OPERATION CERAMIC P. I.

OF TILES

ROLLER

KILNS

FOR

FIRING

Berenshtein

UDC 666.3.041:621. 783. 223.5

T h e S c i e n t i f i c - R e s e a r c h I n s t i t u t e of B u i l d i n g C e r a m i c s ( N I I S t r o i k e r a m i k a ) h a s c a r r i e d out a n u m b e r of r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t s c o n n e c t e d with d e s i g n i n g c o n t i n u o u s a u t o m a t e d c o n v e y e r l i n e s f o r p r o d u c i n g c e r a m i c t i l e s , b a s e d on r a p i d o n e - h i g h - f i r i n g c y c l e s . S u c h l i n e s a r e now w o r k i n g in m a n y f a c t o r i e s : K u c h i n s k , S I a v y a n s k , S v e r d l o v s k , M o s c o w , V o l g o g r a d , e t c . T h e b a s i c h e a t i n g unit f o r t h e s e l i n e s is the r o l l e r k i l n . The characteristics of e x i s t i n g r o l l e r k i l n s a r e g i v e n in T a b l e 1.

T h i s a r t i c l e g i v e s t h e r e s u l t s of a n i n v e s t i g a t i o n into t h e o p e r a t i o n of t h e s e k i l n s . T h e p r e s s u r e (or v a c u u m ) in the w o r k i n g c h a n n e l of r o l l e r kilns is 0 . 1 - 0 . 3 m m w a t e r . Such an a e r o d y n a m i c c y c l e s h o u l d be c o n s i d e r e d c o m p l e t e l y s a t i s f a c t o r y , s i n c e with t h e s e p r e s s u r e (vacuum) v a l u e s the e j e c t i o n of t h e c o m b u s t i o n p r o d u c t s o r the i n t a k e of a i r into the f i r i n g c h a n n e l is m i n i m a l . T h e c o m p o s i t i o n s of t h e g a s e s in r o l l e r k i l n s a r e g i v e n in T a b l e 2. T h e e x c e s s a i r in the p r e h e a t zone is 1 . 6 - 2 . 5 , and in the f i r i n g zone 1 . 1 - 1 . 4 . In s o m e c a s e s the g a s e s c o n t a i n CO (0.2%). In the r o l l e r k i l n s u n d e r e x a m i n a t i o n t h e d e s i g n i n c o r p o r a t e s i n j e c t i o n b u r n e r s . b u r n e r s d o e s not a l w a y s g u a r a n t e e c o m p l e t e c o m b u s t i o n of t h e f u e l . The use of t h e s e

A s a r e s u l t , d u r i n g the f i r i n g of f l o o r t i l e s m a d e f r o m r e d - i r o n - c o n t a i n i n g b o d i e s (for e x a m p l e , N i k i f o r o v c l a y s ) , and in the p r e s e n c e of c a r b o n m o n o x i d e in t h e f i r i n g zone, the s u r f a c e of the p r o d u c t s is f r e q u e n t l y s m o k y . I n s t e a d of t h e u s u a l r e d c o l o r , t h e p r o d u c t s a c q u i r e a d a r k - r e d o r b l a c k - r e d s h a d e . To g u a r a n t e e s t a b l e o x i d a t i o n a t m o s p h e r e s d u r i n g the f i r i n g of f l o o r t i l e s it is d e s i r a b l e to u s e b u r n e r s with f o r c e d a i r f e e d s . T A B LE 1 Roller kiln for firin wall tiles 150 x 150 x5mm I~ Factor T h e t h e r m a l b a l a n c e s of r o l l e r k i l n s , i n c l u d i n g a l s o the c o n s u m p t i o n of h e a t f o r d r y i n g in c o n v e y e r d r i e r s , a r e g i v e n in T a b l e 3. One of the b a s i c i t e m s of h e a t c o n s u m p t i o n in r o l l e r kilns i s the l o s s with t h e w a s t e g a s e s to the s u r r o u n d i n g s . In k i l n s e m p l o y e d f o r f i r i n g w a l l t i l e s the h e a t l o s s e s w i t h t h e w a s t e g a s e s r e a c h 31%. D u r ing t h e f i r i n g of t i l e s m a d e by c a s t i n g t h e r e is a n i n c r e a s e i n the c o n s u m p t i o n of h e a t f o r w a r m i n g up the t i l e s and the kiln f u r n i t u r e ( s l a b s ) , a s a r e s u l t of w h i c h the p r o p o r t i o n of h e a t l o s t with the w a s t e g a s e s is s o m e w h a t r e d u c e d . In the r o l l e r k i l n f i r s t c o n s t r u c t e d f o r the s i n g l e f i r i n g of w a l l t i l e s , the h e a t l o s s to the s u r r o u n d i n g s r e a c h e d 30%. In t h i s k i l n the d e s i g n e r s u s e d r e l a t i v e l y t h i n i n s u l a t i o n (wall t h i c k n e s s at the

I "E double firing I ~

.~ x

~o
9 ~

tirst ~econdl o o ~
| I~

Annual output in thousand

1"13.2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Length, m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Width, m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roller stages, mm . . . . . . . . . Firing temperature, ~ . . . . Firing time, rain . . . . . . . . . .

