Numerical simulation of the shell cooling of a rotary kiln

Abstract

The rotary kiln is considered the heart of cement manufacturing plants, so any malfunction can lead to significant losses for the company. These equipment’s are exposed to very high thermal stresses through the three modes of heat transfer, conduction, convection, and radiation. They are also subject to very important mechanical stresses at the level of the drum shell, the tires, the mass of refractory bricks, and the formation of the crust inside the kiln during start-up. The temperature of the flame is around 2000 °C, that of the internal material of the kiln can exceed 1450 °C, and the external temperature of the drum shell can reach 500 °C, particularly in the burning zone. These temperatures can lead to elastic and even plastic deformations. The aim of our study is to numerically simulate the cooling of the drum shell, in its burning zone over a length of 17 m, by placing 72 square-shaped fins on its external surface. This study is a continuation of another one that has already been published [1]. The numerical method used is the finite element method as implemented in the ANSYS Workbench calculation code. The results presented are based on the distribution of the external temperature of the drum shell in the burning zone for different cases. The results obtained show a decrease in the external temperature of the drum shell of about 40% in the case of a drum shell equipped with fins compared to one without fins.

Keywords

• Efficiency
• Fins
• Heat Transfer
• Rotary Kiln
• Shell
• Temperature Distribution

References

1. [1] Bouhafs M, Meghdir A, Adjeloua A, Ameur H. Numerical simulation of the fin impact on the cooling of the shell of a rotary kiln. J Adv Res Fluid Mech Therm Sci 2023;103:68–84. [CrossRef]
2. [2] Shvachko DG, Shcherbina VY, Borshchik SA. Thermal protection insulation in the lining of the rotary kilns. Mod Engineer Innov Technol 2021;16:1823.
3. [3] Gallo A, Alonso E, Perez-Rabago C, Fuentealba E, Roldanb MI. A lab-scale rotary kiln for thermal treatment of particulate materials under high concentrated solar radiation: Experimental assessment and transient numerical modeling. Sol Energy 2019;188:1013–1030. [CrossRef]
4. [4] Wirtz S, Pieper C, Buss F, Schiemann M, Schaefer S, Scherer V. Impact of coating layers in rotary cement kilns: Numerical investigation with a blocked-off region approach for radiation and momentum. Therm Sci Engineer Prog 2020;15:100429. [CrossRef]
5. [5] Rindang A, Panggabean S, Wulandari F. CFD Analysis of temperature drying chamber at rotary dryer with combined energy. IOP Conf Ser J Phys Conf Ser 2019;1155:012037. [CrossRef]
6. [6] Gu C, Yuan Z, Sun S, Guan L, Wu K. Simulation investigation of drying characteristics of wet filamentous biomass particles in a rotary kiln. Fuel Process Technol 2018;178:344–352. [CrossRef]
7. [7] Bongo Njeng AS, Vitu S, Clausse M, Dirion JL, Debacq M. Wall-to-solid heat transfer coefficient in flighted rotary kilns: Experimental determination and modeling. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 2018;91:197–213. [CrossRef]
8. [8] Mirhosseini M, Rezaniakolaei A, Rosendahl IL. Numerical study on heat transfer to an arc absorber designed for a waste heat recovery system around a cement kiln. Energies 2018;11:671. [CrossRef]

