Tianjin Cement Industry Design and Research Institute Co’s new fourth-generation cooler, called the ‘Sinowalk’, includes key features such as high heat recovery efficiency, stable mechanical performance and intelligent control. Having been well received by the cement industry in recent years, typical case studies for new EPC and retrofit projects bring to light ways in which the Sinowalk is helping to save energy and reduce carbon emissions. By Ma Jiaomei, Wu Yongzhe, Xiang Donghu and Pan Pei, Tianjin Cement Industry Design and Research Institute Co Ltd, China.

The clinker cooler plays an important part in achieving energy savings within the cement manufacturing process as it can normally recover more than 70 per cent of heat from hot clinker (1400-1500˚C), which accounts for about 400kcal/kg of clinker out of a total of 700-800kcal/kg of clinker heat consumption. A total of 280kcal/kg of clinker can be conserved after hot clinker is cooled to 100˚C.

A perfect cooler can cool clinker as well as improve the temperature of the tertiary and secondary air to achieve efficient fuel burning, which helps the kiln and calciner reduce heat consumption. High cooler heat recovery efficiency can also improve waste heat power generation from the cooler vent gas. Therefore, the clinker cooler has become a research hotspot for cement process and equipment development.