Rotary Kiln Alignment Methods - A Comparative Study

By John H. Ross, Metso Minerals Staff Engineer

In recent years the cement and lime industries have seen production levels soar higher in the worldwide
market than at any point in recent history. As a result, individual plants feel pressure not only to maintain
current production levels but increase the overall efficiency of equipment to achieve the maximum amount
of equipment reliability. In this article we will look at the importance of predictive maintenance on the
rotary kiln, an important piece of production equipment at the plant site. To better assist cement producers
in determining the operational performance of the kiln, an attempt will be made to provide the reader with a
comparative approach to kiln alignment.

Why is kiln alignment so important? Quite simply, being a massive rotating piece of mechanical
equipment with multiple support stations, the kilns operation is directly influenced by its alignment
accuracy. A kiln is not any different than a large fan, a turbine or a grinding mill with the exception that it
is much larger and the rotational speed is much slower. However, the kiln is sloped and the static and
dynamic loads as a result of size, refractory and product are extensive. In addition to this, the operating
temperature of the kiln and resultant thermal expansion makes the alignment of the kiln unique unto itself.
So unlike high-speed like turbines, fans and mills, a misalignment condition in a kiln is not often
immediately noticeable until the damage is extensive; such as refractory failure, hot bearings and major
component failures.

In discussing the criteria for kiln alignment it is important to define the mechanical design specifications
for a kiln:

1. The kiln is designed so that all its components are at on the same slope. When the structural steel
support bases are installed on the pier tops, they are installed to a specific design slope. This specific
design slope is then applied to the support rollers, the drive train and then finally the shell of the kiln.
So the elevation and slope of each respective component is a factor of kiln alignment. See Fig. 1.
2. The next important factor of kiln alignment is the position of the support rollers in the horizontal plane
and is directly effected by the position of each respective support roller. See Fig. 2.
3. Probably the most expensive components on a rotary kiln would be in the drive train, typically
consisting of a large ring gear, pinion(s), reducer(s), couplings, etc., all of which need to be on the
specific kiln design slope and aligned in all planes. Today with electronic alignment equipment,
alignment of pinion to gear, couplings and shafts is a much quicker process than in the past. See Fig. 3.
4. Once the shell axis / centerline is aligned with the support rollers and the gear drive system is correctly
aligned, it is necessary to train, skew or adjust the support rollers to control and absorb a portion of the
kilns axial thrust load. This support roller adjustment is typically applied to all rollers in an effort to
distribute the thrust load equally to all support rollers. See Fig. 4.

Once the above criteria are met, then it is safe to say that the kiln is correctly and properly aligned.

But which type of alignment method should be utilized that will give the best results to meeting the above
criteria? This is the question that cement producers have to ask themselves to determine what is best for
their kiln. So with this in mind, lets take a comparative look at some of the alignment methods currently
available to cement kiln operators:

TAPPI Engineering, Pulping & Environmental Conference, August 24-27, 2008, Portland, Oregon
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Hot Kiln Alignments:

Approximately 20 plus years ago we started hearing about the concept of hot kiln alignments and how they
were the answer to all the problems related to the thermal conditions of the operating kiln. The argument
for aligning the kiln hot is that once the components expand, as a result of the high operating temperatures,
the tyres/riding rings expand differently and cause a deviation of the kiln axis in the vertical or elevational
plane. Furthermore, in conducting an alignment while the kiln is operating, kiln operation and production
is not effected. This has proven to be very convenient to the kiln operations. Without question, these
considerations were important to the industry and that is why the hot kiln alignment is now the most
popular method used in the industry today.

For the sake of clarity, lets take a look at the evolution of the methods out there:

Kiln Shell Ovality:

In the late 1950s, Holderbank Engineering created a method of measuring elastic shell deformation under
operating conditions to determine mechanical reasons for premature refractory failure. In Fig. 5, we see the
affect of a bending kiln shell on the refractory brick. This was probably the first attempt by the industry to
determine what the kiln shell was actually doing under operating conditions. My first experience with hot
kiln alignments was actually trying to use an ovality beam to determine the position of the support rollers.
In theory, when support rollers were not correctly positioned, the resulting deflection of shell would
indicate on the ovality charts the direction of shell misalignment. See Fig. 6. Unfortunately, there was no
quantitative value to apply to the misalignment. Other factors like excessive clearance between the
tyres/riding rings bores and filler bars also factored in to the ovality readings, and it did take more than
10mm of incorrect roller adjustments to appear on the ovality readings. It was soon discovered that
aligning a kiln by ovality readings was not thorough enough, although it was informative.

