ABB's speed control drives scrub up well
15 Jan 2000
Accurate speed control of two fans in a new chimney gas scrubber has helped to virtually eliminate sulphur dioxide emissions and reduce overall emissions by 45 per cent at Castle Cement's Ribbleside cement works says ABB.
A series of surveys discovered local weather and topographical conditions occasionally caused the plumes of chimney gases from kiln seven to fall to ground, resulting in sulphur dioxide odours at ground level.
To reduce plume visibility and odour, Castle Cement commissioned Chemitrol Process Equipment of Stockton to install Monsanto's DynaWave scrubber system.
The first fan is located at the end of the scrubber unit and is turned by an 1100kW ABB ac motor, which in turn is connected to a PLC in the main plant control room.
`We could have bought components for the drive and motor units that we needed for this project from various suppliers but ABB proved to be the most competitive single source for the entire power and drive train,' says Tim Dean, product manager at Chemitrol.
The second fan, driven by a 395kW ABB ac motor, reclaims heat from the kiln-cooling grate by drawing in atmospheric air for better plume dispersion and reduction of condensation inside the stack.