Rotary Kiln Maintenance

Seminar

Kiln Alignment
Kiln Alignment

Alignment Principles
Internal Alignment
Hot Kiln Alignment
Alignment Principles
 Kiln Alignment

A kiln is considered aligned when the

center of rotation of the kiln shell at
every support lies on a straight line.
 Kiln Alignment

Two Support Kiln

Note that a kiln with only two supports

is always aligned, as there is always a
straight line between two points.
 Kiln Alignment

Horizontal Axis

Vertical Axis

A kiln can be misaligned in the

horizontal or in the vertical plane.
Consequences of Misalignment
3902 kN 6491 kN 3067 kN

3597 kN 7048 kN 2815 kN

10 mm

Misalignment changes the loading on the

kiln supports and causes overstressing of
the shell and supports.
Consequences of Misalignment

Misalignment can result in all

of the load being
concentrated on one roller.
Internal Alignment
 Internal Alignment

Internal alignment is normally used when

assembling a new kiln. A line of sight is shot
through batter boards marking the kiln centers at
the shell section ends and at the tire locations.
 Internal Alignment

New kiln sections usually have steel spider

bracing with precisely marked centers. If
not, wooden batter boards can be prepared.
 Internal Alignment

The kiln shell’s center is found by scribing four

arcs on a target card tacked onto the batter board.
 Internal Alignment

Drawing diagonals at the arcs’

intersections will locate the center.
 Internal Alignment

Removable targets with marked shell centers are

placed at each tire center and shell end. The
theodolite’s line of sight is marked on the target and
the offset is measured.
 Kiln Alignment
Top
Clearance
Tire
centre

S
Kiln
centre

Note that if there is any top clearance present, the tire

center is not the same as the kiln center. Alignment
calculations must take hot running clearance into account.
 Correcting Misalignment

Field Joint
Roller Adjustment
Adjustment

After measurements are taken the kiln is

aligned by adjusting rollers and field joints.
 Correcting Misalignment

h h

Moving both rollers horizontally will move

the kiln center by the same amount.
 Correcting Misalignment

C A C

B B

A2 + B2 = C2

Roller adjustments to correct vertical alignment can

be calculated from the relationship of right triangles.
 Correcting Misalignment

¼
½

1
Moving one roller horizontally will move the kiln
center horizontally by half and vertically by one
quarter (approximately) of the distance.
Correcting Misalignment

Caution! Moving a roller on the piers

immediately uphill and downhill from the
kiln gear will affect the gear alignment.
Hot Kiln Alignment
 Hot Kiln Alignment
Advantages

Measurements and corrections can

be completed while the kiln is
operating.

The data collected indicates the real

conditions as the kiln is operating.

Alignment errors can be corrected

immediately or during a planned kiln
outage.
 Hot Kiln Alignment

Mechanical Hot Kiln Survey Method

Laser Kiln Survey (LKS) Method

 Hot Kiln Alignment
Both methods utilize a variety of
measured data to determine kilns axis:

Diameter of support rollers and live rings

using electro-mechanical instrument.

Temperature of the support rollers, live

rings and kiln shell.

Creep and clearance between the kiln shell

support pads and live rings.
 Mechanical Alignment

Using a theodolite to establish a line of sight

along the kiln, the horizontal distances from the
line of sight to each support roller is measured.
 Mechanical Alignment
Λ

Tire centre
s

Kiln centre
a b
f
dleft dright F

c
q j
cleft cright

Using an optical level the elevations of

the bearing base frames are determined.
 Mechanical Alignment

Elevation
Markers

Elevation markers on kiln piers should

be checked to see if a kiln pier has sunk.
Roller and Tire Circumference

Using a precision measuring wheel and

tachometer the circumference of the roller
and tire are measured.
 Roller and Tire Circumference
Magnet

DIGITAL CIRCUMFERENCE OF TIRE

A magnet and magnetic sensor record

start/stop positions. Circumference is read
on the digital readout to 0.1 mm accuracy.
 Mechanical Alignment

Line of sight

Using the measurements, and knowing the distance

between supports, a kiln centerline can be constructed
which best fits the existing roller positions.
 Mechanical Alignment

a b
dleft drightf F

j
c
q
cleft cright
 Laser Kiln Survey

Tire elevation and location can be determined

utilizing a laser theodolite from ground level.
 Laser Kiln Survey

Kiln Center Tolerances

Horizontal Plane ± 1.5 mm

Vertical Plane ± 2.5 mm

Laser measurement provides the most

accurate method of kiln alignment.
Laser Kiln Survey
Laser Kiln Survey
Laser Kiln Survey
Laser Kiln Survey