Big coolers, big challenges
With an annual cement consumption of about 1.85bnt, China is by far the world´s largest cement market. This has created a demand for high-capacity clinker lines similar to those procured by the Anhui Conch Cement Company in autumn 2009 for its Wuhu and Tongling plants. While two lines have been erected and exceed their 12,000tpd design capacity, the third one is due to start up in April 2012. For the coolers of these new lines, Anhui Conch turned to Germany-based IKN. Dr Daniel Strohmeyer and Dr Yaoxing Chen, IKN GmbH, Germany, explain the magnitude of the task.
Figure 1: Wuhu rotary kiln and cooler
The projects were carried out with well-known suppliers such as Polysius and FLSmidth for the preheater/rotary kiln and Kawasaki/Conch for the raw material grinding and the waste heat recovery system. All three lines feature latest-generation IKN Pendulum Coolers with a nameplate capacity of 13,000tpd (see Figure 1). After intense technical discussions, they were chosen because of their low specific energy consumption, reduced expected wear rates and related savings in terms of maintenance costs and higher efficiency. Furthermore, IKN’s broad experience in building high-capacity units contributed to the decision.
The project/scope of work
The supply contract between Anhui Conch Cement and IKN was signed in September 2009 and comprises the key parts and detailed engineering of the cooler. IKN supplied the fixed inlets, the following Pendulum grate sections and the roller crusher for all three coolers. In addition, the grate drive including the hydraulic system and the local control cabinet as well as the required field instruments were part of IKN’s scope of supply. All the structural steel of the lower and upper cooler housing, the refractories and the cooling fans were locally sourced according to IKN´s workshop drawings and specifications, respectively.
