CourseWLBW6.7WWCoolingWWaterWSupplyWandWTreatment
VDZWOnlineWCourses // Cement
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Solutions............................................................................................................................... 16
Glossary ............................................................................................................................... 17
Index..................................................................................................................................... 18
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
1 Introduction
The cooling of process systems takes up a great deal of space in a cement works and is
also associated with high energy expenditure. The large number of different applications
means that there is a range of different solutions for cooling process systems. A coolant is
required in all processes involving generation of heat.
For some industrial applications direct air cooling is the most effective method of cooling.
Ambient air is hardly corrosive, costs nothing, is always readily available everywhere, is
environmentally friendly and does not require treatment or disposal.
Direct air cooling is used when the heat carriers can be reached directly by the air, for
example when cooling electric motors using fan blades, or when ventilating/cooling build-
ings by selective air routing as well as when cooling kiln shells with cooling fans.
Direct air cooling is the simplest cooling method. However it is not always possible to
implement from a technical perspective and in some cases is associated with higher in-
vestment or operating costs. 1
Compared with direct air cooling, water cooling is a more effective cooling option in the
majority of applications as in most cases it is only possible to cool complex machine and
system components using liquid cooling, primarily with water. Water is especially suitable
for cooling. In most cases, water is easily available and is characterised by a high heat-
absorbtion capacity and almost unchanging substance properties over a wide temperature
range. In some cases, a number of technically different systems and operating principles
are used for the different stages of production.
A large amount of cooling water is also used to condition the kiln exhaust gases in the
conditioning tower in a cement works with kilns.
The supply of cooling water in a cement works is therefore always one of the essential
subsidiary systems. Uninterrupted production can only be ensured by trouble-free oper-
ation of the cooler and cooling systems as well as uninterrupted supply of the required
amounts of water. This also includes, where necessary, the measures and systems required
for recooling the heated cooling water.
This course describes the measures and options for supplying cooling water in a cement
works.
Course Summary
In water cooling a distinction can be made between fresh water cooling and recirculation
cooling using cooling towers.
In fresh water cooling the cooling water is removed from a body of water and fed
directly back to it.
If fresh water cooling is not possible or is not permitted, the cooling water required
must be recooled in wet or dry cooling towers using a flow of air provided by a fan
or natural draught (for example power station cooling towers). Smaller units are also
known as wet air or dry air coolers (Fig. 2.0-1).
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
2 Construction and Operating Principle
Figure 2.0-1: Operating Principle of Dry and Wet Air Coolers. (Source: GEA Energy Technology
GmbH)
2
The primary coolant for cooling the equipment is again water. The heated water is then
fed to a cooler where it is recooled using air. Different types of systems are available for
recooling and these different cooling methods place different requirements on the cooling
water flow used.
With dry coolers the heat is transferred by convection via cooling surfaces. This method
has greater resistance to heat transmission and a lower temperature gradient than the wet
method. In wet coolers heat is transferred by evaporation of water. Approximately 1 % to
3 % of the cooling water flow is lost and must be replaced by fresh water.
evaporation by
heating
plant cooling
water treatment
body of water
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
2.1 Fresh Water Cooling
The heated water rises to the surface and is cooled by thermal radiation and evaporation,
the thermal energy being released slowly into the air. Mist is formed when cold air is
located above warm water and this phenomenon is more pronounced at the cooling water
inlet points.
evaporation evaporation
by heating
3
plant cooling
conditioning
water treatment
tower
body of water
If necessary, the heated cooling water is used in a second step for conditioning in the
conditioning tower. When water is used in a conditioning tower it is not generally fed
back to the body of water. Excess water is only diverted if the amount of cooling water
used is too low.
Advantages Disadvantages
technically simple solution high maintenance costs for rotary cooler units
high thermal efficiency and low electrical depending on water quality
energy consumption high cost of achieving water quality
low investment costs it must be possible to empty water from the
coupled use possible pipe system as a protection against freezing
use is made of the technical systems required different cooling water temperatures during
anyway to obtain the water for the direct/interconnected operation
conditioning tower
Table 2.1-1: Advantages and disadvantages of fresh water cooling with no cooling circuit.
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
2 Construction and Operating Principle
2.1-3) can be inserted. This separates the cooling circuits. The primary fresh water circuit
extends as far as the heat exchanger, the water in the secondary cooling circuit is cooled
by the heat exchanger and the water is fed back into the circuit.
