvement in compressed air flow rate, for each pneumatic pump, before and after the implementation of AugWind’s AirSmart, from 4000 to 2200 m3 per hour. This results in total air volume drop from 580 to 450 m3 per conveying cycle.

The diagram displays the change in operating pressure and in pressure drop, during the conveying cycle, before and after the implementation of AugWind’s AirSmart. The large reservoir helps reduce the compressors’ operating pressure setpoint from 7.5 to 4.5 bar and eliminates most of the pressure drop during the conveying cycle. Therefore, pressure variation dropped from 7.5 ÷ 1.5 to 4.5 ÷ 3 bar, increasing the process stability and continuity.

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Nesher’s decision to utilise AugWind’s AirSmart technology helped change its compressed air system operation, making it more efficient and thus more profitable. Augwind’s system, implemented as an integral part of the pneumatic pump system, acts as a large compressed air reservoir and is found to benefit the operation of the entire air system in terms of efficiency improvement and power consumption reduction.

AirSmart enabled savings of 35% in Neshers’ compressed air system power consumption. This was achieved by a technology that altered the plant’s systems, allowing the delivery to become denser, air to become more available, flow and pressure to become more stable and the overall process to become more efficient.

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This was achieved by installing seven 60 m3 AirX vessels underground, completely out of sight. Augwind and Nesher’s solution demonstrates that cost-effective energy efficiency of air systems in plants is possible. Companies worldwide can reduce costs, become more efficient and increase production, all at the same time.

About the author

Cement pneumatic pump system.

Ari Alkalay has been a mechanical engineer for the last 22 years. He gained his work experience in the Israeli industry starting with maintenance, design, projects and management positions over the years.

Ari is currently the Cement Grinding Division Manager at Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises Ltd. Improving systems has always been an important part of Ari’s career and he believes that the purpose of an engineer is to maintain the existing systems and strive for continuous improvements.

This passion for system improvement led Ari to investigate the energy consumption in cement delivery. He is proud to have led an excellent team of engineers from both Nesher and Augwind to the success of this project.

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CUTTING THE COST OF

COMPLIANCE

Dr. Ian Saratovsky, Gerald Hunt and Martin Dillon, Lhoist North America, suggest how cement producers could achieve the most operationally cost-effective dry sorbent injection (DSI) programme, whilst complying with stringent SO2, HCl and mercury (Hg) emissions limits.

T

he Portland cement (PC) manufacturing process often results in the emission of gaseous pollutants, including SO2, HCl, and mercury (Hg) released from heating of the raw materials as well as firing of solid fuels inside the kiln. Throughout the US and the world, PC production facilities are required to control their acid gas and mercury emissions

due to limits dictated in their operating permits, consent decrees and/or other regulatory mandates. In the United States, the Clean Air Act has previously driven the acid gas emission control requirements; however, other regulations and limits have recently been passed, such as National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) which drives increasingly more stringent limits on SO2 emissions.

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Specific to PC manufacture in the US, the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) provides numerical limits for the emissions of particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons, dioxins/furans, mercury, and HCl. Dry sorbent injection (DSI) offers a cost-effective solution to comply with these regulatory requirements.

During the DSI system design phase, careful attention must be paid to sorbent selection, sorbent application location, and sorbent distribution into the gas stream to maximise the DSI system performance. In this article, various critical aspects of system optimisation are discussed in order to achieve the lowest overall cost of compliance.

Background System capital expenditure DSI and activated carbon injection (ACI) are two mature and low capital technologies for acid gas control and vapour-phase mercury reduction, respectively. Both Hg and acid gas control sorbents have proven effective in a variety of industrial plants (i.e. utility, biomass, cement, waste incinerators, etc.) and have been used commercially in Europe and the United States for over 20 years. Trial results from a past HCl test campaign with CEMEX and Lhoist North America were detailed in a previous World Cement article.1 DSI and ACI Figure 1. Physical and chemical properties of various injection systems usually consist of storage hydrated lime sorbents. (either silo storage or bulk bag, i.e. ‘super sack’) after which product is metered into an air stream and conveyed via dilute-phase into the process gas stream, upstream of a particulate collection device. However, while often considered a low capital solution relative to other acid gas scrubbing technologies, the greatest capital associated with DSI and ACI is the initial equipment procurement and installation. For applications where mercury control is either intermittent or low injection rates are need, a blended hydrated lime (HL) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) sorbent allow for a single feed system to be used. For example, Lhoist’s blended HL-PAC product enables concurrent acid gas and Hg control using a single sorbent injection system Figure 2. Impact of sorbent physical properties on (versus installing and maintaining two nearly SO2 capture. Pore volume and surface are the two key identical systems) and injects the sorbents performance indicators for hydrated lime products. simultaneously as a pre-blended, homogeneous product. Lhoist produces customised enhanced hydrated lime (branded Sorbacal® SP and SPS) blends with brominated PAC in either bag or bulk, in 5% Figure 3. SO2 Reduction. Sorbacal SP (2nd generation EHLS) versus standard PAC (w/w) blend hydrate. Sorbacal SP (2nd Generation EHLS) resulted in a 54% reduction in increments up to sorbent usage over a standard hydrated lime.

30%.

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World Cement May 2021

Optimising operating expenditure While a single, blended sorbent for Hg and acid gas can decrease overall system capital expenditure, careful attention should be paid to optimising the quantity of sorbent required to achieve compliance. DSI system design guidelines are discussed in detail elsewhere.3,4 The focus of this article is to provide sorbent selection and sorbent application guidelines to achieve the most operationally cost-effective DSI programme. To this end, prior to equipment design and selection phases (or after system commissioning, if this was overlooked during design), plants should consider: f Optimal injection location (depends on target pollutants). f Sorbent type. f Sorbent application/distribution within the gas stream.

Sorbent trials with temporary DSI systems are highly recommended, before system design and selection phases or to evaluate alternative injection locations after a DSI system is installed.

Sorbent trials should include measurement of dose-response (i.e. parametric) curves at several different locations within the plant to identify the most efficient injection strategy.

DSI programme design considerations to minimise operating costs

f Sorbent type – Standard hydrated lime?

Enhanced hydrated lime? Hydrated lime blended with powdered activated carbon (PAC) for simultaneous acid gas and Hg abatement? f Injection location – Sorbent injection at kiln inlet? Gas conditioning tower (GCT) inlet?

GCT outlet? Baghouse inlet? ID fan inlet?

Abatement of HCl and SO2 often require different injection locations. f Injection lance type and configuration – Standard pipe lances? Advanced sorbent distribution technologies? Static mixing lance designs? Dynamic mixing lance designs?

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Differences in hydrated lime sorbents Over the past 20 years, calcium-based sorbents have evolved, driven by the need to improve acid gas capture efficiencies. Realisation of the importance of physical properties, such as particle size distribution (PSD), pore volume, and surface area led to the development of enhanced hydrated lime sorbents (EHLS) by engineering these properties to create more reactive hydrated lime sorbents. Sorbent physical properties directly impact material handling properties and acid gas removal performance, ultimately dictating annual operating expenditures. Figure 1 compares Lhoist’s commercially available hydrated lime sorbents and their typical properties. Lhoist’s EHLS products are branded Sorbacal, the 2nd generation product is

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Sorbacal SP, and 3rd generation is Sorbacal SPS. Sorbacal SPS is a chemically-activated formulation of Sorbacal SP, specifically designed to provide enhanced acid gas capture performance. Figure 2 demonstrates the evolution of EHLS product physical properties and the resultant impact on SO2

capture efficiencies. Pore volume (and indirectly, surface area) is the key performance driver for acid gas capture. While not critical to performance, sorbent particle size dictates material handling properties and removal efficiencies in electrostatic precipitators and baghouse filters. Empirical data from the field as well as laboratory flow testing have demonstrated that larger median particle diameters (i.e. D50) are recommended for optimum handling.2,6 Specifically, a 32% improvement in flow properties was demonstrated between particles with D50 = 2 µm and particles D50 = 11 µm.8,9 This is likely due to small particle sized hydrated lime sorbents being more cohesive than larger particles, and small particles can facilitate pluggage in the conveying system.8 Additionally, fine particle sized hydrated lime can become irreversibly lodged in baghouse filter bags and bin vents (i.e. ‘blinding’), and can result in premature wear and poor bag cleaning Figure 3. Physical and chemical properties of various hydrated efficiencies. Users should lime sorbents. Simultaneous SO2 and Hg abatement with Sorbacal refer to their manufacturers’ SP-PAC blended product. Acid gas emission measurements by FTIR design information regarding were simultaneously conducted upstream of the injection lances particle size and carefully weigh (i.e. ‘SO2 inlet’ – green trace) and at the inlet to the baghouse filter the impacts of introducing (i.e. ‘SO2 outlet’ – red trace) to provide instantaneous performance particles outside of the design even with variable process conditions. Hg was measured by CEMs range. Likewise, electrostatic at the stack (dashed purple trace). The relative quantity of PAC precipitator (ESP) particulate blended with Sorbacal can be custom-tailored (between 5% and capture efficiencies decrease 30%) to meet specific needs. below approximately 6 µm and can result in increased particulate emissions.8,9 The key parameters to consider when choosing sorbents are pore volume, surface area, and median particle size (D50). Pore volume and surface area are the most critical performance drivers for acid gas capture. Particle size dictates material handling properties and removal efficiencies in electrostatic precipitators and baghouse filters. Larger median particle sizes (≥ 6 µm) have been found to offer the best handling8 and particle capture results.8,9 It is noteworthy that ‘available Ca(OH)2’ impacts acid gas Figure 4. Hg reduction with Sorbacal – PAC blended product removal performance to a much compared with a standard brominated PAC. Blending PAC with lesser extent than surface area Sorbacal hydrated lime products does not alter PAC performance.

