The control of clinker fines emissions after the heat exchanger, placed downstream of the clinker cooler, is usually a problem for cement plant managers.
The process is characterized by high material abrasiveness, high loads and variable flow rate in normal and maximum conditions.
The usual dedusting arrangement includes a bag filter as a final stage deduster, which is typically associated with high maintenance costs and downtime in production due to frequent replacements of filter elements.
Reducing fine particulates from the exhaust stream of the pre-heater tower is also an objective in order to purify the air used for energy recovery, such as heating a petroleum coke or coal mill, thereby increasing the value of the grinded product. A high efficiency cyclone system is often used for this purpose.