This virtual rotary kiln models the Portland cement manufacturing process and calculates the physical and chemical properties of final concrete materials. The global cement market will exceed $460 billion by 2026 . Rotary kilns are the core for cement manufacturing plants in Portland cement production. Producers increasingly value environmental and energy efficiency in addition to productivity. Regular chemical and physical tests in a lab throughout production can fine-tune cement properties and minimize energy costs, but their implementation on a large scale can be costly and impractical. Likewise, computational modeling can help cement plants optimize energy usage and material mixtures, but the numerous operational parameters make this difficult with available modeling systems.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a computational framework that intelligently simulates rotary kiln operation in a virtual cement plant. The software serves as a quantitative optimization tool that calculates the properties of the final Portland cement, removing the need for lab tests and helping plants optimize material mixtures and production ensuring competitive performance of the materials.
Virtual Portland cement plant and testing software that optimizes production for users’ efficiency demands
This virtual cement plant integrates the Virtual Cement and Concrete Testing Laboratory (VCCTL) modeling system into a broader program able to optimize multiple desired concrete characteristics. The one-dimensional software simulates clinkering reactions within a rotary kiln based on operating conditions, kiln geometry, and other relevant user-defined inputs, and determines the thermal, mechanical and transport properties of the resulting cement. Algorithms adjust kiln-operating parameters to reduce material costs, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions without hampering cement performance.