The secondary cooling circuit is operated as a closed system with water that has been
treated so it will not freeze. As there is no significant water leakage loss, mains-quality
water is used to fill the system.
heat exchanger
water treatment
4
body of water
Figure 2.1-3: Fresh Water Cooling in Closed Cooling Circuit Without Removal of Water for Conditioning
Tower .
Advantages Disadvantages
low technical costs and low electrical energy attention must be paid to water quality if there
consumption are serious leaks
low maintenance costs higher technical costs compared to the open
high thermal efficiency circuit
low operating costs due to better water quality cooling water pipe system and conditioning
water system must be separate
Table 2.1-2: Advantages and disadvantages of fresh water cooling with closed cooling circuit.
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
2.2 Dry Cooling Towers
Figure 2.2-1: Dry Air Cooler. (Source: Kelvion (formerly GEA Heat Exchangers GmbH))
1 axial fan
5
2 finned tube heat exchanger
3 fan control
5 closed circuit
6 heat source
fan
finned tube bundle fan ring
heating coils air box
louvres
pulley
drive belt
electric motor
support structure
Figure 2.2-2: Finned Tube Heat Exchanger. (Source: Kelvion (formerly GEA Heat Exchangers GmbH))
The plants operate in a closed water circuit and have the appropriate requirements for
water quality and water treatment to achieve frost-proof operation of the plants.
The fans required to convey the cooling air normally have variable speed drives. A low
speed when operating overnight or in winter reduces operating costs and leads to reduced
noise emissions.
Narrow finned tube bundles (Fig. 2.2-3) require high-quality water treatment to avoid
blockages and calcification inside the pipes. Mains water containing an appropriate an-
tifreeze additive is used in the closed circuit.
Because of the fins the air must be cleaned at the air-intake end of all impurities that could
prevent continued passage of air. Leaves, feathers and even deposits of corrosive cement
dust can considerably impair efficiency.
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2 Construction and Operating Principle
bracket
ventilation / tube sheet
emptying (fixed end)
cover plate
chamber
chamber seal (inlet)
(inlet)
guide bolts
cover plate
side wall
Figure 2.2-3: Narrow Finned Tube Bundle. (Source: Kelvion (formerly GEA Heat Exchangers GmbH))
6
In addition to the water circuit, the industrial applications of this plant also include expen-
diture on air circulation, fans, electric drives and energy consumption. The cost for main-
tenance of the water circuit is considered to be low. Unless there are leaks, the amount of
leakage water lost is negligible provided that the temperatures in the water circuit do not
exceed the water vapour temperature. The feed pumps in the system are generally also not
designed for this.
At this point in the online course you could watch an animation on the operating principle
of a dry air cooler.
Advantages Disadvantages
At this point in the online course you could watch an animation of the operating principle
of a wet air cooler.
In this instance the heated process water is transferred into an open circuit for recooling.
The water to be cooled from the cooling process is pumped to a distribution device in the
lower third of the cooling tower. It is then either atomized by nozzles or dispersed from the
overflow channel over internal fittings and broken up into thin layers and flows against the
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2.3 Wet Cooling Towers
stream of air. The internal fittings sometimes include membrane elements made of woven
plastic fabric or plastic sponge with a high surface area for effective heat transfer.
The air enters the cooler housing laterally at the bottom of the housing. The requisite air
flow is ensured by the air distribution baffles located above the water distribution system,
assisted by the fan drive.
The electric drive of the fan is controlled by the temperature measurement at the cooler
outlet. During winter and partial load operation, the fan can be switched off or operated at
a lower speed.
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
2 Construction and Operating Principle
content. The water sludge must be removed and this leads to additional water losses. This
lost water must be replaced continuously by water of appropriate quality. The replacement
water must be supplied either directly as water of mains water quality or as water of quarry
water quality using the necessary treatment and water treatment agents (Fig. 2.3-3).
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2.4 Water Quality
Advantages Disadvantages
Hydrazine
Hydrazine is a colourless nitrogen compound. In addition to use for oxygen fixation,
hydrazine is also used as rocket fuel. Hydrazine is suitable for storage but great care
should be taken when handling it.
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2 Construction and Operating Principle
Hardness
All the dissolved salts of calcium and magnesium cause water hardness. They may be
present as carbonates, sulfates, chlorides or nitrates. The compounds of carbonates are
called carbonate hardness (CH). The general term for the other compounds is non-carbonate
hardness (NCH). Addition of the two types generally gives the total hardness (TH). A
distinction can also be made between calcium hardness (CaH) and magnesium hardness
(MgH), the sum of which also gives the TH.