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World Cement May 2021

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and pore volume since sorbent utilisation rates (i.e. fraction of calcium ions consumed in the reaction) are seldom in excess of 50%.

Enhanced hydrated lime sorbents provide the following benefits versus standard hydrated lime due to their engineered and improved physical properties designed to enhance acid gas reactivity: f Operating cost savings – EHLS typically reduce sorbent usage by 30 – 50% over standard hydrated lime sorbents, which results in a lower annual spend on sorbent. f Less impact on ESP/BH filter – Lower sorbent dosage rates will result in less dust loading to particulate capture equipment. Less dust

to an ESP may directly impact particulate collection efficiency and for a BH filter this could impact bag cleaning cycle frequency.

Particle sizes play a critical role in ESP/BH operational efficiencies. Respective equipment manufacturers should be consulted on particle size guidelines. f Fuel and raw material flexibility – If a lower cost fuel or raw material becomes available but results in an increased acid gas emissions, an EHLS can provide additional flexibility since it has the ability to achieve higher acid gas removal efficiencies than standard hydrated limes, without having to modify the existing DSI system. f Increased storage silo capacity – Lower sorbent consumption using EHLS results in more days of available storage in a fixed silo volume. Hence, reducing sorbent consumption by 50% equates to doubling the silo storage capacity. f One DSI system for acid gas and Hg control – EHLS blended with PAC are available and preclude the need for two separate systems.

Figure 6. Comparison of DSI performance as a function of injection Choosing the most location. Sorbacal was injected at three locations: (1) with kiln cost-effective sorbent feed, (2) at the gas cooling tower inlet, and (3) at the ID fan inlet.

The two most critical Note: these results do not always translate from plant to plant. It is components to implementing a critical to evaluate different injection locations at each plant to find successful compliance strategy the optimal injection location. are: f Proper sorbent selection. f Sorbent distribution in the gas stream.

Figure 7. DSI performance with different injection lance configurations. CFD modelling is a useful tool to guide lance configuration and design to maximise efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

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Assuming that the DSI system is properly designed, installed, and operated,2,6 choosing the most effective sorbent, injection location, and injection grid design are the next critical steps to optimising system cost-effectiveness. Although ELHS are typically more costly than standard sorbents on a delivered basis (i.e. U$/t), higher sorbent efficiencies often result in overall lower total cost of ownership. For example, an EHLS may cost 30% more than a standard hydrated lime; however, EHLS usage rates are often 30 – 50% lower than the standard hydrated lime, resulting World Cement May 2021

in a net cost saving. Figure 3 illustrates relative SO2 capture performance of a standard hydrated lime sorbent and an EHLS at an industrial facility.

Requesting proposals from sorbent suppliers Care should be taken when preparing sorbent requests for proposals (RFPs), since the quality specification outlined in the the RFP could inadvertently result in the selection of an unsuitable or single source supplier. Identify potential sorbent suppliers and communicate with them to better understand the most critical sorbent attributes as well as the chemical and physical properties of the sorbents they offer. For example, not understanding that sorbent purity (i.e. ‘available Ca(OH)2’) is less critical than surface area, pore volume, and that large particles are superior to smaller particles may result in choosing a single supplier, which may not be the most cost-effective choice.

that several injection locations are evaluated during a trial, with a temporary DSI system. For example, SO2 capture by hydrated lime is typically favoured with injection at higher temperature, whereas, HCl capture tends to be favoured at cooler temperatures. Figure 6 illustrates relative SO2 abatement performance in a cement plant, with injection at the kiln feed, gas cooling tower inlet, and ID fan inlet. Figure 7 illustrates the impact of lance design on sorbent performance. Without a trial to determine the best injection location, incorrect injector location selection can result in higher usage rates and annual costs.

Once injection location is determined, injection grid design is the next key performance driver.

Injection grid designs can be as simple as a single injection lance or as complicated as a multi-lance design with various penetration depths.

Sorbents blended with PAC For simultaneous Hg and acid gas abatement, Lhoist’s Sorbacal acid gas sorbents can be blended with powdered activated carbon (PAC).

Simultaneous capture of mercury and acid gases offers the advantage of requiring only one feed system to install and operate. For applications in which mercury control is either intermittent (i.e. when using certain raw materials) or only needed for low injection rates, a blended product can be advantageous.

Lhoist’s blended product enables concurrent acid gas and Hg control using a single sorbent injection system (versus installing and maintaining two nearly identical pieces of equipment) and injects the sorbents simultaneously as a pre-blended homogeneous product.

Injection location and lance configuration Another critical aspect of the DSI process is choosing the best injection location and specific design of the injection grid. The injection location and grid design directly impact how the sorbent is introduced into the gas stream. Sorbent distribution and coverage in the gas stream dictate pollutant removal efficiencies and resultant operating costs. A key question is where to locate the injector(s). The target pollutant(s) typically guide where to locate injection lances; however, it is recommended that each facility performs site-specific testing, especially for cement applications. It is recommended May 2021 World Cement

Figure 8. View of sorbent dispersion in process gas stream. Induct camera images of sorbent distribution at a cement plant.

Images were recorded upstream of the injection lance(s), which were located between an electrostatic precipitator and baghouse. (a) Illustrates the poor-sorbent distribution with the original single-lance configuration. The area in red highlights the white sorbent plume. (b) Illustrates the improved sorbent distribution with the addition of lance (for a total of six).

Additionally, flow was balanced by modulating dampers at the baghouse clean air plenum. Originally, flow in this duct was highly stratified (as verified with Pitot tube measurements), and flow balancing and addition of lances resulted in a cloud of sorbent distributed across the duct.

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Over the past few years new injection technologies have emerged, significantly improving sorbent distribution within the gas stream, and reducing sorbent consumption. These systems can result in operating cost savings with a relatively quick return on investment. CFD modelling is a beneficial tool to be used to guide injection grid design in order to optimise sorbent distribution. In-duct cameras can also be employed to visually inspect sorbent distribution following system installation to corroborate good distribution, and identify distribution inefficiencies. Figure 8 is a photograph taken with an in-duct camera inserted into the gas stream to evaluate sorbent dispersion during a full scale DSI field trial.

Conclusions Sorbent selection, proper location of injectors, and injector grid/lance design are the most critical parameters that determine overall DSI system efficiency. Over the past two decades, enhanced hydrated lime sorbents (EHLS) have been specifically optimised for acid gas abatement applications. In the past, sorbent selection was driven by geologically-dictated hydrated lime purity (i.e. available Ca(OH)2). Today, sorbent purity has little impact on performance and sorbent performance is primarily driven by porosity (i.e. surface area and pore volume). Additionally, blended sorbents (PAC and EHLS in one sorbent) can reduce the system cost (i.e. only one injection system is needed). EHLS particle sizes have been optimised for superior material handling and particulate capture by baghouse filters and/or precipitators (i.e. larger particles are better).

Locating injectors in a cement plant should be driven by data from trials with temporary DSI systems. Once injectors are located to maximise sorbent efficiency, injection grid design should be guided by CFD modelling. Following system installation, in-duct cameras can be used to evaluate and tune sorbent injection grids to insure excellent distribution and coverage. Many of these critical parameters are easily evaluated during a short product trial and can result in significant operating cost savings in the long run.

5. HEISZWOLF, J., SEWELL, M., & HUNT, G., ‘Enhanced Hydrated Lime – A Simple Solution for Acid Gas Compliance’, IEEE-IAS/PCA, May 2017.

6. ‘Dry Sorbent Injection for Acid Gas Control: Process Chemistry, Waste Disposal and Plant Operational Impacts’, Institute of Clean Air Companies, July 2016.

