SIlo Savvy
Published by Alfie Lloyd-Perks,
Editorial Assistant
World Cement,
A cement plant in the Midwest United States was experiencing persistent problems with material blockages and flow issues in their two shale storage silos. This had been an ongoing challenge at the facility for decades.
The plant has two silos, each designed to hold 1800 t of shale, a key raw material in their cement production process. The silos have 15 ft diameter cones. The shale is crushed in a hammer mill and transported from the quarry to the plant via a several miles long outdoor, uncovered conveyor system. The plant’s issues stemmed from the shale’s propensity to reconstitute into a clay-like material when exposed to the elements. Whenever it rained or the shale was otherwise exposed to water, it would become sticky and start building up on the silo walls, forming ledges. As more wet shale was added, the buildup would continually grow, eventually choking off material flow to the production process.
Historical approaches and their limitations
The plant has tried various methods over the years to address the silo blockages, but with limited success:
- Plant personnel would manually remove the built-up material. While effective at clearing the blockages, this was an extremely time-consuming process that posed safety risks to workers and had the potential to damage the silo structure.
- The plant had previously installed air cannons on the silos, but they were not strategically placed and lacked the power to reliably clear the stubborn shale buildup. Additionally, the manually operated cannons were difficult to monitor and maintain, with many falling into disrepair.
- As a last resort, the plant would bring in heavy-duty rotating silo cleaning equipment to clear a completely blocked silo. This was an expensive, labour-intensive, and disruptive process that could only be used sparingly.
Rethinking air cannon utilisation in cement plants
Cement plants commonly use air cannons to address material buildup issues and obstructions throughout their process. These obstructions commonly occur at points such as riser ducts, feed pipes, kiln inlets, and cyclones. Air cannons also play a vital role on clinker coolers and are extensively utilised in material transfer chutes and storage silos.
While recognised as an essential aspect of operations, many plants struggle to keep these systems well-maintained and functioning effectively. Surveys indicate that it is common to find that only 40 to 50% of air cannons in a given plant are operational.
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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/17012025/silo-savvy/
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