- Written by Oliver Wadsworth, John King (USA) Inc
When a cement plant in the UK experienced operational problems with the drag chain system supplying biomass-derived fuel to its kiln, UK-based John King Chains Ltd (John King) was able to help.
A UK cement plant operated a drag chain system for the transfer of a biomass-derived fuel into the kiln. The drag chain system pulled the material a total of 80m along a horizontal section and then up an inclined section.
Since the commissioning of the plant in the recent past, the plant operator had experienced operational issues with the drag chain system.
Site visit
A meeting with representatives of the cement plant operator was arranged to discuss the experiences of the existing and inadequate chain system, establish the symptoms and generate initial theories and hypotheses. This included a site visit to investigate the current system, physically examine drag chain components, gather information, identify the cause(s) of the operational problems and formulate solutions.
