SNOWMAN FORMATION

First we have to understand the mechanism and kinetics. If nodules are good and naturally it cascades
smoothly down the stationary grate.If it is sticky and dusty it is favorable for snowman formation. First
optimise the liquid as it varies plant to plant. I have seen 25 % and also 29-30 % without snowman
formation. Mind it, the liquid is calculated one and it deviates from the actual. If clinker is dense , by
breaking with a hammer and if find it has less pores then liquid is high. Microscopy gives very rough idea
as the microscopist select a good nodule for good etching.
Calculation of liquid must include all the fluxes including the minor constituents like sufur, alkalies
,phosphorous , mgo and other low melting components.
The clinker dust , if cooling air is not properly distributed , blow the dust back into the kiln ,further blown by
the flame jet into the burning zone. This dust steals the liquid , come back to the cooler . This cycle
continues and naturally it becomes sticky. If the kiln is overloaded , as now a days it is common, this will
become more vicious.
Keep the cooling air optimised , 2 m/s underneath grate area , called air flux.or 120 kgs/sq M
If the secondary velocity is very high the dust rentrinament is higher.
Normally the air velocity across hood cross sectional area is designed for 5 m/s.
Run the kiln on oxidised conditions with sharp , convergent flame. Bad flame causes , char entrapment in
the clinker charge and disintegrates the clinker by reducing the Fe2O3 to lower oxides. Coal injection at
burner tip must not be less than 25 m/s or otherwise it falls into the clinker bed . It again gets oxidised in
cooler. These redox cycle too causes disintegration of clinker.
Oxidised conditions will absorb more sulfur and alkalies in clinker and reduces the volatile cycle. This can
be done by analysing SO3 in hot raw meal at kiln inlet. (SO3 in rwa meal + SO3 *0.05)/( SO3 in Clinker).
Try to maintain this ration less than 1.5 by adjusting the flame and maintaining O2 at kiln inlet > 2.5%
without CO.
The above mentioned may not work with some kilns as the minerology will affect the nodules.Free silica ,
called Quartz more than 45 Microns , will not get into reaction and you have to the burning little
harder.This may generate more fines. In this case do a finer grinding so that 45 Microns of silica ,3-4 %.
Dry to do better homogenisation as heterogenity will affect the burning.
If MgO is less you can add little MgO to do better nodulisation, but not more than 1.5% in clinker .
Cooler operation: what kind of grate you have , Is It FLS CIS, IKN KIDS, CP-moulden grates or pyro step.
Every static grate behaves in their own way.FLS solves this problem by modifying the inlet with ABC inlet
with a pulsating and control blasting with some intervals.
If cooling air is too less or too much it can fluidize heavily and dust blows out of the bed .If you have flow
regulators under neath the grate you can rearrange them. If the clinker bed is too thin it can accelerate
snow man formation.
Horse shoe ,( side walls of the cooler inlet) plays a major role. If your cooling area is large and clinker is
not spread out throughout the cooler surface you can increase the horse shoe area to have thicker clinker
bed and it becomes more lively.
If every thing is not possible and to run the plant install intensive shock blasters and also the numbers
with proper positioning.
At Ariyalur area in tamil nadu in India , Dalmia cements , Chettinad cements and Ultra tech all have very
high liquid which is more than 29% ,as it occurs natuarlly in the lime stone and in clinker Fe2O3 it is more
than 5 %.These plants have more blasters with intensive blasting, Ultra Ttech solved this problem by
installation of ABC inlet permanently.