.
The heat transfer from the outer wall to
surroundings is:
4 4
os os os o s o s o s
( ) ( ) Q h A T T S S T T .
where r is the radius, A the heat transfer area, h the
heat transfer coefficient, T the temperature, GS the
total exchange area between gas and surface, and
1 2
S S the total exchange area between two surfaces
(bed and wall).
The counter-current streams are divided into vo-
lume elements that exchange heat and matter with
each other and the surroundings. The streams encoun-
ter each other in a "zipper" iteration that converges
according to the outgoing and incoming temperatures
that are also known by measurement. The overall heat
balance is checked by including the burner in the mul-
ti-component thermodynamic model.
3 Results and discussion
Figure 3 shows the calculated temperature profiles
of the gas, bed, inner wall and outer wall in the kiln.
The temperature in the feed end is much higher than
that in the slag discharge end. In general, the temper-
ature of gas is higher than that of slag.
Figure 3 Predicted temperature profiles of the gas, bed,
inner wall and outer wall in Waelz kiln.
Figure 4 presents the amounts of slag, coal, limes-
tone and water along the length of the kiln. The water
is vaporized in the first 6 m of the kiln from the feed
end. The limestone decomposes completely at the
middle of the kiln. In general, some unreacted coal
310 J . Univ. Sci. Technol. Beijing, Vol.12, No.4, Aug 2005
remains in the discharged slag in order to reduce all
zinc and lead oxides. According to figure 4, 30% of all
coal charged has not reacted with the EAF dust, and
remained in the slag. The amount of the discharged
slag is only half of the amount of the initial feed.
Figure 4 Amounts of solids along the length of Waelz kiln.
3.1 Effect of coal charge
Table 1 shows the effect of coal charge on the op-
erations of the Waelz kiln. The zinc recovery increas-
es as the coal charge increases. But the unreacted coal
in the slag also increases as the coal charge increases.
Figures 5 and 6 present the effect of coal charge on
the temperature profiles of gas and bed along the
length of the kiln. When the percentage of carbon in
the feed is greater than 15%, the amount of coal has
very little influence on the temperature profiles of the
gas and bed along the length of the kiln, as shown in
figure 5. But the amount of the remaining coal in the
slag increases significantly, according to table 1. It
means that the extra coal does not react with the EAF
dust. Under this operating condition of Waelz kiln,
15% of carbon in the feed is enough to reduce most of
the zinc and lead oxides.
The temperature of the gas and bed decreases along
the length of the kiln, and the recovery of zinc de-
creases from 88.8% to 76.5%, as the percentage of
carbon in the feed decreases from 15% to 12%. When
C is only 11wt%, the kiln cools, and the kiln tempera-
ture is so low that the oxides can not be reduced, as
shown in figure 6 and table 1.
Table 1 Effect of coal charge on the operations of Waelz kiln
C in
feed / wt%
Discharged slag
temperature / C
Off-gas temperature
/ C
Unreacted C in
slag / wt%
Zn in
slag / wt%
Zn recovery / %
20 863 831 11.9 3.9 91.1
17 858 834 5.9 6.3 86.3
15 860 846 4.4 5.0 88.8
12 857 815 0.2 11.0 76.5
11 730 565 4.0 30.9 0
3.2 Effect of second air injection
Figure 7 presents the predicted temperature pro-
files of the gas, bed, inner wall and outer wall in the
Waelz kiln when air is injected under low pressure at
the discharge end of Waelz kiln. Temperatures of the
bed and gas in the feed end of Waelz kiln with second
air injection are much lower than that of normal
Waelz kiln, but temperatures of the bed and gas in the
discharge end are much higher than that of normal
Waelz kiln, as shown in figures 3 and 7. The reason is
that the metallic iron in the slag re-oxidizes with the
blast air, and the oxidization reaction releases a sig-
nificant amount of heat near the discharge end of the
Wealz kiln where the second air is injected.
Figure 5 Effect of extra coal charge on the tempera-
ture profiles of gas and bed in Waelz kiln.
Figure 6 Effect of coal charge on the temperature
profiles of gas and bed in Waelz kiln.
P.F. Tan et al., Modeling and optimization of rotary kiln treating EAF dust 311
Figure 7 Predicted temperature profiles of the gas, bed,
inner wall and outer wall in Waelz kiln where the second
air is injected.
Figure 8 shows the effect of coal charge on the
temperature profiles of the gas and bed along the
length of the Waelz kiln where the second air is in-
jected. When carbon in the feed decreases from 15%
to 10%, the temperature of the gas and bed are still
high enough to reduce the zinc and lead oxides.
Figure 8 Effect of coal charge on the temperature profiles
of gas and bed in Waelz kiln where the second air is in-
jected.
3.3 Solidus temperature of the slag and CaO/SiO
2
in feed
In order to avoid accretion problems in the kiln, the
solidus temperature of slag should be high enough.
The CaO/SiO
2
or (CaO+MgO)/SiO
2
ratio is very im-
portant for the control of solidus temperature of slag.
The soildus temperature of the slag has been calcu-
lated using FactSage [15] and shown in the following
figures. Figure 9 shows the effect of CaO/SiO
2
ratio
on the solidus temperature of slag from the feed end to
the middle of kiln. Figure 10 presents the effect of
CaO/SiO
2
ratio on the solidus temperature of slag
from the middle of kiln to the discharge end.
Figure 9 Solidus temperature of slag from the feed end to
the middle of kiln.
Figure 10 Solidus temperature of slag from the middle of
kiln to the discharge end.
3.4 Solidus temperature of slag and MgO content
in feed
Figure 11 shows the effect of the replacement of
CaO by MgO on the solidus temperature of slag from
the feed end to the middle of kiln. Figure 12 presents
the effect of the replacement of CaO by MgO on the
solidus temperature of slag from the middle of kiln to
the discharge end.
Figure 11 Effect of MgO on solidus temperature of slag
from the feed end to the middle of kiln .
According to figures 9-12, the solidus temperature
of slag increases with the CaO/SiO
2
ratio increasing.
The replacement of CaO by MgO also increases the
312 J . Univ. Sci. Technol. Beijing, Vol.12, No.4, Aug 2005
solidus temperature of slag.
Figure 12 Effect of MgO on solidus temperature of slag
from the middle of kiln to discharge end.
4 Conclusions
(1) The process model, combined thermodynamic
modeling with heat transfer calculations, has been de-
veloped to simulate the chemical reactions, mass and
heat transfer and heat balance in the kiln. The injec-
tion of air into the slag and the temperature profile
along the kiln have been modeled. The effect of
(CaO+MgO)/SiO
2
on the solidus temperature of slag
has also been modeled and discussed. Some optimized
results have been presented in this paper.
(2) The solidus temperature of slag increases with
the CaO/SiO
2
ratio increasing. The replacement of
CaO by MgO also increases the solidus temperature of
slag.
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