9. [9] Wang K, Li J, Wang P, Cheng L. Experimental and numerical studies on the air-side flow and heat transfer characteristics of a novel heat exchanger. Appl Therm Engineer 2017;123:830–844. [CrossRef]
10. [10] Yin Q, Du WJ, Ji XL, Cheng L. Optimization design based on the thermal resistance analyses of heat recovery systems for rotary kilns. Appl Therm Engineer 2017;112:1260–1270. [CrossRef]
11. [11] Ramanenka D, Antti ML, Gustafsson G, Jonsén P. Characterization of high-alumina refractory bricks and modeling of hot rotary kiln behavior. Eng Fail Anal 2017;79:852–864. [CrossRef]
12. [12] Yin Q, Du WJ, Cheng L. Optimization design of heat recovery systems on rotary kilns using genetic algorithms. Appl Energy 2017;202:153–168. [CrossRef]
13. [13] Agrawal A, Ghoshdastidar PS. Numerical simulation of heat transfer during production of rutile titanium dioxide in a rotary kiln. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2017;106:263–279. [CrossRef]
14. [14] Csernyei CM. Numerical modelling of a rotary cement kiln with external shell cooling fans. Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository; 2016. [CrossRef]
15. [15] Yin Q, Chen Q, Du WJ, Ji XL, Cheng L. Design requirements and performance optimization of waste heat recovery systems for rotary kilns. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2016;93:1–8. [CrossRef]
16. [16] Shahin H, Hassanpour S, Saboonchi A. Thermal energy analysis of a lime production process: Rotary kiln, preheater and cooler. Energy Conver Manage 2016;114:110–121. [CrossRef]
17. [17] Ustaoglu A, Alptekin M, Akay ME. Thermal and exergetic approach to wet type rotary kiln process and evaluation of waste heat powered ORC (organic Rankine cycle). Appl Therm Engineer 2016;112:281295. [CrossRef]
18. [18] Csernyei CM. Numerical modelling of a rotary cement kiln with external shell cooling fans. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree in Master of Engineering Science, Graduate Program in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, The University of Western Ontario; 2016. [CrossRef]
19. [19] Liu H, Yin H, Zhang M, Xie M, Xi X. Numerical simulation of particle motion and heat transfer in a rotary kiln. Powder Technol 2016;287:239–247. [CrossRef]
20. [20] Goshayeshi HR, Poor FK. Modeling of rotary kiln in cement industry. Energy Power Engineer 2016;8:23–33. [CrossRef]
21. [21] Gaurav GK, Khanam S. Analysis of temperature profile and % metallization in rotary kiln of sponge iron process through CFD. J Taiwan Inst Chem Engineer 2016;63:473481. [CrossRef]
22. [22] Csernyei CM, Straatman AG. Forced convective heat transfer on a horizontal circular cylinder due to multiple impinging circular jets. Appl Therm Engineer 2016;105:290303. [CrossRef]
23. [23] Goshayeshi HR, Poor FK. Modeling of rotary kiln in cement industry. Energy Power Engineer 2016;8:23–33. [CrossRef]
24. [24] Moussi K, Touil D, Fedailaine M, Belaadi S. Modèle d’échange d’énergie et de matière dans un four rotatif, incluant la combustion. Rev Energ Renouv 2015;18:143–152. [French] [CrossRef]
25. [25] Luo Q, Li P, Cai L, Zhou P, Tang D, Zhai P, et al. A thermoelectric waste-heat-recovery system for portland cement rotary kilns. J Electron Mater 2015;44:1750–1762. [CrossRef]
26. [26] Atmaca A, Yumrutas R. Analysis of the parameters affecting energy consumption of a rotary kiln in cement industry. Appl Therm Engineer 2014;66:435–444. [CrossRef]
27. [27] Ariyaratne WKH, Malagalage A, Melaaen MC, Tokheim L. CFD modeling of meat and bone meal combustion in a rotary cement kiln. Int J Model Optim 2014;4:263272. [CrossRef]
28. [28] Yi Z, Xiao H, Song J, Guangbai A, Zhou J. Mathematic simulation of heat transfer and operating optimization in alumina rotary kiln. J Cent South Univ 2013;20:2775–2780. [CrossRef]
29. [29] Caputo AC, Pelagagge PM, Salini P. Performance modeling of radiant heat recovery exchangers for rotary kilns. Appl Therm Engineer 2011;31:2578. [CrossRef]
30. [30] Paramane SB, Sharma A. Heat and fluid flow across a rotating cylinder dissipating uniform heat flux in 2D laminar flow regime. Int J Heat Mass Transf 2010;53:4672–4683. [CrossRef]
31. [31] Larsson IAS, Lindmark EM, Lundstrom TS, Marjavaara D, Toyra S. Kiln aerodynamics: Visualisation of merging flow by usage of PIV and CFD. Seventh International Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics in Minerals and Process Industries: CSIRO; Melbourne, Australia, 2009.
32. [32] Krishnayatra G, Tokas S, Kumar R, Zunaid M. Parametric study of natural convection showing effects of geometry, number and orientation of fins on a finned tube system: A numerical approach. J Therm Engineer 2022;2:268–285. [CrossRef]
33. [33] Rout SK, Hussein AK, Mohanty CP. Multi-objective optimization of a three-dimensional internally finned tube based on response surface methodology (RSM). J Therm Engineer 2015;2:131–142. [CrossRef]
34. [34] Bano T, Ali HM. An overview of recent progress in condensation heat transfer enhancement across horizontal tubes and the tube bundle. J Therm Engineer 2021;1:1–36. [CrossRef]
35. [35] Mohamad S, Rout SK, Senapati JR, Sarangi SK. Entropy generation analysis and cooling time estimation of a blast furnace in natural convection environment. Numer Heat Transf Part A Appl 2022;82:666–681. [CrossRef]
36. [36] Mohamad S, Senapati JR, Routh SK, Sarangi SK. RETRACTED: Development of Nusselt number correlation in natural convection over the walls of a blast furnace: A CFD approach. Proc Inst Mech Engineer Part E J Process Mech Eng 2021.
37. [37] Rout SK, Mishra DP, Nath Thatoi D, Acharya AK. Numerical analysis of mixed convection through an internally finned tube. Adv Mech Engineer 2012;4:918342. [CrossRef]
38. [38] Mebarek-Oudina F, Laouira H, Hussein AK, Omri M, Abderrahmane A, Kolsi L, et al. Mixed convection inside a duct with an open trapezoidal cavity equipped with two discrete heat sources and moving walls. Mathematics 2022;10:929. [CrossRef]
39. [39] Patankar SV. Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow. New York: McGraw Hill; 1980.
40. [40] Menter FR. Zonal two equation k-ω turbulence models for aerodynamic flows. AIAA Paper 93-2906; 1993. [CrossRef]
41. [41] Incropera FP, Dewitt DP, Bergman TL, Lavine AS. Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer. 6th ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 2007.
42. [42] Kim HJ, An BH, Park J, Kim DK. Experimental study on natural convection heat transfer from horizontal cylinders with longitudinal plate fins. J Mech Sci Technol 2013;27:593–599. [CrossRef]