Study of the Impact of the use of Alternative Fuels on the Process and the Finished Product

Abstract

Since 2010, SCB-LAFAGE has been using alternative fuels. It is of utmost importance for the plant to examine the changes brought by the use of these fuels. The present work consists in studying of the impacts of the use of alternative fuels on the process and the finished product. At the same time, the study allows to specify the impact of the switch to 50% alternative fuels by 2023. Prerequisites such as the mastery of process and finished product simulation tools, the transformation process of raw meal into clinker and the knowledge of the chemical composition of fuels have allowed this work. From this study, it appeared that the volumetric dosing systems of the alternative fuels must be replaced by weight dosing systems in order to control the thermal input in the kiln. The impact on the finished product reveals a variation of 0.1% in the SO3 content of the clinker. As for the impact on the process, the alternative fuels are responsible for the formation of concretions in the preheater, due to their incomplete combustion. The concretions are, in turn, responsible for the reduction of the substitution rate of alternative fuels upstream of the kiln. To achieve these results, the study of alternative fuel dosing systems was carried out, and simulation models of the finished product and process were also used to analyze the impact of alternative fuels on the finished product and on the process. In order to achieve a 50% substitution, the optimal volume of the smoke box would have to be maintained and the alternative fuel plant would have to be adapted to the available alternative fuels. Finally, the study shows that alternative fuels allow us to make a gain of 1437 FCFA per ton of clinker produced, and encouraging the collection of waste oils would allow us to gain 115,775,782 FCFA per year.