7. WOLF, D.,’ Results of Hydrated Lime DSI Field Trial Tests for HCl Removal from Industrial Coal Fired Boilers’, CIBO Industrial Emissions Control Technology XII Conference, August 2014.

8. ZHIBIN, Z. & GUOQUAN, Z., ‘Investigations of the Collection Efficiency of an Electrostatic Precipitator with Turbulent Effects’, Aerosol Sci. Technol. 1994, 20 (2), pp. 169 – 176.

9. LIN, G. Y., CHEN, T. M., & TSAI, C. J., ‘A Modified Deutsch-Anderson Equation for Predicting the Nanoparticle Collection Efficiency of Electrostatic Precipitators’, Aerosol Air Qual. Res. 2012, 12 (5), pp. 697 – 706.

About the authors Dr. Ian Saratovsky is Director of Lhoist North America’s Flue Gas Treatment group. He holds a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry and Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University, an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and was a Fellow at Oxford University in the UK for several years before entering the air pollution control industry.

Since then, Ian has gained 13 years of experience in air pollution control, wastewater treatment, and industrial process optimisation. Much of his work has focused on developing new products for acid gas abatement and efficiency improvements in solid fuel fired-units.

References

Martin Dillon is the Manager of Flue Gas Treatment Applications with Lhoist North America.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, a Masters in Engineering from Old Dominion University and is a registered Professional Engineer in Colorado. He has over 12 years of experience in the air pollution control industry and has worked on numerous multi-pollutant control demonstration projects for both electric utility and various industrial processes, including cement.

1. CIRO, W., & SEWELL, M., ‘HCl Control for MACT Compliance’,World Cement, April 2014, pp. 50 - 53 2. SEWELL, M., HUNT, G., ‘Optimizing Dry Sorbent Injection Technology’ World Cement, April 2015.

3. FILIPPELLI, G., ‘Living with Your DSI System’.

CIBO Boiler Operations, Maintenance & Performance Conference, May 2016.

4. FOO, R., DICKERMAN, J., HUNT, J., JOHNSON, L., & HEISZWOLF, J., ‘ESP Compatible Calcium Sorbent for SO2 Capture at Great River Energy’s Stanton Station’, MEGA Symposium Conference Proceedings, August 2016.

Gerald Hunt earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Chemical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He is currently a Manager of Flue Gas Treatment Applications with Lhoist North America, Fort Worth, TX. His over a decade of experience in the air pollution control industry includes performing field trials, proposal management, as well as process engineering in dry sorbent injection and wet flue gas desulfurisation technologies for the utility and industrial sectors.

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CONSIDERING CARBON CAPTURE AND UTILISATION Dr Paula Carey, Carbon8 Systems, describes how the process of carbonation could help to reduce the cement industry’s large-scale CO2 emissions.

T

here is no doubt that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of the most important strategies that needs to be implemented in order to deal with large scale industry emissions.

The cement industry, responsible for as much as 8% of global CO2 emissions is, however, in a difficult position compared

with most other large-scale CO2 emitters due to the locations of cement plants.

These are commonly isolated from other industries and are therefore distant from evolving CO2 clusters such as the Port of Rotterdam or Teesside, where plans are progressing to build the infrastructure to store captured CO2 in geological locations.

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The cement industry is therefore having to consider a wider range of solutions to reduce its high carbon footprint, such as the use of RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) rather than fossil fuels or using a range of SCMs (Supplementary Cementitious Materials). The industry has come a long way in recent years, reducing its carbon footprint from nearly 1 t of CO2 for every ton of cement produced to around 650 kg/t. There are limits to the amounts of SCMs that can be used without sacrificing cement quality, and the use of RDF results in an increase in the amount of

by-pass dust that needs to be removed because of chlorides within it.

Therefore, across the world, the cement industry is embracing both types of carbon capture technologies – capturing CO2 from the cement plant flue stacks and also supporting the development of technologies that are using captured CO2 to make useful products.

The industry has recognised that a portfolio of carbon capture and utilisation technologies are required to deal with the large volumes of CO2 that they are emitting.

Carbon dioxide is being used to manufacture fuel, plastics, methanol, or urea as precursors to a range of other chemicals, with a view to replacing the chemicals derived from fossil fuels.

Some of these technologies are already commercial but most are still at a pilot stage and are heavily subsidised by government research grants.

The manufacture of fuels and other chemicals is energy-intensive, with CO2 remaining ‘captured’ for mere weeks in fuel, unless used for energy storage, or months and years in the case of plastics and chemicals. Because these technologies are energy intensive, they require large quantities of renewable energy to ensure they remain carbon negative. In contrast, the conversion of CO2 into carbonates, termed ‘mineralisation’ or ‘carbonation’, is an exothermic process – energy is created as opposed to consumed, and the CO2 is locked away permanently in normal use.

Accelerated carbonation technology

The CO2ntainers soon to enter operation at the Vicat cement works in Montalieu, France.

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Carbonation is a natural process in which CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere over a period of several years in the case of concrete, or millennia in terms of rocks and the geological process of weathering, principally because the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is below 0.045%. Carbon dioxide reacts with calcium and magnesium silicates in cement within concrete, or in basic and ultrabasic rocks to form carbonates.

Carbon8 Systems developed Accelerated Carbonation Technology (ACT) as a treatment for contaminated soils and hazardous industrial thermal residues, including cement residues using CO2. The Carbon8 Systems business model is largely based on the high disposal costs for these residues and their valorisation through the manufacture of products such as World Cement May 2021

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CO2 reacts with calcium silicates in cement in the presence of water before they have the chance to hydrate, forming calcium carbonate and a de-calcified silicate. This reaction reduces the pH of the system and chemically and physically binds heavy metal contamination.

Many industrial thermal residues, such as steel slags, fly ash, incinerator bottom ash, or cement by-pass dusts, also contain calcium silicates as well as calcium oxides, which will rapidly react with CO2 if the conditions are controlled.

Because carbonation can reduce the hazardous nature of these residues, and products such as aggregates can be manufactured using the process, companies producing these residues can save on their disposal costs, permanently capture CO2, and have a product for sale in the construction market.

The mineralisation landscape Carbon8 Systems is one of several companies that has developed an accelerated form of carbonation where the reaction takes place in minutes or hours.

CarbonCure is probably the most well-known innovator in the field of mineralisation, using the delivery of carbon dioxide to green concrete to enhance the hydration of cement through the formation of small crystals of carbonate, on which hydrates can nucleate. Many ready-mix companies in the US are adopting their technology, delivering CO2 to the concrete as it is being poured, saving on the amount of cement required as well as directly turning a small amount of CO2 into carbonate.

Several companies (e.g. Orbix in Belgium and Carbicrete in Canada) are carbonating blocks made from steel slag. Other companies have developed low carbon cements which harden through carbonation, rather than or in addition to normal hydration, including Solidia and Heidelberg. A considerable amount of research and a number of pilot studies are looking at the carbonation of fines produced by the crushing of construction and demolition waste (CDW).

This is a very variable but abundant waste stream which is being turned into SCMs or fine aggregate for use in concrete.

Industrial application of ACT Carbon8 Systems’ technology has been licensed in the UK for the treatment of Air Pollution Control Residues from ‘Energy from Waste’ plants, and there are currently three fully operational plants treating up to 120 000 t of APCr a year. These plants use pure CO2 captured from fertiliser manufacture, for example, which is transported to site in a liquefied form in a tanker. The cost of pure 78

CO2, which is commonly destined for the food and drinks industry, and supply issues made it an obvious choice for Carbon8 Systems to develop a process to capture CO2 directly from the flue stack of a cement works or Energy from Waste plant.

In 2018, the company was awarded a grant by the Ontario Centre of Excellence Solutions 2030 competition, which allowed the company to undertake the first industrial-scale demonstration of direct flue gas capture of CO2, using its patented ACT process to carbonate cement by-pass dust at a CRH cement works in Mississauga, Ontario. The system was designed to be readily transportable, plug-and-play, and with a capacity that matched the amount of residue generated by the site.

Enabling ‘carbon capture in a box’, the ‘CO2ntainer’ consists of two 40 ft shipping containers which connect directly into a plant’s flue stack.

Based on the success of this project, a further demonstration plant was installed at the Hanson cement works at Ketton in the UK. Partially funded

by InnovateUK, the UK Government’s innovation agency, the company was able to design a more fully instrumented and automated plant for full commercial applications.

In July 2020, the first fully commercial installation of the CO2ntainer, with the Vicat Group, was announced. The CO2ntainer has now been installed at the Vicat cement works in Montalieu, near Lyons, and will enter commercial operation later this year.

In its first phase of operation, Carbon8 Systems’ CO2ntainer will process and convert up to 12 000 t of cement by-pass dust into aggregates that Vicat can commercially repurpose in various applications, for instance, in lightweight concrete blocks.