Salt Content
Apart from the alkaline earth metals that form the hardness, alkali salts (Na and K) are
also almost always present in water. The total salt content of water can be calculated by
analysis or established from evaporation residues.
pH
10 The pH indicates whether water is acidic, neutral or alkaline:
pH < 7 acidic
pH = 7 neutral
pH > 7 alkaline
Alkalinity
Alkalinity is understood to mean the content of sodium carbonate (soda), calcium carbon-
ate or hydroxides as well as of ammonia, hydrazine and hydrogen carbonates.
Anion
Purification
In order to remove any suspended material and sediment, water can be passed through sed-
imentation tanks where it is cleaned during suitable residence times or else is cleaned by
passing through appropriate gravel layers in gravel bed filter systems. However, very fine
suspended material cannot be removed by this method without using chemical additives.
Iron or aluminium salts are added as precipitating agents to flush out the material.
Filtration
Coarse materials can be removed by gravel or burnt dolomite rock. This material is also
used for de-acidification and removal of iron and manganese in addition to filtration.
De-acidification
In water, de-acidification primarily involves the removal of corrosive carbonic acids until
the lime-carbonic acid balance is reached. The following methods are used for this:
aeration: trickling water via cascades against a counter-current of air
filtration over crushed marble (CaCO3)
filtration over burnt dolomite rock (CaCO3 MgO)
de-acidification using lime (Ca(OH)2)
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
2.4 Water Quality
Degassing
Mechanical or chemical degassing systems and combinations of the two are used to expel
gases (O2 and CO2) dissolved in water. In thermal degassing the water to be degassed
is brought to boiling point by supplying heat, causing O2 and CO2 to be expelled and
released into the atmosphere.
Hydrazine is generally used in chemical degassing to fix O2.
Demineralization
A certain amount of demineralized water, which depends on the carbonate hardness and
total salt content in the supply and recycled water, is required to restrict the concentration
of the recycled water as a result of evaporation. The flow of mineralized water can be fixed
or dispensed precisely using automatically controlled demineralization equipment.
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2 Construction and Operating Principle
Algae Treatment
Algae growth or slime formation is often observed in cooling towers where the surface of
the water is exposed to sunlight or the incoming air is polluted, and must be eliminated
using chemical agents (biocides).
An analysis of the water must be carried out in order to assess and select the most appro-
priate method of treatment.
The complete configuration of a water treatment system cannot be worked out just from
the chemical and physical characteristics of the water.
At wall temperatures up to 60 C the recycled water in cooling water circuits made of
steel pipes operating under varying conditions should have the main analysis values given
in Tab. 2.4-1.
12
Property Value
pH 7 to 8.5
acid capacity up to pH 4.3 (SK 4.3) (formerly < 6.4 mol/m3 (formerly corresponding to 18 dH)
carbonate hardness)
total salt content (TSC) < 2500 mg/l to > 2000 mg/l corresponding to
conductivity of approximately 240 V/cm
Table 2.4-1: Analysis Values of Recycled Water in Cooling Water Circuits Operating under Varying
Conditions.
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3 Health and Safety Practices
As usual, the safety guidelines must be observed and special attention must also be paid
to the plant manufacturers EU attestation of conformity.
Plants in which hazardous substances (anti-freeze agents, water treatment chemicals, etc.)
are involved must be monitored particularly carefully. The information contained in the
EU safety data sheets must be disclosed. Operating instructions for work that involves
handling hazardous substances must be compiled and distributed in accordance with haz-
ardous substance regulations. The infiltration of these substances into ground and surface
water must be prevented. Instructions must be provided on how to proceed in the case of
an accident.
In this instance attention should be paid, amongst other things, to the quality of the cooling
water with regard to maintaining a safe bacterial count, i.e. the number of E. coli bac-
teria. Regular checks of water circuits that are not regularly replaced or replenished are
absolutely essential.
13
4 Operation and Quality
As described, trouble-free operation of the system is an important factor for reliable pro- Consequences of
duction in a cement works. Malfunctions in the cooling water systems may lead to exces- Breakdown
sive bearing temperatures in rotary kiln plants or cement grinding plants. This results in
an immediate suspension of production or serious damage requiring repair.
The operation of cooling systems always requires additional energy. The selection of the Energy
cooling method on the one hand and the greatest possible energy efficiency of the selected
method on the other are crucial for energy consumption.