Conventional Hot Kiln Alignments:

Conventional hot kiln alignments are the type that employs optical measurements of physical targets.
Basically, reference lines parallel to the kilns horizontal axis are established on both sides of the kiln.
Once these lines are established a theodolite optical instrument, sometimes with a built-in laser, are used to
measure from the reference lines to the rotating tyre/riding ring. The targets can be as simple as plumb-
bobs on a string or surveying prisms that will reflect back to the theodolite through the built-in laser,
commonly called an EDM or electronic distance measurer.

The benefit of this system is that it is relatively simple, takes a fairly short duration of time and is thus
comparatively inexpensive. A fairly good representation of the kiln shells straightness can be determined
by this method.

The disadvantage of this method is that optical and laser instruments are being employed to shoot through
thermal waves, and cope with operational vibrations. Furthermore, while the kiln is in operation, it is not
possible to check the alignment of the gear system. It is also difficult to check, with any amount of
accuracy, the pier to pier elevations and the structural steel support frame base tops. Although this method
is fairly quick and inexpensive, it does lack in accuracy and completeness.

Laser Hot Kiln Alignment:

The earliest form of hot kiln alignment employed in the cement industry used lasers as the means to collect
the positional data. It was used by Polysius Corporation and first introduced to North American in the
1980s. Since then, several other companies have developed similar methods of laser alignment to
determine the location of the kiln axis. The advantage of laser alignment is that all the measurements are
collected electronically, thus a great deal of data can be collected and then quickly downloaded into a
computer. Another advantage is that unlike conventional hot alignment, most laser-assisted systems apply
a non-contact approach to shell and tyre/riding ring measurements. Most systems will track the position of
each respective tyre/riding ring for the entire revolution and determine the rotating axis. Once again, it is
necessary to establish some kind of reference line along one or both sides of the kiln. These reference lines
becomes the base line for all the data collected and stored in the computer, and are generally established by
optical or laser targets set up at each end of the kiln.

The advantage of using laser hot kiln alignments is the collection of a great deal of data that would have
been difficult and time consuming to gather prior to the age of computers. By using this system, the
computer program will determine the position of each pier relative to the reference lines and define the
rotational axis of the kiln in the elevation and horizontal planes. Since there is no actual contact with the
kiln shell or tyres/riding rings, there is little chance of operator error in collecting the data.

As with conventional hot alignment, the downside of this system is potential inaccuracies in the layout of
reference lines being done optically or with the laser while the kiln is in operation. Again thermal waves
and vibration can and will make the reference lines difficult to establish with repeatable accuracy. In
addition, it is necessary to set up the theodolite or laser multiple times to collect the required data. In one
experienced case, the instrument moved at least 12 times on a five-pier kiln. Finally, as with the
conventional hot kiln alignment, the gear system can not be checked and it is difficult to determine pier to
pier elevations for determining structural steel base location.

Another factor to be aware of when conducting kiln shell ovality measurements, and a conventional or laser
hot kiln alignment is the operating condition of the kiln. When implementing a kiln shell ovality study, it is
important to observe, determine and understand the operational conditions of the kiln. For example, if the
kiln operation is upset and/or has an unusual interior coating build up this will affect the ovality readings in
a couple of ways. Unusual coating, either in thickness or location, will affect the external kiln shell
temperature. If the kiln shell is cooler than normal, there will be a greater amount of clearance between the
tyres/ridings and supporting filler bars. This can cause the ovality to appear larger than what it normally is
during normal operating conditions. Abnormal kiln loading due to coating or product also affects shell
ovality and deflection. When applying any of these unusual or abnormal conditions to the kiln shell while
conducting hot alignments, the shells rotational axis will be changed. As many have experienced, there
have been several cases noted where tyres/riding rings have temporarily and/or intermittently lifted off
their support roller due a bowed shell resulting from abnormal interior coating buildups. Taking alignment
measurements while the kiln is operating under any of these unusual conditions will significantly alter the
normal operating condition readings. All alignment methods should employ the measurement and
comparison of shell temperatures to those normally experienced. See Fig. 7.

