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Rotary cement kilns are used for converting calcineous raw meal into cement clinkers. In this paper, we discuss and evaluate possible ways of reducing energy consumption in rotary cement kilns. A comprehensive one-dimensional model was developed to simulate complex processes occurring in rotary cement kilns. A modeling strategy comprising three submodels, viz. a model for simulating the variation of bed height in the kiln, a model for simulating reactions and heat transfer in the bed region, and a model for simulating coal combustion and heat transfer in the freeboard region, was developed. Melting and formation of coating within the kiln were accounted for. Combustion of coal in the freeboard region was modeled by accounting for devolatilization, finite-rate gas-phase combustion, and char reaction. The simulated results were validated with the available data from three industrial kilns. The model was then used to understand the influence of various design and operating parameters on kiln performance. Several ways of reducing energy consumption in kilns were then computationally investigated. The model was also used to propose and to evaluate a practical solution of using a secondary shell to reduce energy consumption in rotary cement kilns. Simulation results indicate that varying kiln operating variables, viz. solid flow rate or RPM, can result only in small changes in kiln energetics. Use of a secondary shell over the kiln and energy recovery by passing air through the annular gap between the two appears to be a promising way to achieve significant energy savings. The developed model and the presented results will be useful for enhancing the performance of rotary cement kilns.

Rotary cement kilns are widely used to convert calcineous raw meal into cement clinker, and are key components in the cement industry. In this article, we report a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD)‐based model to capture key transport processes in rotary cement kilns. Separate but coupled computational models were developed for the bed and the freeboard regions of the rotary kiln. The complex swirling airflow produced by kiln burners, coal combustion, gas‐phase combustion of volatile matter and radiative heat transfer in the freeboard region were modeled. The clinkerization reactions in the bed region were modeled assuming solids as pseudo fluids. Coating formation in cement kilns (for both bed and freeboard regions) was considered. Appropriate source and sink terms were developed to model transfer of CO2 from the bed to the freeboard region due to calcination reaction in the bed region. The developed bed and freeboard models were coupled by mass and energy communication through common interface. These coupled computational models were able to quite satisfactorily predict the available data from industrial kilns and previously published results. The computational models were also able to capture the intricacies of the burning zones of rotary cement kilns for changing burner‐operational parameters like axial to swirl ratio and oxygen enrichment. The developed approach, computational models and simulation results will not only help in developing better understanding of cement kilns but also provide quantitative information about influence of burner design and other design parameters on kiln performance. Copyright © 2008 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.