Before explaining the control variables one has to

understand first the meaning of a variable and a

controller.

So What is the Meaning of a Variable ??

A variable is a physical quantity that can be measured

and /or changed; like weight, pressure, temperature,
speed, level, flow, etc.

What is Process Control ??

A process control is the regulation of the physical

variables to obtain a desired end result.

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 Before explaining the control variables one has to
understand first the meaning of a variable and a
controller.

What are the goals of process control?

Process controls are for Optimizing operation conditions

in the kiln
1) To maximize production.
2) To achieve maximum energy efficiency.

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 1 Burning Zone Control

Burning Zone Temperature

is not only one of the most important kiln control variables we
have in any rotary kiln system,

But it is also the hardest and difficult to control, understand

and monitor.

Now, rotary kilns are equipped with state of the art technology
for measuring the different temperature and pressures etc.
needed to control burning zone temperature.

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Apart from this the kiln operator should be trained also to make
visual inspection of the burning zone

The interference of dust coming from the grate cooler with the
secondary air, shifting of the burning zone caused by change in
burnability of the raw mix or change flame characteristics, may
affect the reading of the pyrometer without any real significant
change in the burning zone condition and temperature.

T.V cameras in the kiln hood are there to help the operator to
see part of the burning zone.

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Viewing kiln from the kiln-hood
It is quite dangerous to look at it without protective glass.

Appearance of clinker
The visual inspection of the kiln hood can give an indication
of the quality of the clinker by the size and color of the hot
clinker

If the clinker is overburned, it is burned in a hotter

atmosphere, the cascading movement of the clinker bed in
the burning zone becomes higher, and clinker grains
become bigger.

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The feed behind the flame
It is difficult to see behind the flame.

The dark feed under the flame

In normal operation this dark feed is stationed nearly at the
first quarter of the flame length starting from the flame end.

When the burning zone is cooling down the dark feed tend to
move furthers towards the direction of the kiln outlet.

When the burning zone is warming up the dark feed will start
to retreat in the direction of the kiln inlet.

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Whenever the flame is shortened the dark feed will move in the
direction of the kiln outlet.

When the kiln feed is harder to burn than usual and the flame is
shortened and when kiln material loading is higher, then the
dark bed moves toward the kilns outlet because the burning
zone is cooling down

When the flame is made longer but still strong enough and
there is enough heat to raise the temperature of the feed so the
dark feed can move toward the kiln inlet area.

When the feed is easier to burn than usual this dark feed will
move in the direction of the inlet area because the feed will
need less heat than usual to arrive to the temperature that give
it the bright red whitish color.

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 It is the duty of the kiln operator to stabilize the
oxygen percent after lit- up of the kiln at a level below
5% Oxygen at the kiln inlet gas analyzer.

O2 CO CO2 NOx
Increases down Up down down
Fuel
Decreases Up Down Up Up
Increases Up down Up Up
ID- Fane
Decreases down Up down down
Flame Decreases - - - Up
Temp. Increases - - - down
Feed rate Increases down - Up -
Calcine Decreases Up - down -

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 3 Fuel Rate Control
Before the kiln is fired for any reason i.e. long shutdown or short
shutdown the following requirements should strictly be met:
The gas analyzer is calibrated and working properly.
Sufficient air is present to achieve complete combustion of
fuel
strong Source of heat enough to ignite the fuel is available.
The primary air fan is running and the draft is properly set.
The I.D. fan is running condition and the draft is adjusted in a
way that prevent any sudden, delayed, explosive ignition of
the fuel.

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After the lit-up the operator should:
1. Inspect the gas analyzer for CO
2. Never attempt to control the burning zone temperature by
merely increasing or decreasing the fuel in the main burner.
3. The kiln operator should anticipate the reactions caused by the
change in I.D fan speed or the fuel rate or both.
He should remember that
An increase in fuel rate results in higher kiln inlet temperature,
low oxygen percent in exit gas and higher burning zone
temperature.
An increase in I.D. fan speed results in higher kiln inlet
temperature, and lower kiln burning zone temperature and
higher oxygen in the kiln inlet.

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The early warning signals are:

Oxygen% without fuel Increases B.Z is heating up

Or I.D fan adjustment Decreases B.Z is cooling down

Increases B.Z is heating up

Kiln drive torque
Decreases B.Z is cooling down

Increases B.Z is heating up

NOx
Decreases B.Z is cooling down

Increases B.Z is cooling down

CO2
Decreases B.Z is heating up

Higher than normal heating up

Kiln inlet temp*.
Lower than normal cooling down

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 The kiln operator should control the fuel rate
on the basis of the following variables:

1 St The burning zone temperature

2 nd The Kiln Inlet temperature

3 rd The percent of O2 in the Kiln Inlet

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 4 Kiln Speed Control
Any kiln cannot run over extended period of time in stable
condition at which nothing in operation parameters is changed.
There should be an appropriate action the operator must take in
case of kiln upset ; this upset may not be due to operator error but
due to
Change in the physical and chemical characteristics of the
kiln feed.
Change in the mineralogical characteristics of the raw
materials.
Change in the homogeneity of the kiln feed and change in
the standard deviation of say L.S.F. or silica modulus.
Change in the fuel chemical composition or in its
temperature in case of fuel oil.
Change in calcination degree coming from the precalciner.