As well as the global cement industry, Carbon8 Systems’ ACT solution can be used in other industrial sectors, for example in power generation (Energy from Waste), the steel industry, and the paper industry – sectors where waste residue disposal is increasingly expensive and CO2 emissions need to be reduced as part of the transition to Net Zero by 2050. By utilising the waste at the source and onsite, companies using ACT will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, thus further reducing the environmental impact of their operations.

About the author Dr Paula Carey is the co-founder and Technical Director of Carbon8 Systems. Paula has been working on the development of accelerated carbonation for more than 20 years, and has an international reputation in the carbon capture sector, particularly regarding mineralisation.

World Cement May 2021

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Diego De La Sotta, Parsable, considers how people-centric technologies, like connected worker solutions, could be the key to successful cement plant digitalisation.

E

ven before the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalisation and modernising operations in the cement industry were key management priorities. The lessons quickly learned during this historic global disruption have made

going ‘digital’ even more urgent. Specifically, there is now no doubt that technology is essential to agility and the ability to respond rapidly to any unexpected stress, which is clearly required for any company to stay competitive.

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Digital transformation efforts often allude to more futuristic scenarios, like humanoid robots, wearable devices at scale, advanced machine learning, and artificial intelligence, but the urgency of providing digital access for the current human workforce cannot be overlooked.

Humans still perform 72% of tasks in factories1, according to research by A.T. Kearney, a global consulting firm. Elon Musk famously remarked, “Humans are underrated,” when Tesla was initially unable to meet its Model 3 automobile production goals.2 People, not machines, are the driving force behind cement production. While automation is a critical component of a well-run cement plant, it works best when it enhances human capabilities. Machines bring predictability to production, but people bring critical thinking and decision-making every day.

How can the industry marry the best of what its people have to offer – particularly its frontline operators – with vision-driven Industry 4.0 initiatives?

A pragmatic approach with tangible business and operational gains, along with a clear path to scale, are essential.

Digitalisation objectives in cement It is no surprise that the cement industry is increasingly challenged with improving productivity, ensuring safety, and complying with changing stricter regulatory and environmental protection policies.

Plant managers and executive teams alike are turning to digitalisation to achieve critical business and operational goals, including: f Keeping plants running and producing at the expected levels and speeds. Demand will remain very unpredictable, at least through 2021. In the United States, the PCA (Portland Cement Association) Market Intelligence now expects cement consumption to grow by nearly 1% in 20213, primarily fuelled by residential construction; this is a revision to a previous forecast last autumn of a modest decrease in consumption in 2021. How can operational and supply chain leaders leverage

digital technologies to be able to change production and output at a moment’s notice to leverage these opportunities? f Ensuring safety and ESG compliance (environmental, social, and corporate governance compliance). The risk of non-compliance is vast, and not just on the financial front. Stricter safety protocols on the plant floor, particularly as a result of COVID-19, mean that up-to-date, accurate instructions for adherence – and the automatic recording of such adherence – are critically important to help prevent outbreaks and other safety and employee welfare issues that can quickly snowball out of control. f Meeting sustainability goals and reducing waste.

Cement is the second most-used material in the world. More than ever, cement manufacturers are under intense scrutiny over their sustainability efforts, and sustainability is now being seen as a C-suite objective that is increasingly of equal stature to revenue and profit. How can digital technology accelerate the needle forward in reducing waste and energy consumption, including material waste caused by inefficient, sub-optimal production processes on the frontlines?

The critical role of connected worker technologies

A recent survey of more than 1000 frontline manufacturing workers commissioned by Parsable, a connected worker platform, found that 79% of workers still primarily relied on paper to track work4, resulting in lost visibility and lost opportunities to improve productivity, quality, and safety at scale.

Connected worker technologies help frontline employees better execute work through a digital approach and mobile devices. They connect workers to the people, information, systems, and machines to help them do their jobs more safely and more effectively.

Instead of large binders full of SOPs (standard operating procedures) on paper, connected worker platforms digitise these SOPs so that workers have immediate, easy access to them as they execute their day-to-day tasks.

Digitised SOPs offer step-by-step real-time, interactive, and multimedia instructions on how to perform the work accurately.

On the back-end, Connected work provides a prescriptive, data-driven feedback loop that drives these platforms create continuous improvement across operations.

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a digital, accessible record of the work performed for compliance and accountability purposes. Subject matter experts can make changes to SOPs at any time so that the most up-to-date procedures and steps are integrated into the work itself. This is critically important as policies and regulations are revised; those updates can be immediately pushed out to – and executed – by the team, the plant, and across many sites in different regions or even continents.

The data gathered by these technologies can be measured and analysed to provide new visibility into specific standardised processes and to identify opportunities for improvement. In the cement industry, a few examples of these processes span across: f Safety (e.g., unsafe acts/near misses, workplace inspections, hot/not hot work permits). f Environment (e.g., method 22/9, SPCC, solid waste inspections, discharge monitoring). f Maintenance (e.g., autonomous maintenance, tags, rounds, lube routes). f Production (e.g., routine inspections for dust collectors, raw mill separators, preheat tower, crusher dryer, cooler floor, etc.). f Logistics (e.g., inbound and outbound truck checks).

eliminate environmental compliance deviations resulting from missing or lost paper-based inspection records. The company wanted a solution with: f An easy-to-use interface that its frontline operators could quickly learn and adopt and a highly flexible approach to creating digital inspection checklists. f Real-time notifications when errors occurred, so corrective action could be performed quickly, and an easy way to export data to analyse and identify operational trends.

Operators estimated that the shift to digital inspections on the connected worker platform improved overall efficiency by at least 30 minutes per inspection by reducing NPT (non-productive time). In addition to increased worker efficiency, this digitalisation programme enhanced regulatory compliance, overall document control, and change management.

Next steps: A practical guide to digitalisation

Digitalisation does not need to be a complicated process requiring big teams and big budgets. It is important to have a plan that focuses on minor, incremental improvements on the frontlines and Having this level of data, measurement and insight showcasing wins backed by data, as the above case can help managers better iterate and improve study illustrates. The following illustrates five steps to workflows and keep production moving at the pace it get there: needs to, and with the required quality, to meet quota f Find advocates. Success is more likely to and customer expectations. happen with buy-in from stakeholders within a plant or organisation who share the same vision Improving environmental compliance: for digitalisation and belief that technology for Digital inspections with connected frontline operators will improve productivity, worker technology quality and safety at scale.

The cement division of a global building materials f Start smart. Think about which processes company recently deployed a connected worker could be the easiest and quickest to digitise. platform to increase efficiency, specifically, to help Perhaps it is a LOTO (lock out/tag out) procedure or a routine maintenance round. Also, it is important to think about scalability: are there simple processes that are similarly carried out in multiple plants or sites? f Set baseline metrics. Setting baselines helps measure the impact of digital- versus paper-based Turning paper-based work instructions into mobile-based, dynamic workflows is processes. a foundational component of digitalisation and Industry 4.0 efforts.

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World Cement May 2021

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Metrics could be as simple as time spent on a specific procedure, or number of calls/notifications for assistance. f Regularly evaluate performance. Gather feedback from frontline operators. The more visibility and data that can be analysed, the easier and more accurate it will be to find the inefficiencies or bottlenecks, enabling the process to be improved continuously. f Have a plan to scale. It is critical to measure and highlight the value of mobile-based software and digital tools for frontline workers early on, but also to have a plan to roll out a programme to additional sites and use cases.

Reach out to peers at other plants or factories, and share any success and learnings.

Conclusion With human workers being an essential part of the cement industry, digitalisation efforts must support and empower them. People-centric technologies, like connected worker solutions, provide ‘quick win’ progress towards achieving the productivity, safety, compliance and sustainability goals pursued by every cement manufacturer. Companies that act now will have the agility and resiliency required to stay in an ever-increasing competitive world.

About the author Diego De La Sotta is a Director at Parsable, a globally deployed enterprise platform for industrial companies that helps empower frontline workers with digital tools to improve productivity, quality and safety.

References 1. ‘The state of human factory analytics’ – https://www.kearney.com/digital-transformation/ the-state-of-human-factory-analytics – Accessed on 14 April 2021.

2. ‘Elon Musk admits humans are sometimes superior to robots, in a tweet about Tesla delays’ – https://www. cnbc.com/2018/04/13/elon-musk-admits-humans-aresometimes-superior-to-robots.html – Accessed on 14 April 2021.

3. ‘PCA Updates Forecast Risks to Upside’ – https:// www.cement.org/newsroom/2021/03/03/pcaupdates-forecast-risks-to-upside – Accessed on 14 April 2021.

