Xuan Thanh Cement, boasting one of the world’s largest cement lines, piqued the cement world’s interest when it ordered another large-capacity FLSmidth® Cross-Bar® Cooler for its newest cement production line (line three). The Cross-Bar Cooler is a highly energy-efficient, next-generation cooler offering outstanding performance at an attractive investment level. The latest generation of the Cross-Bar Cooler is operating successfully in more than 130 cement plants around the world, including at Xuan Thanh’s second line (line two).
Cooler proves its worth
Operating since 2017, the 12,500 tonnes-per-day line (line two) at Vietnam’s Xuan Thanh Cement plant in Ha Nam province contributes to the plant’s title as the largest in South East Asia. With such production power, the mega-cement plant is committed to high standards and efficiency. It’s no wonder, then, that Xuan Thanh’s plant management pursued a large-capacity cooler based on the latest cooler technology. Now that the plant’s management has seen what the Cross-Bar Cooler can do, they wanted to acquire another one as part of its most recent order in 2019 for a brownfield line.
“We’re always happy to see how the design of our products help cement plants meet their production, energy consumption and emission goals. This is why we’re so pleased to see one of the world’s largest cement plants has had so much success with our Cross-Bar Cooler that they ordered another one,” comments Jacob Becker Ryttergaard, Global Product Line Manager at FLSmidth.
Lowering total energy consumption
The Xuan Thanh Cement plant, located 75km south of Hanoi, has had the energy-efficient Cross-Bar Cooler operating successfully since 2017 when it produced its first clinker. Since then, the Cross-Bar Cooler has helped the cement-producing giant to achieve its production and energy efficiency goals, as well as keep maintenance to a minimum.
| Results of FLSmidth Cross-Bar Cooler at Xuan Thanh Cement | |
|---|---|
| Cooler type | Cross-Bar Cooler 22×74 |
| Clinker production (t/day) | 13,173 |
| Grate area (m2) | 272.8 |
| Grate loading (t/day/m2) | 48.3 |
| Specific fuel consumption (clinker) | 697 kCal/kg |
| Specific power consumption (Cooler fans, drive & HRB) |
5.3 kWh/t |
| Clinker temperature | 61°C + ambient |
As with any modern cement plant, reliability of equipment is a key performance parameter at the Xuan Thanh Cement plant. Here, the Cross-Bar Cooler has shown impressive performance, achieving a reliability factor greater than 99.5% between August 2018 and July 2019.
“High reliability and efficiency are the results of the meticulous design parameters of the Cross-Bar Cooler. The engineers at FLSmidth have developed the Cross-Bar Cooler by applying their years of cement production experience, their understanding of customers’ needs and feedback,” said René Jensen, Project Director at FLSmidth, who has been closely involved in the FLSmidth project at Xuan Thanh.
Similarly, minimising total energy consumption is another key objective, and the Cross-Bar Cooler at Xuan Thanh Cement has proven to be highly efficient with both fuel and electrical power.
Design features for outstanding performanceAfter years of research, development and operational experience, the Cross-Bar Cooler was developed based on carefully considered design parameters:
- The Air Blast Control (ABC™) Inlet, which comes standard with the Cross-Bar Cooler, helps prevent the formation of snowmen
- The self-adjusting mechanical flow regulators offer high heat recuperation, optimum air-cooling capabilities and uniform cool air distribution throughout the entire Cross-Bar Cooler
- The stationary, sealed-grate line has no clinker spillage, eliminating the need for grate-plate gap management or a conveying system underneath the grate to collect and transport clinker spillage
- The separate clinker conveying and cooling systems not only have high, consistent thermal efficiency, but require minimal maintenance
- The horizontal design and drive mechanisms optimise clinker transport
- Its modular design for fast and easy installation
A specialist clinker cooler
FLSmidth has a long history in cement production and maintains close relationships with cement plant owners, production managers and maintenance managers to understand their day-to-day challenges and needs. The company continuously develops products, optimises technologies and considers all economical aspects of the cement production process. The Cross-Bar Cooler is an example of a FLSmidth solution based on extensive experiential knowledge and dedication to helping cement producers optimise their production processes.
The Cross-Bar Cooler vs a grate cooler
When comparing the Cross-Bar cooler against grate cooler technology, energy consumption numbers can easily be misleading when only looking at electrical energy consumption. To understand the true, overall energy consumption, it is important to take into account both fuel consumption and electrical power consumption.
Table 1 presents a closer comparison of the Cross-Bar Cooler and the latest grate cooler technology. The efficiency improvement over an existing grate cooler will almost certainly be higher.
Similarly, it is important to base the cooler efficiency calculations on realistic clinker temperature references. We normally reference the cooler efficiency at 1450°C for a true, real-world calculation as per the VDZ standard. Referencing cooler efficiency at lower temperatures, such as 1400°C, artificially increases the cooler efficiency.
Based on common operating parameters of production capacity, fuel heat value, and fuel and electricity costs, it is clear that integrating the Cross-Bar Cooler into the production line is more energy-efficient than any other cooler types.
This article was first published in Global Cement, October 2019.