200 250 250 33,6 9,6- 9.222,4 42

200
42

200
23

09

52

0,9

120 34

1050 1080 1000 1100 1020 30 16 26 ] 40

Scientific-Research Institute of Building Ceramics. pp. 28-31, November, 1971.

Translatedfrom Steklo i Keramika, No. II,

9 1972 Consultants Bureau, a division of Plenum Publishing Corporation, 227 ~/est 17th Street, New York, N. Y. 10011. All rights reserved. This article cannot be reproduced for any purpose whatsoever without permission of the publisher. A copy of this article is available from the publisher for $15.00.

679

TABLE

2
Gas con2

,osition, % CO
0 0

Type of kiln Preheat Firing

Zone

t, ~
500--600

C02

O, 10,6 10,4 4,4 18,8 13,0 10,4 6,6 18,8 9,6 8,2 3,0 19,0 10,2 6,4 17,2

For first firing of wall tiles

Behind flue pump Preheat For second firing of wall tiles Firing Behind firing floor tiles Preheat Firing Behind flue pump Preheat Firing Behind flue pump

600--900 1050--1080 140 500--600 600--900 960--1o00 140 500--600 600--950 1090--1120 145 600--900 1000--1020 180

5,6 6,0 9,4 1,6 4,6 6,0 8,0 1,6 6,4 7,2 10,2 1,4 6,0 8,2 2,2

2,1 1,9 1,2 7,3 2,5 1,9 1,4 7,3

For firing floor tiles

0 0,2

o,2

1,8 1,6 1,1 8,3 1,9 !,4 5,3

For firing cast tiles

TABLE

3 Facing tiles single firing double firing* Initial state kcal/h, % kcal/h %
kcal/h

Flodr tiles %

Cas_~tmosaic t21e~ I kcal/h

%

Incoming

heat 446 600 15 900 462 500

96,6 3,4 I00

Chemical heat of fuel . . . . . . . . . . Physical heat of fuel, air and tile charge . . . . . . . . . . . . : ...... Total Heat consumption

760 0O0 250660 1010 660

75,0 25,0 100

648 000 108600 756 600

85,5 14,5 100

470000

91,0

48 600 9,0 518 600 100

For moisture evaporation . . . . . . . . Heat of chemical reaction . . . . . . Lost with waste gases . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lost to environment . . . . . . . . . . . Heating tiles in driers and heat loss from drler~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heat loss with air expelled from throttling ducts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lost on discharge of tile . . . . . . . . Losses unaccounted for . . . . . . . , . . Consumption in combustion charnber on drying and firing 1 m z calcined products, k g / m 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13 300 23 800 144 300 138 500 40 900 41 000 1 700 59 000 462 500

2,9 5,1 31,3 29,9 8,8 8,9 0,4 12,7 100

19 200 I 50 500 290 000 197 550 71 800 248 600 11 050 121 960] 1010 660

1,9 5,3 28,6 19,5 7,0 24,6 1,1 12,0 100

35 000 97 000 236 000 101 600 62 900 141 400 18 000 64 700 756 600

4,6 12,8 31,2 13,4 8,4 18,7 2,4 8,5 100

32600 I 6,3 12800 2,5 88500 17,1 53600 10,3 28 600 5,5

172700 33,2 22 200 4,3 107 600 20,8 518600 100

2,6

3,1

3,3

4,0

*Total for bisque and glost firing in kiln.

l o c a t i o n of t h e r o l l e r s 250 r a m ) , a n d f u r t h e r m o r e there were increased heat losses through the apertures used for installing the rollers. In s u b s e q u e n t d e s i g n s of r o l l e r k i l n s t h e d e s i g n e r s s p e c i f i e d t h i c k e r i n s u l a t i o n (350 r a m ) , a n d h e a t i n s u l a t i n g b a f f l e s i n t h e s i t e s o f r o l l e r l o c a t i o n , w h i c h r e d u c e d t h e h e a t l o s s e s to the surroundings to 15-20%. I n o r d e r t o c o m p a r e t h e c o n s u m p t i o n of h e a t i n r o l l e r a n d t u n n e l k i l n s w e u s e d t h e b a s i c e q u a t i o n f o r the thermal balance in the preheat and firing zones, which can be written in the following form (kcal/h): Bchem = Qp -t- Qtot = Qp @ qtot QP = Qp(1 + qtot) = A Qevap (1 + qtot), w h e r e B e h e m is t h e c h e m i c a l h e a t of t h e f u e l , Q p is t h e c o n s u m p t i o n of h e a t f o r e v a p o r a t i n g m o i s t u r e , chemical reactions, heating the products, and the lining of the cars and the kiln furniture, Qp = Q2-Q1;

