R S P

- FOR WASTE and HARD-TO-BURN FUEL -

INTRODUCTION

RSP, the Reinforced Suspension

Preheater, developed by Taiheiyo
Cement Corp., has gained the
reputation as the best NSP process
with over a hundred applications
throughout the world. Since its
development, the RSP process has
been continuously improved to achieve
lower fuel cost and higher productivity.
Among these improvements, the latest
has been developed in order to comply
with the worldwide demand for
utilization of waste and low grade 8,600t/d RSP, Taiwan Cement
material, including hard-to-burn fuels
such as petroleum coke coal, which is low in price has a high calorific value, but contains
low volatile matter. The latest RSP has succeeded in 100% burning of these
hard-to-burn fuels without affecting the biggest advantage of RSP: long, stable, easy
operation.

THE RSP PROCESS

RSP is characterized by a swirl calciner and mixing chamber, both installed in the lower
part of a conventional SP. The raw meal fed into the top of the preheater flows down
while exchanging heat with the mixed gas from the Swirl calciner and the kiln. It is
collected by cyclone C3 and fed into the swirl calciner, which accelerates high
de-carbonation. The raw meal exchanges heat in the mixing chamber with the exhaust
gas from the kiln and is then collected by cyclone C4. During this process, the raw meal
is further calcinated. Therefore, heat consumption in the kiln is much lower, which
means that the kiln is subjected to less thermal load.

1
 CYCLONE
: GAS & MATERIAL FLOW
C1
: MATERIAL FLOW
: GAS FLOW
CYCLONE

SWIRL CYCLONE
TERTIARY AIR
BURNER C
CONTROL DAMPER

SWIRL
CYCLONE
CALCINER
C

KILN BURNER
ADJUSTABLE
ORIFICE

MI
MIING
CHAMBER
CHAMBER ROTARY KILN

GRATE COOLER

Figure 1

COMBUSTION OF HARD-TO-BURN FUEL

Table 1 shows the typical characteristics of three hard-to-burn fuels. Typical

characteristic of normal bituminous coal are also shown in this table for easy comparison.
All three hard-to-burn fuels have low volatile matter when compared to normal
bituminous coal. On the other hand, the two kind of petcoke Fluid petcoke and Delayed
petcoke, have high sulfur content when compared to anthracite coal and normal
bituminous coal. All three hard-to-burn fuels have much higher calorific content, but
with a slow burning speed; and hence, a higher ignition temperature required for initial
combustion as compared to normal coal.

2
 Fluid Petcoke Anthracite Delayed petcoke Bituminous
Ash (%) < 5.0 9.916.4 0.31.0 12.1
Fixed Carbon (%) 9396 75.078.1 8790 55.9
Volatile Matter (%) 47 5.68.5 1013 32.0
Sulfur (%) 34 0.6 45 0.3
Moisture (%) 3.36.4 410 5.1
Net Calorie
8160 7640 8500 6600
(kcal/kg)
Fuel Ratio (F.C/V.M) 2324 1014 89 1.7
Ignition Temp () 610640 600660 510560 490530
Burning Speed at
0.70.9 2.02.5 1.82.0 1530
1000 (m/s)
Table 1

The RSP precalciner has the advantage of controlling the flame core temperature by
adjusting the Primary air control damper and the SB damper as shown in Figure 2.
Therefore, the increase of tertiary air volume through the damper leads to a high
acceleration of the initial combustion of volatile matter under higher O2 contents
resulting in higher temperature in the calciner. Figure 3 shows the relationship
between the opening degree of the SB damper and the core temperature in the RSP
precalciner

Figure 2

3
 Figure 3

However, this flexibility of burning temperature in RSP is not enough for complete
combustion of hard-to-burn fuels, since it requires a slow burning speed for optimum
burning condition. Therefore, Taiheiyo has set up a testing device to determine the
burning profile of low volatile matter samples such as anthracite, fluidized petcoke and
delayed petcoke. The test results showed that the following are key to complete
combustion :

Increased retention time in the precalcination zone

Spacing between the burner tip end and the raw meal inlets
Distribution of the raw meal to the precalciner in two different positions

Based on this study, the latest RSP precalciner design has been realized as shown in
Figure 5. In this design, the upper part of the Swirl calciner is extended and the rising
duct to the bottom cyclone is extended.

4
RESULT

The first kiln equipped with the

new RSP precalciner is the
4,000t/d kiln of Chinfon
Haiphong Cement Corp. in
Vietnam, it was commissioned in
1997 using 100% Hon-Gai
anthracite coal, of which the
volatile matter is 7.5 to 8.5%.
The amount of air to be
introduced into the swirl calciner
can be remotely controlled by
varying the opening of SB
damper. The firing temperature
in the Swirl calciner can be well
controlled in accordance with
fluctuations in the volatile
Figure 4
matter.
Since that time, the kiln has been operating stably and smoothly, and it has confirmed
that high quality clinker can be produced as a top quality brand in the region.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND NOx

New RSP can offers the opportunity to utilize a wide range of various fuels and waste
materials in compliance with worldwide demand for further cost reductions and
utilization of waste materials.

Any fuel with low volatile matter such as petcoke and anthracite can be easily burnt
in RSP.
Any fuel with high sulfur content can be fired 100% in RSP without affecting the kiln
operation, when the TCS (Taiheiyo Coating Solution) system is also installed.
Any material with high chlorine content like waste material can be utilized as raw
material by means of Taiheiyo Chlorine Bypass system
system.

5
When it comes to environmental protection in the cement industry, RSP can offer lower
NOx emission without affecting clinker quality by means of minor changes in the
calciner and TMP (Taiheiyo Multi Purpose) burner
burner.

In addition, although RSP can now to be equipped with various new technologies, its
most valuable feature still remains unchanged;, that is, long, stable operation which is
the source of profit for any cement producer in the world.

4,000t/d RSP Chinfon Haiphong Cement