Traditional Bench-Mark Kiln Alignment:

For decades before the popularity of the hot kiln alignment, the alignment of a kiln was done while the kiln
was out of production. Even today, when a new kiln is installed, all the measurements of the pier tops,
structural steel bases, drive system, and finally the kiln shell and its components, the kiln is aligned in a
non-operating condition. This is possible because the actual dimensional data of all the components are
known and it is just a matter of assembling all the components to the design specifications. Todays
application of the traditional alignment method uses the same criteria by accurately measuring all the
tyres/riding rings, support rollers and existing location of structural steel bases. Once the data is
determined and the kiln axis is set to the correct elevation, slope and horizontal position, the drive
TAPPI Engineering, Pulping & Environmental Conference, August 24-27, 2008, Portland, Oregon
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alignment is checked. This is what is referred to as a Bench-Mark alignment where all the geometry of
the components are accurately measured and then positioned per original design specifications.

The benefit of this alignment is to identify the actual sizes of the components, the actual slopes of the bases
and the actual drive alignment without making assumptions. Once the geometry of the components are
identified the kiln can be returned back to its original design specifications. By keeping track of the actual
dimensions, wear rates can be recorded and if there is settling of pier tops, a record can be kept of the
settling. The alignment data is collected with a theodolite with built-in laser while the kiln is in a static
condition with no thermal waves or vibrations. In addition, on most kilns, there will only be two setups of
the instruments to determine the axis of the kiln. Along with the benefit of being the most accurate system
from a surveying perspective, it also is the safest way to perform alignments because there is no moving
equipment and the extreme temperature of the operating kiln will not be a factor to the personnel.

The disadvantage of this system is that it is done at ambient temperature conditions, without the
components being fully expanded to their normal operating temperature. In some cases, the alignment has
to be scheduled around other activities taking place on the kiln. However, since it typically takes one shift
to survey the kiln and one shift to measure the components, it rarely is a scheduling problem.

The Affect of Thermal Expansion on Kiln Alignment:

To determine the affect of thermal expansion of the kiln shell and support components on a Bench-Mark
alignment, a study was done to determine the actual alignment change. The following is a brief sample of
what was determined:

A 15 ID x 350 long Metso Kiln with 5 support piers was used in the study. Because of the length and
high temperatures of this kiln it was believed to be a good example of alignment disparity. Since kiln
shells are designed to expand inside of the tyres/riding rings, the discharge end tyre/riding ring will have
substantially more cold diametrical clearance than the feed end. All temperature readings are taken on the
tyres/riding rings rather than the kiln shell. After all, it is the tyre/riding ring position on the support rollers
that determines the alignment, not the kiln shell.

The temperature on the respective tyres/riding rings using the North American method of numbering the
piers from the discharge end #1 to the feed end #5:

#1 pier: 315f - 95f = 220f or 105c

#2 pier: 325f - 95f = 230f or 107c
#3 pier: 250f - 95f = 155f or 68c
#4 pier: 220f - 95f = 125f or 52c
#5 pier: 160f - 95f = 65f or 19c
(Note: 95f was the ambient temperature at the time of alignment and so the difference is deducted
to provide a truer picture between operating and shutdown conditions.)

The minimum to maximum temperature difference from the #2 pier to the #5 pier was: 88c.

The formula for expansion of the Tyre/Riding Ring is as follows:

D = Do x t x T
Do = original diameter
t = thermal expansion coefficient
T = change in the temperature
TAPPI Engineering, Pulping & Environmental Conference, August 24-27, 2008, Portland, Oregon
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 To find the difference in diameter from the temperature differential minimum and maximum
use the formula:
D = Do x t x T
D = 5286mm (rr dia.) X .000012 X 88C
D = 5.58mm or .220

The formula for finding the elevational difference is:

e = d/2 x .866 or .220/2 x .886
e = .095

The distance between the #2 pier & the #5 pier riding rings is 210
The slope difference of the kiln as a result of thermal expansion is: .0005/ft (an
insignificant amount)

From an engineering perspective, the affect of thermal expansion on kiln slope or overall alignment
is fairly negligible. This is even less of a factor on 2-pier rotary kilns.

Conclusion:

The alignment of the kiln is critical to the efficient operation of the plant. By establishing better alignment,
the wear rate of components will be reduced and with this reduction the kiln will rotate more freely with
less energy consumption. The greater the misalignment, the greater the force will be needed to rotate the
kiln which is costly and damaging to components. The purpose of this article was to compare some of the
kiln alignment options that are available to the cement industry. Hot kiln alignments can be beneficial in
determining the shell axis prior to shutdowns where major project such as gear replacement and shell
section replacements are being planned. The traditional bench-mark alignment approach should be done
at least every few years to make sure the kiln is consistently restored to its original design specifications.
This will position the kiln for best operational performance while minimizing the danger of component
failure.