4. ‘New Research: The State of Digital Transformation and Connected Work on the Manufacturing Frontlines’ – https://parsable.com/blog/new-researchthe-state-of-digital-transformation-and-connected-workon-the-manufacturing-frontlines – Accessed on 14 April 2021.

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STRONGER THAN EVER

Martin Provencher, OSIsoft, explains how digitalisation could help cement companies emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever.

C

ement companies are facing a twofold crisis brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Demand for cement and concrete is falling because of widespread economic disruption: according to an August report from the International Finance Corporation

(IFC), global demand for cement in 2020 is expected to be 3% less than in 2019.

Excluding China, where more than half of the world’s cement is produced and consumed, the drop in demand is an even steeper 6.4%. For many plants, which were already operating at less than full capacity, the impact of sudden plunges in the market on slender profit margins is a lot to absorb.

The second piece of the crisis is internal: the impact on people, processes, and workplace culture. While contending with disruptions in markets, cement companies are also facing the new pandemic realities that every business must now confront.

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Navigating the COVID-19 workplace is a challenge on many fronts, from facilitating remote work to implementing new safety protocols on site. The potential upsets of illness and quarantine mean that key operators are more likely to be absent without warning; a workplace exposure might result in an entire team being suddenly taken offline.

For a business as capital-intensive as cement production, rapid change is difficult, but as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, change can happen quickly, and businesses must be able to adapt just as quickly. The best tool a business can use to survive and thrive in the midst of pandemic uncertainty is one that was already transforming the industry before COVID-19 turned it upside down – data.

With the right approach to data, digital transformation has the power to make measurable positive impacts on just about any aspect of business – from managing supply chains to wringing waste out of processes to making better use of valuable people and equipment. The key is taking a holistic approach. A data management system that serves as a single source of truth across an enterprise can break down informational silos between different teams or different sources of data and yield valuable insights that can only be captured by analysing rich, contextual data in real-time.

With the rise of IIoT and the increasing affordability of sensors, even businesses operating in the challenging physical environments of cement manufacturing, mining, and materials have begun to embrace digital change. Companies that are using their operational data to generate insight and drive organisational change are poised to emerge from the global COVID-19 slowdown smarter, leaner, and more flexible than ever.

What is data good for?

A smarter workforce Remote work is here, and it is not going away anytime soon. According to a recent GlobalData survey, only about 30% of workers who held full-time office jobs before the pandemic want to return to on-premise work full-time, but in order to make remote work possible, companies need solid tools for monitoring, managing, and communicating from afar.

Through holistic data management, real-time data flowing from processes and equipment can be harnessed to create intuitive dashboards for remote users. Visualisations that track KPIs and other important parameters can serve as a window into assets and processes that can be viewed from anywhere.

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An enterprise-wide data infrastructure can create real-time notifications and alerts when parameters are exceeded and deliver them to the right people at the right time.

Integrating all of a company’s assets and data sources into a single data architecture also enables the use of machine learning, which can build on existing operator expertise and create new tools for predicting and optimising processes. This would mean companies need less operator oversight, and it might even lead to the development of complex autonomous processes.

By bringing all of its real-time asset and power plant operational data across multiple plants and locations into a single data infrastructure, Indian cement company, UltraTech, was able to give users across the company real-time access to critical information and monitor important assets from afar. Information-sharing between different parts of the company is now far easier and more consistent since the entire business is using the same PI System data infrastructure.

With all of its data integrated, the company was able to establish new quality parameters, show trends for those parameters, and take corrective action swiftly and efficiently. Data analysis for processes and equipment at any one of UltraTech’s locations can now be done from anywhere, and digital transformation is increasingly enabling the company to predict potential situations rather than just react to them.

Smarter assets Equipment downtime and failure is costly, but without deep insight into asset and maintenance data, it is impossible to see exactly how much impact equipment downtime has on the bottom line. Real-time operational data can help prevent unplanned asset downtime, get more productivity out of assets and processes, and enable equipment maintenance to be scheduled for times when it is less disruptive to overall operations.

The increasing availability of rich, contextualised real-time operational data along with new machine learning tools enables analysis of large data flows in real time. This is fuelling a shift across many equipment-heavy, capital-intensive industries away from scheduled maintenance, and towards condition-based maintenance, or even predictive maintenance. By using real-time operational data to identify conditions that could lead to equipment problems, operators can perform maintenance when it is needed rather than on a set schedule – an approach that can cut down on both maintenance costs and equipment failures.

World Cement May 2021

Another powerful tool that enables easy visualisation of data in the context of important equipment is a ‘digital twin,’ like the PI System’s Asset Framework (AF). AF creates a virtual model of the physical plant and its assets that can be used to build displays or expose system data to other systems for analysis. A digital twin layer in a data infrastructure allows operators to view and analyse data in the context of assets and the relationships between them.

Peruvian cement maker, UNACEM, is using real-time data integrated with operator dashboards to identify the causes of equipment downtime and stabilise important processes. The company was having issues with bottlenecks between heating and dispatching in the grinding process, and operational procedures were not standardised.

To tackle these problems, UNACEM started with a roadmap for process stabilisation, then systematically created standardised KPIs for every machine, product, shift, hour, and operator, using dashboards to compare real-time operational data to KPIs and projected metrics. Real-time insight is now allowing UNACEM operators to take corrective action before bottlenecks develop and adjust processes for target performance on the fly.

Better data management with the PI System has improved cement milling runtime between 11 and 17%, yielding both environmental benefits and increased profit.

Sustainability Environmental impact is already a pressing issue for the cement industry. Concrete is responsible for about 8% of global carbon emissions, and much of it is generated during the heat- and energy-intensive process of producing clinker.

As the second-most used product in the world behind potable water, cement makes a large impact on the environment, but it also has vast potential to mitigate that impact across the entire life cycle of the product, from mining and production all the way through delivery, construction, use, and recycling.

Cement companies on the path to decarbonisation are approaching that goal through a variety of methods, from investing in carbon-capture technology to making their production processes more efficient. At every step along the road, the ability to capture and analyse reliable operational data in real-time is key to supporting progress. Data can be used to support the decarbonisation of the cement industry through many pathways: slashing energy costs, increasing the productivity of processes, reducing waste, recovering excess heat, and more.

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As a multinational industry leader with an ambitious goal – net-zero emissions concrete by the year 2050 – Mexico-based CEMEX is using digital transformation to support sustainability initiatives across its operations in more than 50 countries. More than a decade ago, CEMEX embarked on a digitisation project across its facilities worldwide, installing equipment sensors and using OSIsoft’s PI System as an enterprise-wide data architecture, but gathering the data was only the first step. The real value lay in putting it into action.

CEMEX Operational Digital Technologies Manager, Rodrigo Javier Quintero, at an OSIsoft user conference in 2019, described data as “the new gold”, expressing that the company had a gold mine that they were not tapping.

As an energy-intensive piece of equipment, the rotary kiln that heats clinker was a prime target for optimisation. As part of an Industry 4.0 initiative, CEMEX set a goal of having autonomous kiln operations by 2022.

The company started with just one piece of the process – clinker cooling, in which cold air is pushed into the system while heat from the raw material is recouped back into the system for process efficiency. Throughout the process, operators seek to optimise heat recovery, process stability, and product quality by controlling air input and cooling rates.

Operator expertise is important to achieving good results.

CEMEX embarked on a project to use real-time operational data and machine learning to augment, and eventually supplant, the role of the expert operator in controlling the clinker cooling process, moving in a phased approach toward achieving ‘golden runs’ in cooling.

The company was able to draw on a wealth of process data from the PI System and integrate it with third-party solutions from machine learning specialists, Petuum, to develop predictions for cooling process behaviour.

In the first stage of the project, PI System dashboards gave operators access to visualisations generated by the AI model that predicted system behaviour up to 25 minutes ahead of time, allowing the operators time to react to the projections and make adjustments. After achieving success in that realm, the project moved from prediction to prescription, using the AI model to suggest optimised settings to operators based on prior performance.

By testing the model’s optimisation suggestions with guidance from expert operators, the company was able to move on with confidence to the final stage: autonomous operation. CEMEX now has the capacity to run World Cement May 2021

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the clinker cooling process on autopilot. The AI model optimises for energy efficiency while maintaining quality standards and predicting equipment problems before they occur. The proof is in the numbers. Autopilot operation of the clinker cooling process is now empowering CEMEX to realise energy savings of between 2 – 7%, reduce process variability by half a standard deviation, and increase overall yield by 5%.

Harnessing real-time operational data and developing the capacity to understand and act on it, is critical for companies that seek to adapt to a fast-changing world. The pandemic may be exerting new pressures on the industry, but the value of taking a holistic approach to data is the same as it has always been. The better processes are understood, the more opportunity there is to improve them.