A considerable amount of energy can sometimes be saved by using variable-speed drives
or by switching redundant drives on and off on the basis of temperature differences, par-
ticularly during summer/winter operation or day/night operation.
The cooling water system has an indirect effect on product quality during interruptions Quality
to production caused by damage to or malfunctions of the cooling systems. The cooling
system directly affects the setting behaviour of cements. Owing to the composition of the
sulfate agent, cement applications require the greatest possible dehydration of the gypsum
components during grinding in the mill. A high mill temperature is crucial for dehydration,
but the high temperature should not thermally overload the trunnion bearing of the tube
mills. A cooling water temperature that can be adjusted precisely, and sometimes even
different cooling systems, are decisive for quality.
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
8 Questions on Course LB 6.7 Cooling Water Supply
Water quality is important (but has already been sufficiently described) for preventing
long-term damage or cost-intensive maintenance and servicing work.
Frost protection of the plants prevents undesirable leaks and extensive interruption to
operation.
7 Environmental Protection
Emissions The direct emissions from cooling systems are primarily steam and mist, caused by in-
creased atmospheric moisture. Large amounts of condensed cooling water can extend the
duration of the mist. However, the higher level of atmospheric moisture generally has a
positive effect on the local microclimate.
Measures An important environmental protection measure is to limit the temperature of the bodies
of water or streams. The temperature of the body of water may increase as a result of the
introduction of large volumes of cooling water.
With regard to environmental protection, the method exhibiting the greatest thermal ef-
ficiency should also be selected from the technically feasible methods of cooling. In this
regard, economic considerations are also of importance in addition to the ecological as-
pects.
Question 8.0 A:
1.: What is understood by fresh water cooling?
2.: What are the advantages of fresh water cooling over the use of a cooling tower?
3.: What are the disadvantages of fresh water cooling compared to use of a cooling
tower?
4.: What is the major advantage of closed cooling circuits during winter operation?
5.: Which components in closed cooling systems with dry air coolers are particularly
sensitive?
6.: Which measures are necessary for continuous operation of dry cooling towers?
7.: Which energy optimization measures are generally used in finned tube coolers?
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8.: What are the disadvantages of dry air cooler systems compared to wet cooler sys-
tems?
9.: What are the advantages of dry air cooler systems compared to wet cooler systems?
10.: Which frost protection measures are used in wet cooler systems?
11.: Which properties of water affect its use as cooling water?
12.: Which methods for treating cooling water are applied or can be applied?
13.: Do you know the water analysis data for your cooling water and which treatment
methods are required for the water?
Solution see p.16
15
VDZ gGmbH
Research Institute of the Cement Industry
8 Questions on Course LB 6.7 Cooling Water Supply
Solutions
Solutions to 8.0 A:
1.: Cooling using water from a body of water or storage reservoirs
2.: Technically simple solution Low investment costs
3.: Maintenance costs Extensive water treatment
4.: Antifreeze agents can be used
5.: The tube bundles
6.: The cooling water must be of a high quality. The cooling fins must be kept clean.
7.: Use of variable-speed drives
8.: Larger size
9.: No cooling mist and therefore no loss of cooling water
10.: Increased conveying pressure. Frost-resistant installation of pumps and storage
tanks.
11.: Hardness, salt content, pH, alkalinity
16 12.: Purification, filtration, de-acidification, decarbonization, removal of iron, removal
of manganese, ion exchange methods, degassing, demineralization, algae treat-
ment
13.:
Question see p. 14
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Research Institute of the Cement Industry
Glossary
Anion
anion a negatively charged ion
cation
cation a positively charged ion
convection
convection or convective heat transfer is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the movement of fluids
corrosion
Corrosion is generally the reaction between a material and its environment that causes a measurable change in
the material and may impair the function of a component or system. Corrosion affects metals, but the term is
also used in other fields. Examples include rust and pitting.
hydrazine
Chemcial that is used for oxygen fixation in closed cooling circuits.
Ion
ion a particle (atom or molecule) with a net electric charge
sodium sulfite
sodium salt of sulphurous acids 17
to condition
to condition bring (something) into the desired state for use e.g. reducing the exhaust gas temperature by an
injection of water or water vapor
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Index
A
Anion 10, 11
C
cation 11
convection 2
corrosion 1
H
hydrazine 9
I
Ion 11
S
sodium sulfite 9
18
T
to condition 1
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