Safety Aspects for Solid Fuel Grinding

Technical Development Program for Process Performance

Engineers

© 2015 LafargeHolcim
Difference between coal and raw grinding?

• Similar fineness range – R90μm = 3% up to 20%

• Similar grindability – about 10 kWh/t (vertical roller mill)
• Similar moisture range – 5% up to 25%
BUT…

Raw meal is non-combustible

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What we do not want…

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Safety aspects for solid fuel grinding - Outline
• Solid fuels
• Properties of solid fuels
• Classification of coals
• Development of dust explosions and fires
• Characterization of dust explosions
• Explosion limits
• Explosion protection
• Active or preventive explosion protection
• Passive or constructive explosion protection
• Key message

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What are solid fuels?
• Solid fuels
• Any traditional fuel in solid state
• In most cases to be pulverized before use
• Groups of solid fuels
• Coal
• Fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous

• Low rank coal, Powder River Basin (PRB) coal, lignite

• “Young” coal of the Tertiary with a low grade of coalification, high volatiles, low calorific
value and high moisture

• Petcoke
• By-product of the petroleum refining process

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Calorific value – many reference options

Used moisture definitions:

• As received basis (ar)
• Moist, mineral matter free basis (mmmf)
• As determined basis (air-dried basis, adb)
• Dry basis (db)
• Dry ash free basis (mineral matter free
basis, daf)
• As fired (af)

When using the CV – make sure what is the reference

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Safety aspects for solid fuel grinding

• Solid fuels
• Properties of solid fuels
• Classification of coals
• Development of dust explosions and fires
• Characterization of dust explosions
• Explosion limits
• Explosion protection
• Active or preventive explosion protection
• Passive or constructive explosion protection
• Key message

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Coal classification by rank

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Short overview of relevant coal properties

Yellow marked figures: Relevant data for dimensioning

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Safety aspects for solid fuel grinding - Outline
• Solid fuels
• Properties of solid fuels
• Classification of coals
• Development of dust explosions and fires
• Characterization of dust explosions
• Explosion limits
• Explosion protection
• Active or preventive explosion protection
• Passive or constructive explosion protection
• Key message

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When do we have to expect an explosion?

Conditions for explosions

Ignition
Ignition source
source
• Stirred-up, combustible dust
present in explosive
concentration
• Air or oxygen above the critical
concentration, for coal dust as a
rule, above 14%
• An ignition source possessing
energy above the minimal
ignition energy (depending upon
Combustible
Combustble Oxygen
Oxygen the type of dust)

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Explosive atmosphere and explosion limits
• Lower Explosion Limit (LEL):
• Below LEL fuel-air-mixtures are too lean to explode
• Upper Explosion Limit (UEL)
• Above UEL fuel-air-mixtures are too rich to explode

Explosive
Atmosphere

LEL UEL © 2015 LafargeHolcim 12

Characterizing explosions - Dust explosion classes
Typical explosion process
• Δp: explosion overpressure
• pex: maximum explosion
pressure
• dp/dt: maximum rate of
pressure rise or
explosion coefficient
Kst

Dust explosion
classes

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Explosion parameters and limits
Explosion parameters (examples)

Explosion limits

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Safety aspects for solid fuel grinding
• Solid fuels
• Properties of solid fuels
• Classification of coals
• Development of dust explosions and fires
• Characterization of dust explosions
• Explosion limits
• Explosion protection
• Active or preventive explosion protection
• Passive or constructive explosion protection
• Key message

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Explosion protection – what can be done?

Two different approaches:

• Active or preventive explosion protection

“What can be done to prevent dust explosions?”

• Passive or constructive explosion protection

“A dust explosion can happen any time - what can be done to
minimize its impact to people and equipment?”

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Active or preventive explosion protection

Key question: What can be done to prevent dust explosions?

• Inert operation with kiln exit gases

• Inlet and outlet temperature control
• Monitoring temperatures and CO
• Inertization with CO2 or N2
• Design criteria and ATEX-Zoning
• Organization and training of all people involved

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Active explosion protection – Inert operation

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What means inert operation?

• Operation of the coal

mill in an inert
atmosphere
• The oxygen limit
depends on VM and
product fineness
• Do not mix up with
inertization!

HTEC recommendation:
Keep the oxygen limit 2% below the technical limit!
< 12% oxygen after bag house for petcoke and coal
< 10% oxygen after bag house for lignite and low rank coal
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Active explosion protection – Temperature control

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Recommended inlet/outlet temperature limits
• •

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Active explosion protection – Temperature monitoring

• Temperature
as indicator for
smoldering
fires
• Continuous
temperature
measurement
with automatic
interlocks

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Active explosion protection – CO monitoring

• CO-increase
as quick
indicator for
smoldering
fires
• Continuous
measurement
of the CO
concentrations
with automatic
interlocks

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Active explosion protection – Inertization

• Automatic inertization of equipment in case of an

incident detected by sensors (previously defined)
• Inerting installation with following characteristics:
• Injection of CO2 gas
• 2 kg CO2 per m3 for inerting (mill, cyclone, bag house,
ducts, silos)
• 60 minutes inerting time for each section. The flow
should be checked.
• Required storage capacity > 4 kg CO2 per m3 in total
for inerting (in general a tank of 5 - 10 t capacity).

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Active explosion protection – Design and organization
• Holcim Design Critereria for coal grinding available in the Intranet
• Manual “Solid Fuel Preparation – Basic Safety Aspects for Solid Fuel
Storage, Handling and Grinding” available on Google-Hub
• Continuous instead of intermittent coal mill operation to minimize
frequency of mill stops
• SOPs for mill operation and mill safety
• Regular training of all involved people
• Systematic testing of safety relevant sensors and interlocks
• Good documentation of the entire grinding system

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Active explosion protection – ATEX-Zoning

• Definition of ATEX
zones 20, 21 and 22
for different areas
• The zones
characterize the
potential hazard
• The zones have to be
equipped with
authorized mechanical
and electrical
installations only

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Passive or constructive explosion protection

Key question: What can be done to minimize the effect of dust explosions?

• Passive explosion protection measures do not prevent explosions

• Designed to withstand explosion pressure shocks up to the maximum
pressure increase
• Designed to withstand explosion pressure shocks up to the reduced
maximum explosion pressure (pressure relief devices)

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Simplified passive explosion protection layout

Explosion pressure Reduced explosion

resistant pressure vented © 2015 LafargeHolcim 28
Passive explosion protection – Pressure resistance
• Pressure resistant equipment in
some areas standard
• Vertical mills
• Feeder systems
• Ducts

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Passive explosion protection – Pressure venting

• Pressure venting
measures for more
complicated areas
• Silos
• Filters
• Separators
• …

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Passive explosion protection – Pressure vents
Pressure vent
for large ducts

Pressure vents
for bag houses

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Safety aspects for solid fuel grinding
• Solid fuels
• Properties of solid fuels
• Classification of coals
• Development of dust explosions and fires
• Characterization of dust explosions
• Explosion limits
• Explosion protection
• Active or preventive explosion protection
• Passive or constructive explosion protection
• Key message

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Key Message

• Do never underestimate the explosion risk related to combustible dusts.

• You can grind many solid fuels – never forget the safety concept
and its realization.
• Design safety has a substantial impact on the investment costs.
• Take advantage of the LafarageHolcim knowledge and do your best to
avoid dust explosions
• A safety concept doesn’t only include technical items - but also the
organization.

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