About the author Conclusion Like the ethical and financial imperative of decarbonisation, the new business challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic are exerting new and unexpected pressures on the cement industry and forcing businesses to react in new and innovative ways in order to preserve their place in the market. But businesses that are able to adapt, innovate, and rise to the challenge will emerge from the pandemic even stronger than before.

“The pandemic and ensuing global slowdown have presented new challenges for the industry but also new opportunities,” the IFC wrote in its August 2020 report on the impact of COVID-19 on the cement industry. “Even as cement companies adjust to weakened demand, they can reset strategies to better position themselves once the market revives.”

Martin Provencher is OSIsoft’s Industry Principal for Mining, Metals and Materials.

He has more than 25 years of experience in Operations & Maintenance management and information technology. His knowledge of the industry was acquired through the position he held at Aluminerie Alouette, a large aluminium smelter located in Quebec, Canada, as the Operations & Maintenance Manager for Casthouse and Production Services and before that, as the Information Technology & Automation Manager. He has also been an active Industry 4.0 speaker and influencer for IBM as the Quebec Metals and Mining Leader in Canada and lately with Norda Stelo as Director for manufacturing and processing plants. Martin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence focus from University of Quebec in Montreal.

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OPERATION Angus Maclean, Proudfoot, discusses how cement manufacturers could optimise their business operations through Maintenance 4.0 and Target Operating Models.

Target Operating Model (TOM) can be a key strategy in revitalising business and profitability by optimising, digitising and humanising operations. Developed from improvement potential based on past successful projects, a TOM identifies ways to maximise business value by focusing on value creation through digital transformation and maintenance optimisation. The visibility it provides helps firms tackle business continuity or resilience issues, and it also has the added advantage of being IT supplier agnostic, making it suitable for both new and old businesses across multiple plants and countries.

This article covers the critical steps of designing and developing a best-fit TOM for cement manufacturers’ unique operational needs, using a specific example developed for cement plants to illustrate the process.

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Cement plant target operating models – Maintenance 4.0 elements

global and local ‘Glo-Cal’ management elements.

A key advantage of TOM is that the model is not Businesses impacted by the recent global crisis affected by technology, making it suitable for both new and old businesses. Its solutions can be IT have been finding innovative ways to bounce back supplier agnostic. and get ready for a changed world. A key strategy to A TOM provides visibility to help firms tackle revitalise business and profitability is to identify ways to business continuity or resilience issues – with maximise business value by focusing on value creation through operations and digital transformation with new visibility, management can make effective decisions models like TOM for business transformation. to reduce costs, improve working capital and forecast their business.

Maintenance 4.0 elements The critical steps in designing and developing the A TOM service, developed from improvement best-fit TOM include: potential based on successful projects, takes f Defining the framework and determining approximately 20 weeks to design, develop and the number of foundation pillars, topics and implement, and optimises business operations to elements required. Once the framework is create maximum value. Raw materials sourcing, determined, the ‘experts’ need to write up the production, maintenance, supply chain, outbound content and how to implement each element. logistics, sales, suppliers, management processes This content is usually stored in KM clouds for and systems, strategy, and IT-digital capabilities are ease of upgrading. all critical elements of a TOM. f Defining the maturity diagnostic and training Operating models are found in most enterprises, the internal team. Questions are designed to whether they are plant, supply chain, logistics, or assess the current situation. Proudfoot’s TOM commercial models. However, very few businesses has four levels: Emerging, Basic, Advanced, have end-to-end operating models. Through and Excellent/Sustainable. It is important to keep digitalisation, leaders can achieve significant gains in mind that a TOM is not a maturity assessment by having one global TOM model incorporating both matrix, but the IP and content that is stored in the cloud for each topic and element. Using Proudfoot’s TOM

framework, it could take anywhere from six to 12 weeks to determine ! ) " ' ) *& %$) $) %

$ ) the element content, whereas it $ ) ) + ( *$ ', .

$ ) )*' ). " # $) ' # ,%'! ( , ) (

$%() )%' $ $%," -& ') ) #( will only take an extra two days to $ $ # $) "%* develop the maturity assessment " # $)( matrix for the content. Once this is %& ( done, a workshop format is used %*$ ) %$ & "" '( to check/assess all the Digital/I4.0 initiatives that are underway and ( ) $%() + , ( ' (*")(

$ ) ) %$( to see what is needed to fill the )% (( (( ) ( ) (

$ &' %' ) ( '% # & )% "%( # )*' ). & ' #& ) $

) %' $ ". ) & gaps. " # $) f An assessment of each of the

cement businesses. Here, the TOM maturity assessment is used to assess the maturity of Figure 1. TOM design, development, assessment and sites. implementation process.

Figure 2. Topics covered in a cement TOM. 92

World Cement May 2021

f Implementation. The actions to improve and the roadmap on how to achieve them are designed (i.e. the Transformation Programme). Proudfoot links to these to performance KPIs to show the results, and the impacts on the P&L/balance sheet are identified (Figure 1).

Maintenance 4.0 for cement plants Cement TOMs help overcome the end-to-end technical, operational, financial, commercial, digital, environmental, and organisational challenges that cement groups currently face, from the quarry to the client’s site (Figure 2).

A cement TOM typically has four pillars: Operational, Performance, People, and Growth & Innovation, and covers ten topics following the end-to-end process. Each topic is then broken down into multiple elements.

Initial design and development is typically done on Excel for ease of use, but as the model stabilises, it is moved to cloud applications such as Concerto Analytics. Concerto allows for simulation scenarios, multi-plant views, links to ERPs and cloud applications, and is flexible enough for live large screen or smartphone viewing.

Most often, the model’s Maintenance 4.0 elements are to design, develop, implement or accelerate the new maintenance strategy and operating model by: f Optimising the maintenance cost per ton. f Increasing equipment availability. f Increasing equipment reliability by raising mean time between failures (MTBF). f Maximising the lifetime of equipment (optimal replacement CAPEX). f Minimising spares and materials inventory value. f Increasing the ‘discipline in execution’. f Minimising external contractors and providing ‘people’ issues solutions.

When designing the maintenance element, probing questions are used, with an explanation on which best practices routines must be in place to reach each level. The lowest score is used as the final score of the element. Each element is then linked to operational/ financial KPIs and identified if it impacts the P&L or Balance Sheet.

Proudfoot usually operates at two levels: f Level 1 covers the key maintenance elements and is used in the overall business TOM. f Level 2 allows the maintenance team to dive into much more detail and is often presented in the traditional maintenance pyramid format (Figure 3).

Cement businesses are experimenting with Maintenance 4.0 digitalisation IoT programmes.

Some are having trouble getting paybacks, and are having issues related to digital architecture, cloud confusion, network bandwidth and

‘discipline in execution’. Proudfoot has seen a number of digitalisation initiatives during its projects, including: f Real-time condition monitoring and performance management. f Digital maintenance strategy. f Predictive maintenance. f Remote expert support maintenance. f Digitised maintenance workflows (including SOPs). f Fleet management systems.

Optimising and digitalising value Many teams have found that optimising and digitising are key to maximising value creation. But there is a considerable difference between them, and businesses must differentiate clearly between the two. Businesses must first start from scratch to identify and assess the TOM elements and their contributions to value creation in the entire end-to-end value chain. Only then should they start prioritising the best-fit solutions, whether digital or not.

For example, if a Maintenance 4.0 programme, a reasonable CAPEX budget, and the right digital solutions and resources do not improve sales, a trade-off should be made by investing in a sales-generating digital solution.

Similarly, there has been a proliferation of cloud software from Microsoft Azure to Amazon Web Services along the process value chains among different teams from programming, supply, production, third-party logistics and sales. In the future, this

might make data analysis complicated, which is why companies must invest thoughtfully in the right solutions after careful planning and considerations.

Businesses can then generate an improvement roadmap which helps to monetise and estimate the time to benefit by mapping each initiative. Typically, these are split into 4 – 5 months, 6 – 12 months, 1 – 2 years, and then further into categories such as Smart Operations, Smart Assets, and Smart Workforce.

Operating models are easily customisable for various businesses to obtain the best value creation. A typical TOM improvement programme will generate an improvement of US$3 – 5/t in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA). The numbers in Figure 4 are average results based on projects that have been completed over the last ten years in cement plants across over 60 countries. As they span multiple plants and multiple countries, TOM provides multinational players a way of accelerating value creation across their organisations.

Conclusion TOM Maintenance 4.0 elements are to design, develop, implement or accelerate new maintenance strategies and operating models by addressing issues related to people, processes, equipment and technology. With the right TOMs, firms can stay agile in the face of disruption. A robust TOM is one that is built upon operational, performance, people, and growth & innovation pillars, and covers the end-to-end value chain. Operating models create value by facilitating operational transparency across the organisation through visualisation of higher level corporate strategy or vision, producing a transformation roadmap that everyone can align with.

