Cement/Lime

Cement products have seen consistent upward demand for over three decades. Manufacturers face high production demand while keeping their operational costs low. A major factor in cement manufacturing is the creation of hot gases. These gases are a byproduct from fuel combustion and clinker production as well as being an intermediate product from the calcification and conversion of calcium carbonate, which is the main ingredient of cement. Lechler's spray nozzles for the cement industry offers innovative and reliable solutions for gas cooling and other operations as manufacturers increase their production while reducing gas emissions.

Spray nozzle lances and systems are used throughout gas manufacturing processes to help lower the temperatures of emitted gas flows. These nozzles are designed to provide an even distribution of water droplets to create an evaporative cooling process that pulls the heat from the gas. By having efficient nozzles and water systems, cement plants can see a reduction in operation costs by reducing the wear and tear on equipment. You also experience less material and dust buildup on fan equipment to reduce costly repairs and replacement.

Spray nozzles for the cement industry also help manufacturers create better quality products and adhere to emission standards. When managing and reducing the temperatures for clinker coolers and other equipment, cement plants can increase capacity and production output. Grinding processes are optimized while the cement can be safely conveyed and stored.

Gas Cooling

In the cement and lime industries, gas cooling is essential for reducing wear and tear on equipment and optimizing process efficiency. High temperatures, ranging from 250°C to 500°C at the inlet and 120°C to 320°C at the outlet, are common in critical areas like the evaporative and bypass cooler, downcomer duct, cyclone preheater, clinker cooler, and ball and roller mill.

Our spray technology provides customized solutions for each specific application, offering benefits like reduced gas flow rates, less material buildup in walls and ducts, and improved efficiency for electric filters. This protection not only extends the lifespan of equipment but also enhances operational performance and reduces costs. Let’s take a closer look at how gas cooling is applied across different components in cement plants.

Gas Cooling Applications

Evaporative and Bypass Cooler

Evaporative and bypass cooling towers are prone to damage or reduced service life due to hot gases, particularly around fabric or electric filters. Twin fluid spray nozzles or spillback systems effectively cool gases, preventing material buildup and enabling higher separation efficiency. By controlling excess gas creation, cement plants benefit from reduced maintenance costs, minimized clogging of heat exchangers, and larger turn-down ratios.

Downcomer Duct

Lechler spray nozzles installed in the downcomer duct can help increase production output, especially when using alternate fuel sources. The nozzles protect downstream components from high temperatures, prevent caking, and reduce material buildup, which helps relieve the induced draft system.

Cyclone Preheater

At the top of the cyclone preheater, spray nozzles cool the gas in subsequent ducts or gas conditioning towers (GCT). This cooling process reduces gas flow rates, lowering the energy required by the downstream fan. It also protects downstream equipment from overtemperatures and enhances heat recovery at the top cyclone.

Clinker Cooler

In clinker cooler processes, spray nozzles provide additional cooling to downstream filters. When air cooling alone is insufficient, spray nozzles reduce gas volumes, increasing the clinker cooler's capacity and improving operational efficiency.

Ball and Roller Mill

Excessive heat during the grinding process can degrade material quality. Spray nozzles manage these overtemperatures, stabilizing the roller mill grinding beds and dissipating excess heat to maintain product quality.

Dust Suppression

High dust loads are common in the cement & lime industry. Airborne particles reduce air quality while clogging ducts and accumulating on components to lower their productivity. Spray nozzle technologies must create optimal droplet sizes to integrate with the dust particles and make them heavy enough to lower to surfaces. The nozzle's unique design also prevents clogging from the dust, ensuring full operation throughout the day. You provide optimal dust suppression and control at various flow rates while conserving water sources.

High Pressure Cleaning

Clinker cooler and rotary kilns deal with and accumulation of deposits that can cause significant buildup on components. High pressure washing requires nozzles that can efficiently remove the deposits from surfaces at significant flow rates. Our spray technology for the cement & lime industry can be connected to spray manifolds and spray guns to target desired surfaces and knock off these deposits.

NoX Removal

Nitrogen oxides (NoX) are created during cement and lime production. Gas conditioning applications rely on deNoX techniques for SNCR/SCR processes by injecting urea solutions or aqueous ammonia solutions. Twin fluid nozzles and lance systems allow for the atomization of liquids at high rates of speed while providing greater control of droplet sizes. You obtain very fine droplets to remove the nitrogen oxides while resisting clogs from particles that are created during lime and cement processes.

For gas cooling and conditioning, selecting the right nozzle for your processes will depend on your equipment setup and production goals. That’s why we offer a wide variety of single fluid and twin fluid spray nozzles and lance systems with different materials and anticlogging systems. 

For many years, nozzles and spray systems for environmental gas conditioning have been an integral part of our product portfolio. Our constant communication and knowledge with operators of cement/lime plants mean that we are always in tune with the latest developments. Extreme environmental conditions exist in the production of cement and it is very important to use materials that are highly resistant to these types of settings. 

Lechler nozzles are designed to be clog resistant, which is a requirement for industries such as cement and lime production. We offer a variety of nozzle designs for specific applications, including spillback nozzles that can atomize liquids without the need for air compression and twin fluid nozzles that allow for large wide angles while using low air consumption. We also offer Laval nozzles that can be used for numerous special applications including desulphurization and denitrification processes.

Spray technology for the cement & lime industry continues to advance to make processes more efficient while lowering overall operational expenses. Lechler remains at the technological forefront in engineered spray product solutions suitable for your industry applications. Contact us today to discuss your process requirements and our nozzle solutions.