680

TABLE

4
Kiln

roller Product being fired

A

tunnel qtot ~t A

R Fuel s

Wall tiles 150 x150 x5 ram: first firing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . second firing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Floor tiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0,4 0,26 0,48

1,5 2,9 1,1

0,5 0,5 0,5

2,1 2,9 1,9

0,6 0,67 0,55

40 % 45

Q2 i s the h e a t c o n t e n t of t h e p r o d u c t s , the lining, the c a r s and the k i l n f u r n i t u r e at t h e m a x i m u m f i r i n g t e m p e r a t u r e , Q1 is the s a m e with a full kiln; Qtot is the t o t a l h e a t l o s s , and qtot is the p r o p o r t i o n of t o t a l h e a t l o s s with r e s p e c t to Qp, qtot = Q t o t / Q p ; and Qevap is the c o n s u m p t i o n of h e a t for e v a p o r a t i n g m o i s t u r e , c h e m i c a l r e a c t i o n s and h e a t i n g t h e p r o d u c t s (without t a k i n g into a c c o u n t k i l n f u r n i t u r e ) ; A = Q P / Q e v a p is a m a g n i t u d e c h a r a c t e r i z i n g the i n f l u e n c e of the a c c o m p a n y i n g r e f r a c t o r y f u r n i t u r e on t h e i n c r e a s e in h e a t evaporation. R o l l e r k i l n s do not r e q u i r e the e x p e n d i t u r e of h e a t f o r h e a t i n g k i l n f u r n i t u r e . T h e r a t i o of t h e c o n s u m p t i o n of h e a t in r o l l e r and t u n n e l k i l n s is Bchem, R Bchem. T Qevap (1 + t/tot. R) A Qevap (1 + qtot. T) 1 + q tot.R A (1 + qtot. T) F o r t h e s e kilns A = 1.

w h e r e the l e t t e r ' R ' r e f e r s to r o l l e r k i l n s , and t h e l e t t e r ' T ' r e f e r s to tunnel k i l n s . T h e r a t i o Q p / B e h e m = ~t c h a r a c t e r i z e s the t h e r m a l e f f i c i e n c y of the f u r n a c e a s a h e a t i n g i n s t a l l a t i o n . In c o n t r a s t to the t e c h n o l o g i c a l e f f i c i e n e y , the t h e r m a l e f f i c i e n c y of t h e kiln t a k e s into a c c o u n t a l s o the c o n s u m p t i o n of h e a t f o r w a r m i n g up the k i l n f u r n i t u r e , and in c o n n e c t i o n with t h i s is i n d e p e n d e n t of the r a t i o of the w e i g h t of k i l n f u r n i t u r e and p r o d u e t s and h a s p r a c t i c a l l y the s a m e v a l u e f o r f i r i n g v a r i o u s t y p e s of t i l e s in t u n n e l k i l n s . The t h e r m a l e f f i c i e n c y of t u n n e l kilns d u r i n g the f i r i n g of c e r a m i c t i l e s is u s u a l l y 50%. F r o m the e q u a t i o n s f o r t h e t h e r m a l b a l a n c e s it f o l l o w s t h a t BchemJ Qp qtot -Op QP --Qp ~t Qp 1 ~lt 1.

C o m p a r a t i v e d a t a f o r the t h e r m a l b a l a n c e f a c t o r s u n d e r e x a m i n a t i o n f o r tunnel and r o l l e r k i l n s a r e g i v e n in T a b l e 4. A s we s e e , the a c h i e v e d r e d u c t i o n in fuel c o n s u m p t i o n in r o l l e r k i l n s owing to the e x c l u s i o n of the n e e d f o r c a r s and r e f r a c t o r y kiln f u r n i t u r e e n s u r e s a s u b s t a n t i a l fuel s a v i n g . The d a t a g i v e n in T a b l e 4 w e r e o b t a i n e d f o r c o n d i t i o n s of the s a m e output of a c c e p t a b l e p r o d u c t i o n in c o m p a r a b l e f u r n a c e s . Since the output of a c c e p t a b l e p r o d u c t i o n in r o l l e r k i l n s is m u c h g r e a t e r t h a n in t u n n e l k i l n s , t h e a c t u a l fuel s a v i n g with r e s p e c t to a c c e p t a b l e p r o d u c t i o n in a n u m b e r of c a s e s e x c e e d s 50%. T h u s , e x p e r i e n c e with the o p e r a t i o n of r o l l e r kilns c o n f i r m e d t h e i r w o r k i n g c a p a c i t y and high t e c h nico-economic factors. A t p r e s e n t w o r k is b e i n g done to a c h i e v e f u r t h e r i m p r o v e m e n t s in t h e s e k i l n s , to d e s i g n new c o m p o n e n t s , i n c l u d i n g m u f f l e s , and to i n c r e a s e the output b y e m p l o y i n g v a r i o u s t y p e s of f u e l .

681