TAPPI Engineering, Pulping & Environmental Conference, August 24-27, 2008, Portland, Oregon
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 Kiln Alignment
high .561"
high .135" high .263" high .276"

80.562"
80.697" 80.825" design height 81.123" 80.838"

.076" low
high .154"
high .193"
31.468 "
LEVEL LINE REF. "0"
minus 31.006"
minus 61.762"

82.120'
84.047' 83.094'
slope@ 30.795"
PIER 4 slope@ 31.518" PIER 3 slope@ 31.160" PIER 2 PIER 1
165.214'
slope@ 61.955"

Fig. 1 Elevation of Kiln

 Kiln Alignment
Plan View - Horizontal Centerline as Found after Survey

Alignment correction shows roller moves with Arrows & Notes

Roller moves correct both horizontal & vertical centerline of kiln

-.031 -1.581

PIER # 4

.030 -1.701

-.016 -.027

PIER # 3

-.071 .028

.036

Direction & amount to move bearing.

-.400
-.414

PIER # 2

-.549
-.178

- .0247
.090

PIER # 1

.090 -.0170

Indicates design centerline of kiln

Indicates existing centerline of kiln
Indicates centerline to hold # 3 Pier for Gear

Fig. 2 Horizontal Centerline of Kiln

 Kiln Alignment
Setting Gear and Pinion
Pitch lines separated
Pitch
Line
Correct operating
positions when
Pitch
shell is hot
Line

Correct initial
pitch line
setting
1/8" at
when shell cold
Closest point
Pitch lines matching

Wrong - do not
operate when
pitch lines
Pitch
overlap more
Lines
Overlap than 1/16" (1.5 mm)
at any point

Fig. 4 Support Roller Adjustments

 Kiln Alignment
Concerns of Carrying Roller Alignment
Hot bearing temperatures will generate from
excessive thrust on the thrust collars or thrust
plates
Hot bearings can cause the roller shaft or the
bearing liner to score and make future
adjustments difficult
Kiln thrust can overload thrust roller
ADJUSTED NEUTRAL - OK
mechanisms and cause failure or damage
Wear will be accelerated on the surfaces of the
riding rings and support rollers. This will make
minor support roller moves next to impossible
Serious mis-adjustments will cause high axial
loads of the riding ring against the retaining
blocks/rings
Mis-adjusted support rollers will create a drag
on the kiln shell & increase kiln drive amperage
ADJUSTED TO THRUST - OK Kiln alignment will be affected by long-term mis-
adjustment of support rollers

ADJUSTED- WRONG

Fig. 4 Support Roller Adjustments

 Kiln Shell Ovality & Refractory Failure

Effects of radial deformation

Ideal/non deformed cross-section Real/deformed cross-section

No clearance between tyre and shell Clearance between tyre and shell
High stiffness of the tyre Low stiffness of the tyre

Qr

Neutral curvature radius QR Variation of the curvature radius

Forces equally distributed Forces concentrated at the edges
Qr = Station load
QR = Reaction force

Fig. 5 Kiln Shell Ovality

 Kiln Shell Ovality

Fig. 6 Ovality & Roller Adjustments

 Temperature & Creep Measurements

CUSTOMER: DATE:

KILN NO.: METSO ORDER NO.:

TIME:

LEGEND:
1. RIDING RING SHELL SECTION DOWNHILL
D1 D2 D1 D2
2. RIDING RING SIDE DOWNHILL
3. RIDING RING SIDE UPHILL
4. RIDING RING SHELL SECTION UPHILL
1 4 1 4
2 3 2 3
Seconds Per Kiln Revolution

PIER NO. 1 (PRODUCT DISCHARGE END) PIER NO. 2

SU R F A C E D IST A N C E D I ST A N C E T OT A L SU R F A C E D I ST A N C E D I ST A N C E T OT A L

T EM P. D1 D2 KI LN SPEED C R EEP C R EEP T EM P. D1 D2 KILN SPEED C R EEP C R EEP

PO S. D EG . F IN C HES I N C HES R PM 5 R EV S I N ./ R EV . PO S. D EG . F I N C HES I N C HES R PM 5 R EV S I N . / R EV .

1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4

NOTES: NOTES:

Fig. 7 Temperature & Creep Form