- Written by Mathias Trojosky & Hermann Weiß, Allgaier Process Technology GmbH
Biofuels have a number of advantages over traditional fuels in economic, environmental and practical terms. They are often local, cutting down on transport costs and associated traffic emissions, achieve CO2-neutral combustion at high temperatures and are suitable for automatic combustion if suitably processed. One obvious disadvantage of biofuels compared to traditional fuels is that they often need extensive drying to remove moisture before use. In this article, authors from Allgaier Process Technology describe their company's Rolling Bed Dryer, which satisfies the full 'wish-list' for drying organic residual materials for biofuel production.
There are numerous examples of residual organic materials that can be made into biofuels via simple processing. These include the production of wooden pellets made of wood chips, manufacturing briquettes from waste wood, green garden waste and bark and processing rejected material from the waste-paper recycling process into fuels. Other common organic residues include the fermented substrate from the pulp of sugar beet, bagasse, plastic waste, straw and grass, pomace from fruit and grapes, used coffee grounds, straw and horse dung.
- Written by Peter Edwards, Global Cement Magazine
CBV case-studies
Compagnie Belge de Ventilateurs (CBV), located in Esneux near Liège in southern Belgium is a supplier of fans for heavy industry, including the cement industry. It has expertise in radial and axial fans, standard lightweight fans and can build custom equipment for specific customer requirements.
The diameter of its fans ranges from 25cm all the way up to 5m, with power ranging between 0.5kW to 7000kW, withstanding temperatutres up to 850°C.
CBR Lixhe, Belgium
In 2010 CBV undertook the replacement of the rotor of the kiln ID fan at CBR's Lixhe plant in Belgium, which had become worn.
The flow rate was 1,019,000m3/hr and the motor power was 3000kW. CBV recommended a rotor with higher efficiency, which resulted in a reduction of 190kW, more than 6%.
- Written by Peter Edwards, Global Cement Magazine
Belgium and the Netherlands are small and wealthy neighbouring countries located in the north of the European mainland. Their position, between the industrial powerhouse that is Germany and the North Sea, has made both countries important trading nations. Both countries also play major political roles in the region. Belgium is home to the European Parliament and European Commission, whereas the Netherlands houses the International Criminal Court.
Their cement industries are fairly small, but are well-established and make significant use of modern technology and alternative fuels.
- Written by Global Cement Magazine staff
KHD deal for Cimentos Liz
August 2011: KHD Humboldt Wedag International announced in late summer 2011 that its subsidiary Humboldt Wedag Inc received a major order from Brazilian cement firm Cimentos Liz SA.
The company will supply the Brazilian company with equipment as well as engineering and consulting services on site. It will also provide services for the commissioning of Liz's new facility, which will have a capacity of 5000t/day. The value of the order is in the region US$120m.
CSN launches into cement
Ongoing: Since the Brazilian steel-maker Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) identified cement as a core business in
August 2010, the company has been preparing for the construction of three new lines at its cement plant near to Arcos in the state of Minas Gerais (see right).
CSN aims to secure around a 10% share of the Brazilian cement market by the 2015-2016 fiscal year. By that point the industry could be as large as 70Mt/yr.
- Written by Dr Peter Edwards, Global Cement Magazine
Brazil is a massive country, covering almost half of the area of South America. Its industries are well developed and its large cement industry is still growing rapidly. Such growth looks set to continue and may accelerate ahead of substantial government infrastructure projects and work for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Oly1mpic Games.
Introduction
Brazil, by far the largest country in South America, and the fifth largest in the world, is also the world's fifth most populous country.1 As of 26 December 2011 it reportedly had the sixth largest economy in the world, overtaking the UK at the end of the year.2
The country is not short of money, which has helped give rise to vibrant industrial and technological sectors, a highly-developed infrastructure and a large cement industry. However, its wealth, much of which stems from its natural minerals and oil, is very unevenly distributed among its 203.4 million inhabitants.2 The country suffers from very wide social and economic inequality, ranking 10th from bottom on an index of household income equality in 2011.3 As is the case around the world, where rich and poor are in close proximity, high levels of crime follow, especially in the larger metropolises such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