About the author

Figure 3. Example Level 2 Maintenance 4.0 pyramid.

Figure 4. TOM Maintenance 4.0 results.

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Angus MacLean, Executive Vice President, Value Creation for Construction & Building Materials, EMEA, Proudfoot, is well respected in the industry for his valuable technical expertise in global transformation programmes, procurement excellence, revenue growth, acceleration of cash release, and overall cost reduction.

Angus tactically leads teams to meet project goals with agility, and by managing risk, while engaging leaders at every level and creating behavioural change.

World Cement May 2021

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Sustainable Strength through Innovation

IEEE-IAS/PCA CEMENT CONFERENCE Virtual • May 24 - 28

WELCOME MARK MUELLER, 2021 ORGANISING CHAIR

H

LOCAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Local Chair Mark Mueller

Vice Chair Anya Gill

Secretary Jennifer Flemming

Conference Liaison Jeff Nagel

Advisors Thomas Turano Brett Lindsay John Kline

Promotion/Publicity Tina McIntyre

Publications Scott Zolotsky

Plant Liaison Robert Shenk Marco Vannucchi

Sponsorships Suhail Akhtar

ello all – I would like to formally invite you to join us for the 63rd Annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference. As we all know, the 2020 Las Vegas Conference was cancelled based upon an abundance of caution during the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2021 Conference, after much deliberation, will be held virtually on The Aggregate platform.

Based upon one of the most engaging 3D platforms available to us, we will embark on a very familiar and realistic conference experience, much like what we have known for decades except with our own avatars. The feel of the conference will be very similar to the past, the information exchange is nearly identical, as is the ability to catch up with old friends and colleagues.

There are some distinct benefits to this conference format. With your avatar, you can navigate at a click of a button to get to a presentation, exhibit hall, or meet up with attendees without losing time searching.

And we will be able to bring the world to the conference in ways we haven’t been able to before. Not only will attendees from around the world be able to easily attend, but we are also featuring multiple plant tours including locations that would not easily host a conference of our size.

For 2021 we have formatted the conference to begin Tuesday 25 May, and close in the afternoon of Thursday 27 May with training continuing through the afternoon of Friday 28 May. Furthermore, we have all of the content that makes this conference so valuable, being held between 10 am EST and 4:30 pm EST. The schedule includes: f 20+ Technical papers/presentations with Q&As f Keynote speakers f 2021 PCA economic forecast f 2.0 level process training f MSHA refresher training f Exhibit hall f Spouse programme f Worldwide plant tours So please, come visit us at www.cementconference.org to review the Technical Content, Exhibitor Information and Registration pages to see what we have to offer. And please note that our registration costs are much lower this year, with no need for travel, hotel rooms and time away from the office. This will be a memorable experience.

I would like to take a moment to thank all of the volunteers who are working tirelessly to organise this year’s conference.

The Executive Committee of the CIC, all of the Working Groups and the PCA Staff who submit, vet and approve all of the technical content and to the 2021 Local Committee who have been working for over a year on organising the conference. Without all of their support, this conference would not be possible. Thank you, all!

Lastly, it is not without some sadness that we all remember those who have been tragically impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and to them, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

May 2021 World Cement – IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference Preview

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The IEEE-IAS Cement Industry Committee introduces the highlights of this year’s IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Conference programme.

GOING

VIRTUAL W

elcome to the 63rd Annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference. This year’s conference is being held virtually in the Aggregate 3-D platform and is sure to be a memorable event, and one not to be missed! Here is a preview of what to expect: As in years past, the heart of the conference is the technical papers and panel discussions, which will take place during the General Session, Tuesday 25 May through Thursday 27 May. The 26 technical papers this year are a product of hard work from authors looking to provide their

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research and thoughts on topics that affect cement manufacturing. Additionally, a panel discussion on environmental topics affecting our industry allows attendees access to multiple perspectives on topics ranging from fuels and raw materials to cap and trade issues. A series of process training sessions (PT 2.0) will be available to conference registrants, Monday to Friday, to gain additional experience and professional development within the cement industry. A unique feature to this year’s conference is the inclusion of multiple cement plant tours, including unprecedented access to international cement plants.

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Tuesday’s General Session kicks off as Rick Bohan, PCA Vice President of Sustainability, keynotes this year’s conference with an update on the cement industry’s roadmap to carbon neutrality. Rick will highlight the approach that the PCA-led effort will take to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Highlights of the presentation include leveraging the entire value chain: from clinker to cement to concrete to construction to using concrete as a carbon sink. He will show how small changes at the upstream end of the value chain create big impacts in downstream carbon intensity at the concrete and construction stages. The presentation will include roadmap aspects on CCUS, transformational fuels, and carbonation models. This is a must attend event for anyone serious about the critical role cement and concrete have in sustainability and addressing climate change. The technical papers will then make up most of the remainder of the day before closing with plant tours and Q&As. Wednesday’s schedule begins with a Portland Cement Association (PCA) update given by its CEO, Mike Ireland. Following the update, Ed Sullivan, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the PCA, will again present his State of the Industry update. Ed is always a favourite of conference attendees and we look forward to hearing his economic outlook.

Wednesday’s session then heads into technical paper presentations and wraps up with plant tours and question and answer sessions.

Thursday’s schedule is a full day of technical papers and the remaining cement plant tours, culminating with Technical Paper Awards and closing comments.

Technical programme highlights: Technical papers and panel discussions Automation Working Group f Applying Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Technology in the Cement and Mining Industries » Author: Adam Chapman f PGNAA Cement Analyzer Optimization » Authors: April Montera & Paul Iverson f Implementation of Artificial Intelligence Technology to Optimize Clinker Coolers » Authors: Roberto Linares, Ph.D. & Prabal Acharyya f Advanced Analytics for Cement Manufacturing » Authors: Jairo Gomez & Brian Crandall Drives & Related Products Working Group f Fan Bearing Varieties and Thermal Analysis » Author: Matt Zwick

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f Using Condition Monitoring Tools to Improve the Reliability of Various Hydraulic Drive Systems for Cement Plant Applications » Author: Ashok Amin f Study of Heat-Load Management of Medium Voltage Variable Frequency Drives » Author: Navid Binesh f A Simplified Calculation for Motor Starting Time » Author: Gary Bankay Environmental, Energy & Sustainability f Alternative Raw Materials and Impacts on the Cement Manufacturing Process and Regulated Air Emissions » Authors: Branden Barry, Ron Hawks, Mark Junkins & Luis Rodriguez f Pathways to Alternative Power and Decarbonization Technologies in Cement Manufacturing » Authors: Gerald Ayling P.E., Ashrith Domun, E.I.T. & Gino de Villa f Top Inlet Vacuum Shock Baghouse Technology Reinventing Baghouses for Improved Performance and Simplified Maintenance » Author: Luis J. Castaño f An Empirical Examination of the Carbonation of Concrete at a California Site » Authors: George Hartman, Jr., Steven Regis & Hartmut Riess f Improving Cooling Performance of Gas Conditioning Towers/Downcomers to Reduce Plant Emissions » Authors: Robert VanDurme, P.E., Marek Serafin & Stewart McKenzie f Use of Next Generation Emission Measurement Sensors and Data Analysis in Industrial Applications » Authors: Ali Lashgari & Volker Schmid f Panel Discussion: Environmental Overview: From Fuels and Raw Materials to Cap and Trade » Authors: Pedro Maiz, Frederick DeRaedt, Sean O’Neill & Steve Walters General Practices Working Group f Fully Automated Cement Horizontal Storage (FACHS) A New Concept to Store Cement » Authors: Desi Delgado & Luis Sucre f Structural Failures & Collapses in Cement Plant Facilities » Authors: Guillermo Etse, Veronica Buncuga & Andres Danert f Five Months to New Ball Mill Installation Delivers Two Extra Weeks of Production » Authors: John, Dale, Manuel Sanchez, Ronald Nikoleyczik & Jose Venegas f Implementation of Studded Roll Bodies For Raw Material HPGR Grinding System

World Cement – IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference Preview May 2021

Power Generation, Distribution and Related Products Working Group f Consideration of Standards and Recommendations for Selection, Installation, and Maintenance of Substation Transformers » Authors: David B. Durocher, Marc C. Elliott & Sam Reed f Emerging Applications for IEC 61850 in Process Industry Power Distribution Systems » Authors: Matthew P. Ellis, P.E., Vignesh Palanichamy & Navin Shanoy f Benefits of Micro-grids/Energy Storage for the Cement & Mineral Industries: Part II. The Green Hydrogen Option » Authors: Xavier d’Hubert, Francois Henry & Stephane Poellaer f A Guide for Enhancing Existing Plant Electrical Consumption Monitoring System » Author: Tim Noss f Applying Line-Side Isolation to Enhance Arc-flash and Shock Protection in Low-Voltage Power Distribution Equipment » Authors: Tim Faber & Anthony Parsons Maintenance & Safety Working Group f Lubrication Best Practices » Author: John Kline f Outage Planning for Silo Inspection and Repairs » Author: Gerry Lynskey, S.E., P.E., P.Eng Process training Process training will take place on each day Monday through Friday, covering a variety of topics from emissions handling to energy management best practices. A PCA roundtable will highlight each day’s topics.