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 Kiln inlet temperature will start to increase, but this is
undesirable, since this temperature should be held within ± 20ºC.
Reducing the I.D. fan speed will help reducing this increase in
temperature of the kiln inlet.
Reducing kiln draft resulting from I.D. fan speed decrease, will
make the oxygen content less in the kiln exit gas and there will
not be enough oxygen for fuel to complete combustion

What is the effect of slower kiln speed on the cooler

& secondary and tertiary air temperature??

When the operator decreases kiln speed, less material will enter
the cooler.
The direct result will be lower secondary and tertiary air
temperatures and the under grates pressure will decrease

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When should the operator decide to increase the kiln
speed again in the time of upset periods in the kiln??

The behavior of the operator during this period should be as follows:

Never hold the kiln on very low speed until the kiln reaches normal
clinkering temperature.
Start increasing the speed as soon as there is a sign of warming
up of the burning zone.
The more the kiln speed increases, the smaller should be the
increments and the longer the time intervals between each speed
increase.

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5 Variables in Cooler Control
Clinker temperature should be as low as possible to save
valuable heat and protect clinker-conveying system.
Secondary and tertiary air temperatures should be as stable and
as high as possible especially for secondary air temperature,
because this is important for kiln operation stability and good
fuel efficiency.
Cooler exit gas or excess gas temperature should be as low as
possible, and volume as small as possible to decrease the
amount of heat wasted to the atmosphere.
Kiln hood pressure should be negative.
Depth of the clinker-bed is kept at its optimum height to the keep
the free passage of air through clinker bed.
To keep the cooler controlling parameters in such a way that
protect the cooler components from overheating.

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 Under-grate pressure
and air flow rate
Under-grate pressure is governed by:
Depth of the clinker bed over the grate
Average particle size of the clinker in the cooler
Temperature of the clinker in the cooler
Amount of air introduced into the cooler

The thicker the clinker bed over the grate plates in any cooler
stage, the higher the resistance and require more pressure and
force from the fan to push the air through this bed.

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 Control of the clinker
bed thickness

The clinker bed thickness is controlled by the speed of cooler

grates.

A deeper bed can be obtained by slowing of the grate speed.

Therefore, it is logical to obtain and maintain a constant clinker

bed depth by keeping the under grate pressure constant
regulating cooler’s grate speed.

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 6 Secondary and tertiary air
temperature control
The source of both of the secondary and tertiary air is the grate
cooler first stage.
Both of them are drawn form either the kiln hood or in some
cases the tertiary air is drawn form the middle of the roof of the
first stage of the grate cooler.
Secondary air temperature has a direct influence on the shape of
the flame and the point of ignition of the fuel; therefore irregular
secondary air temperature can cause irregular flame
characteristics that can cause shifting in the burning zone.

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Factors affecting secondary and tertiary air temperature:
The speed of the clinker bed on the grate cooler in relation to
the volume and temperature of air introduced into the cooler
to cool that bed of clinker.

The grain size distribution of the clinker and the temperature

of that clinker discharged from the kiln to the cooler.

Rule in secondary air temperature is that :

1. The higher the speed of the grate the less bed clinker
thickness will be and the lower the secondary and tertiary air
temperatures.

2. The lower the speed of the grate the higher bed clinker
thickness will be and the higher the secondary and tertiary
air temperature.

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This can simply be explained if all other factors are remained
unchanged as follows:

When the grate cooler speed is reduced the clinker speed is

lowered, the direct result will be higher clinker bed thickness
and the air will find more chance to absorb more heat from
the clinker in the cooler and visa versa.

When the cooler speed is increased the clinker bed is

lowered and the chance of cooling air to absorb heat will
decrease resulting in lower secondary and tertiary air
temperature.

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The operator should never attempt to hold
the secondary air temperature at its normal
operating level in an upset condition in the
kiln & the clinker is dusty or having lower
liter weight

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 Temperature of clinker discharged
from and its effect on secondary and
tertiary air temperatures

Controls of secondary air and tertiary air

temperatures
To raise secondary air temp To reduce secondary air Temp

decrease cooler grate speed increase cooler grate speed

Increase clinker bed depth in cooler decrease clinker bed depth in cooler

Increase size of clinker particles decrease size of clinker particles

Increase amount of clinker decrease amount of clinker

Burn closer to the nose ring of the kiln burn further back in the kiln

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 7 Kiln hood pressure control

Factor affecting kiln hood drafts

The I.D. fan speed

The volume of air intruded by

the cooler fans

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 Never to operate with positive pressure in the kiln hood

Clinker fine particles will be blown into the kiln hood area
and causing the following problems:

The kiln outlet seal will be damaged

Flying red-hot dust will cover the kiln platform
Dust emission will make viewing the burning zone very
poor.
Instrumentation in the area of kiln hood will be greatly
damaged.

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 8 Kiln exit-gas Temp. control

The Kiln inlet area conditions are :

Kiln inlet’ temperature.

The percent of oxygen in the

gases in the kiln inlet.

The pressure and draft condition

in the kiln inlet area
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What are the ideal
conditions in the kiln-inlet?

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Factors affecting kiln inlet temperature:
I.D. fan speed increase or decrease
Fuel rate increase or decrease
Kiln feed rate
Kiln speed
1. If all other factors remain stable without change and the
operator increases the I.D. fan speed then the kiln inlet
temperature increases.
2. If all other factors remain stable without change and the
operator increases the fuel rate to the kiln main burner
then the kiln inlet temperature increases.
3. If feed rate decreases then the kiln inlet temperature
increases.

If the operator decreases I.D. fan speed, decreases fuel rate or

increase feed rate, the kiln inlet temperature increases.

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