Thermodynamics and Parametric Study of the Grate ClinkerCooler Using the Process Model

Abstract

In cement industries, grate coolers are commonly used for heat recovery from hot clinker discharged from the rotary kiln. The study focuses on improving a grate cooling system’s energy, exergy, and recovery efficiencies by optimizing its operating parameters such as cooling air and clinker mass flow rate. Aspen plus V10 process simulator was used to explore the impact of clinker mass, and ambient cooling airflow rate on the thermodynamics efficiencies of a cooling system for grate cooler. The energy and exergy efficiency of the grate clinker cooler gives estimates of 85.9% and 56.2 % respectively. Whereas the energy and exergy recovery of the grate clinker cooler was estimated as 75.9 % and 45.4 % respectively. It was found that a cooling system’s energy and exergy efficiencies can be improved by 2.1 % and 2.2 %, respectively, for each 5 % rise in cooling air mass. Considering the utilization of the heat recovery efficiencies of the exhaust air cooling system, energy and exergy recovery have been found to increase by 8.5 % and 9.2 % respectively. It was discovered that significant emission reductions of 0.23 % can be achieved by raising both secondary air and tertiary temperature via optimization of the grate cooler parameter, resulting in a reduction of fuel for kiln operations. Nevertheless, these units provide opportunities in great potential for energy savings, therefore the method used can also aid informed decision-making to enhance process performance.