Monday 24 May f The Optimization of Reagents for Controlling SO2, HCl, and Hg Emissions » The usage of sorbents (such as lime injection and activated carbon) strongly impacts plant operational costs.

This training module will present ‘reality checks’ on sorbent usage by looking

E L E VAT E .

Authors: Samira Rashidi, Stefan Diedenhofen & Alan Simmons f Balancing Kiln and Calciner Operation – A Case Study » Authors: Syed Suhail Akhtar, Tahir Abbas & Paul Rogers f Boosting Runtime and Production Factors with Reliability Centered Maintenance » Authors: Scott Hall, Jose Gil & Omar Vizcarra

D O N ’T C L IM B .

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at the means & methods to reduce overall usage of such costly reagents for optimal effectiveness. » Developed and presented by Peter Paone of Bridge Gap Engineering. f PCA Roundtable: The Hidden Costs of Overburning Your Clinker » Presented by Rick Bohan & John Kline. f Successful Energy Management » This training module will explore key factors in the implementation of a successful energy management programme – including Energy Star Certification » Developed and presented by William Jerald – Calportland Cement Company. f Process Evaluation of Vertical Mill Systems » This training module will identify the key process variables that inform process engineers and production managers whether their mill systems are operating at or near peak performance by using tools to diagnose their mill system’s performance. » Developed and presented by David Fortsch of Bridge Gap Engineering.

Tuesday 25 May f The Optimization of Reagents for Controlling NOx Emissions » The usage of ammonia and urea strongly impact plant operational costs. This training module will present ‘reality checks’ on the amounts of reagent usage by looking at the means & methods to reduce overall usage of costly reagents for optimal effectiveness. » Developed and presented by Peter Paone of Bridge Gap Engineering. f PCA Roundtable: How to Read Your Cement Mill Test Report » Presented by Rick Bohan & David Fortsch. f Successful Alarm Management » What good are process control alarms if they are so frequent that they are continuously silenced by control room operators? This training module will present a strategic approach for the implementation of a quality alarm management system based on the ISA Standard 18.2. » Developed and presented by John Kline of Kline Consulting. f Process Control Strategies » This training module will present recommended control strategies for the successful operation of all major pieces of equipment in a cement plant. The training module will present expert opinion and experiences with control loops that do & don’t work well. » Developed and presented by John Kline of Kline Consulting.

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Wednesday 26 May f Handy Emissions Calculations & Conversions » This training module will enable participants to understand the basic units of measure for environmental emissions measurements. It will educate participants on how to quickly convert between ‘measured values’ in ‘ppm’, for example, to ‘permit values’ such as ‘lb/ST clinker’ or ‘mg/m3, dry basis at 7% O2’, for example. » Developed and presented by Peter Paone of Bridge Gap Engineering. f PCA Roundtable: The Hidden Costs of Inconsistent Kiln Feed Chemistry » Presented by Rick Bohan & Peter Paone. f Successful Process Control Strategies » This training module will present control loop experiences for the successful operation of all major pieces of equipment in a cement plant. Expert opinion and experiences with control loops will be offered. » Developed and presented by John Kline of Kline Consulting. f Kiln Burner Momentum Calculation and Control » The objectives of this training module are to learn to calculate burner momentum, to understand the effect of fuel transport air on burner momentum, and to study the recommended momentum values for firing various types of fuels. » Developed and presented by Jean Jung of Fives-Pillard.

Thursday 27 May f Preheater Tower Build-Ups, Kiln Balls & Rings, and Cooler Snowman » This training module will explore various types of build-ups and ring formations that are found in pyroprocessing systems. Cause & effect relationships will be explored as well as recommended mitigation strategies. » Developed and presented by Peter Paone of Bridge Gap Engineering. f PCA Roundtable: How Best to Achieve Consistency of Your Cement Products » Presented by Rick Bohan & Kimberly Gordon. f Leading Cement Terminal Technology » Did you know there are more than 500 cement terminals in the US and Canada?

This training module will explore the various technologies available and implemented at cement terminals from the smallest rail terminals to the largest barge terminals. » Developed and presented by John Kline of Kline Consulting. f Cement Imports and Import Terminals

World Cement – IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference Preview May 2021

»

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This training module will explore the various technologies available for import terminals. The current and future status of cement ocean/import terminals will be reviewed.

Developed and presented by John Kline of Kline Consulting.

Friday 28 May f Production Levers » This training module will examine the production optimization process and improving operational efficiencies which are often at odds with maximum production. » Developed and presented by John Kline of Kline Consulting. f PCA Roundtable: Summary of the Week’s Discussions » Presented by Rick Bohan. f An Assessment of Your Plant’s Lubrication Practices » This self-assessment will examine your plant’s practices for its lubrication systems and rank these practices from ‘Poor’ to ‘Mastery’. » Moderated by John Kline of Kline Consulting. f Lubrication Best Practices » This training module will explore best practices for lubrication systems.

Lubrication is the lifeblood of the equipment in the plant. Improving lubrication practices will improve uptime and reduce maintenance costs. » Developed and presented by John Kline of Kline Consulting.

Exhibit hall Don’t forget to take a walk through this year’s Exhibit Hall while you are attending the conference.

The conference provides a valuable opportunity for the over 100 vendors and suppliers to network with cement producers. The Exhibit Hall opens Tuesday morning at 10am EST. Exhibit hours are from 10am – 2pm EST, 25 – 27 May. These hours will provide attendees the opportunity to interact ‘face to face’ with the numerous exhibitors.

Plant tour This year we have an exciting announcement regarding the plant tour. For the first time in conference history, we will have multiple plant tours including an international plant tour! Because the conference will be virtual, what better way to see plants locally and abroad? We are so excited for this addition to the conference and for the plant tours to close out each day of the General Session at the 63rd Annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference.

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ATD Abbausysteme GmbH www.atd-cardox.de / www.atd-pgs.com

93

MDG Handling Solutions www.mdghandlings.com

17

AUGWIND www.aug-wind.com

63

Menzel Elektromotoren GmbH www.menzel-motors.com

103

BEUMER Group www.beumergroup.com

49

Mole•Master www.molemaster.com

65

B.S.P. Engineering www.bspengineering.it

81

NAK Kiln Services www.nak-kiln.com

19

CalPortland www.calportland.com

13

National Filter Media www.nfm-filter.com

45

CemCat www.cemcat.com

IBC

ProcessBarron www.processbarron.com

71

Cement Performance International www.cementperformance.com

21

RD42 Engineering www.rd42.com

83

Christian Pfeiffer www.christianpfeiffer.com

43

SILICON www.silicon.nu

77

Cintasa www.cintasa.com

83

Silobau Thorwesten GmbH www.thorwesten.com

57

DCL www.dclinc.com

87

Stela Laxhuber GmbH www.stela.de

69

EnergyGlobal www.energyglobal.com

89

Taiheiyo Engineering www.taiheiyo-eng.co.jp/en/

07

ES Processing www.es-processing.com

87

Unitherm Cemcon www.unitherm.at

81

Euromecc www.euromecc.com

37

UNTHA Shredding Technology www.untha.com

77

FLSmidth www.flsmidth.com

OFC, 29

Vezér Industrial Professionals www.vezervip.com

33

HEKO www.heko.com

02

Waste Knot Energy www.wasteknotenergy.com

IFC

IAC www.iac-intl.com

09

WestRock www.westrock.com

04

IEEE Cement Conference www.cementconference.org

58 – 59

World Cement www.worldcement.com

66, 84, 90, 95, 96

KHD Humboldt Wedag www.khd.com

27

CemCat - a business unit of Maerz Ofenbau AG, Richard Wagner-Strasse 28, 8 Zurich, Switzerland

leading-edge SCR catalysts for the cement industry

CemCat creates flexible SCR systems that are adaptable to any process condition in any new or existing cement plant. For clean air: www.cemcat.com

4B Components Limited

BUCKET ELEVATORS Belting • Splices • Buckets • Bolts

DRAG CONVEYORS Forged Chain • Sprockets • Wear Rail

E N G I N E E R I N G SO LUT I O N S S I N CE 1888 4B Components Ltd. • Morton, IL USA • +1 309-698-5611 • www.go4b.com/usa