Separator now!

Challenges of modern cements

Ana Esther Gonçalves, Process Engineer

Live Webinar: Grinding technologies and solutions for modern cements – 07th February 2023
 Market
demands green cements and higher strengths

Green cements
with high addition of alternative material (SCM’s)
requires finer grinding to achieve strength targets

Design
of existing and new cement grinding plants
must be reviewed to fulfil the quality requirements

2
 What is behind the separator performance?

>115 x G-force
FZ To achieve >5,500 cm²/g, the separator must be able to
FR
reach centrifugal forces >115 times the gravity force

FL
Optimized material distribution
The air and material distributions get increasingly more
FR FZ important to achieve sharp cut sizes at finer ranges

FL
FL: air drag forces Adjusted flowrates
FZ: centrifugal forces The higher circulation factors demands more attention on
FR: resulting forces
the total feed load – max 1.8 kg/Am³ must be respected

Shearing forces
Improved design to break up particle agglomerates and
reduce the need of grinding aids for fine grinding

3
 The High Efficiency

Heyd Separator QDK

QDK Reduction of energy consumption
Improvement of product quality
Increase in production rate

15 20 30 45 100 300 Fineness d98 [µm]

4
Optimization based on CFD

6
 Improved particle size distribution

120
Increased amount of particles in the
range of 12-40µm
q3 [1/µm]

Fines - 2nd generation sep

Fines - QDK 3-30 µm - contributes to strength development.

100

80 Reduced amount of particles in the

range of < 12µm (overground)
< 3 µm – does not contribute to strength development.
60

40
Reduced amount of coarse particles
in the range of > 40µm
20 > 30 µm - poor influence on the strength development.

0
1 10 100 1000
Particle Size x [µm]

7
Proven achievement of high fineness

Blaine SPC Clinker Limestone Slag

CF
[cm2/g] [kWh/t] [%] [%] [%]

Expected
values 4 800 63.5 -
Operational
82 6 7
results 4 771 56.0 3

Blaine SPC Clinker Limestone Slag

CF
[cm2/g] [kWh/t] [%] [%] [%]

Expected
values 5 600 80.4 -
Operational 5 706 92.0 - 92 3 -
results
5 494 77.5 4.5

8
Flexible circuits

9
 2.6 – 3.0 °C per kWh/t > 10 % moisture
Is the material temperature Alternative materials are usually high in
raise when grinding finer * moisture and need more drying energy

ΔT > 35 °C
Can be easily achieved with fresh air operation. The
Efficiency and Flexibility

cooled reject helps to control temperature inside the mill

Keeping the temperature in

The hot air recirculation conserves the material
temperature. The hot reject contributes for a higher drying
energy inside the mill

No waste of energy
The heated air that is not recirculated inside the separator
circuit can be diverted into the mill inlet when some extra
heat is needed

10
 Clinker Gypsum Limestone Fresh feed

Composition, [%] 85 5 10 125 t/h (dry)

Moisture, [%] 0.3 7.5 8.1 1.44

Sep Finished
Clinker temp Fresh feed temp Mill outlet temp
recirculation product temp
[°C] [°C] [°C]
[%] [°C]

100 89 152 95 152

∆𝑻𝑻 = 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒 °𝑪𝑪
100 89 110 0 77
30 29 109 95 109
∆𝑻𝑻 = 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 °𝑪𝑪
30 29 81 0 59
Ambient conditions:
25 °C, 50% RH

No water injection

11
 Clinker Gypsum Slag Limestone Fresh feed

Composition, [%] 85 5 15 5 82 t/h (dry)

Moisture, [%] 0.3 7.5 10.2 8.1 2.54

Fresh feed Fresh feed Mill outlet Sep Finished

Clinker temp Slag moisture
temp moisture temp recirculation product temp
[°C] [%]
[°C] [%] [°C] [%] [°C]

100 10.2 81 2.54 104 0 72

100 10.2 81 2.54 111 25 83
30 10.2 29 2.54 83 0 60
30 10.2 29 2.54 109 75 99
Ambient conditions:
30 13.0 29 2.96 110 85 105 25 °C, 50% RH

No water injection

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 • Audit of the existing plant
• Feasibility study, including
budgets and guarantees
• Preparation of firm proposals
• Engineering and procurement
of necessary plant equipment
• Necessary assembly and
construction work
• Supervision and
commissioning of the plant
• 360° service support

13
 Europe: 1st Gen to QDK-S

Product residue 2nd day 28th day

Production rate Product Blaine
at 63 µm strength strength
[%] [cm²/g]
[%] [N/mm²] [N/mm²]

Before 100 4 100 6.5 – 8 24 48

After -
commissioning 110 4 144 <1 31 59
After -
optimization 112 3 844 ~1 27 54
After – final
targets 120 3 450 2 – 4.5 25 49

14
 North America: 1st Gen to QDK

100 100
Average
T(x)[% ]

T(x)[% ]
Specific power
90 90
production rate
consumption
80 80 [t/h]
T(x75) T(x75) [kWh/t]
70 70

60 60

T(x50) 50

40
T(x50) 50

40
Before 48.3 44.3
30 30

20
T(x25)
20 After 61.7 36.0
10 10

27.7 % -18.7 %
0 0
10 100 1000 10 100 1000
Improvement

15
 MEA: 1st Gen to QDK

100

T(x)[% ]
Production Specific power, Specific power, Product Product residue 90
rate mill total Blaine at 63 µm 80
[%] [kWh/t] [kWh/t] [cm²/g] [%] T(x75)
70

60
Before 105 39 44 3 250 12 – 14 T(x50) 50

40

After 127 32.1 36.6 3 308 7.9 T(x25)

30

20

10
Improvement 21% -17.7% -16.8% 0
10 100 1000

16
 Conversion – 2nd Gen to QDK, slag grinding

18
 Conversion – 2nd Gen to QDK, slag grinding

19
 Separator performance data, comparison

Production Specific Product

T(x) [%]

100
rate power, mill Blaine
90 UZS 52-8 DSUZ5200-U8 [t/h] [kWh/t] [cm²/g]

70 57.2 4 200
80
Before
70

60
After 83 50.8 4 200
50

40 Improvement 18.5 % -11 %

30

20 Refurbished separator and fan for another long service life

10 Higher product quality (significant reduction of oversized particles)

0
0 1 10 100 1000
Particle Size x [µm]

20
 References

Russia

Denmark
Lithuania
Belgium
Ukraine
Germany
France Georgia
Turkey China
Spain

Nepal
Emirates Bangladesh

21
 References

United States

Kuwait
Egypt

Mexico

Guatemala
El Salvador Togo
Ghana
Colombia

Tanzania
Malawi
Mozambique
Brazil
Bolivia

22
 References

India
Thailand

Malaysia

New Zealand

23
 Headquarters
Christian Pfeiffer Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Sudhoferweg 110-112
59269 Beckum

Visit us at
Germany

+49 2521 849-00

christianpfeiffer.com [email protected]