Oxy-fuel combustion of Refuse Derived Fuels (RDF) under cement kiln conditions (T01#)

• Subject Area: Energy Process Engineering
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 215035359

The project will provide an open-source simulation tool to predict heat release, heat transfer, RDF particle trajectories, fuel burnout and clinker composition in oxy-fuel rotary cement kilns.This task will be fulfilled by transferring knowledge from the CRC/TRR 129 “Oxyflame – Development of models and methods to describe solid fuel combustion in an oxy-fuel atmosphere” to extend existing RDF conversion models to oxy-fuel conditions. For this, experimental and numerical work will be carried out. Rate laws for the release of pyrolysis gases and char conversion will be derived based on experiments. Measurements with small particles to avoid transport limitations will be carried out to derive the kinetics of these processes. The newly derived and adapted models will be implemented in an OpenFoam CFD environment. The OpenFoam tool will then be used for sensitivity studies. Therefore, a generic set-up will be defined, comprising a rotary kiln with a burner suited for RDF. Oxygen concentration, particle size, primary air swirl and RDF fractions’ physical/chemical properties will be varied to evaluate the impact on the flow field, particle trajectories, heat release, heat transfer to the bed, particle burnout and, most importantly, clinker quality.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios (Transfer Project)
• Subproject of: TRR 129: Oxyflame - Development of Methods and Models to Describe Solid Fuel Reactions within an Oxy-Fuel Atmosphere
• Applicant Institution: Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen
• Business and Industry: thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG (TK); Cement Process Technologies (R&D)
• Project Heads: Professor Dr.-Ing. Reinhold Kneer; Professor Dr.-Ing. Viktor Scherer