Gas analyser cuts cement downtime
15 Jan 2000
Quick-setting cement manufacturer Lafarge Aluminates, based at Fos-sur-Mer near Marseilles, has optimised fuel efficiency, improved process control and reduced downtime, all by the introduction of a Servomex gas analysis system.
The process at Lafarge involves cement production from bauxite and the addition of aluminium oxide to give the material refractory qualities and corrosion resistance. The gas analysis system monitors combustion on one of the two furnaces at the plant. The furnace, used for the more complex manufacturing processes, is loaded with raw material a mixture of bauxite, limestone and various additives which is progressively melted by two burners at high temperature. When the reaction is complete, the material is poured and cast as ingots.
Although the plant is quite old, Lafarge decided to install new process control systems as part of an upgrade. 'We decided that we needed some outside expertise,' says Yves Bergeron, development engineer at Fos-sur-Mer. 'We called in Servomex, who then showed that they were good at solving analysis problems as well as knowing about analysers.'
To overcome the hostile environment of the cement works, three Servomex analysers were located in the original system house, away from the furnace, and linked to the main process control computer. Data from the three analysers enables the computer to optimise the use of fuel at the burners.
