Heat Exchange Modeling of a Grate Clinker Cooler and Entropy Production Analysis

Abstract

The concept of the exergy analysis is applied to a grate cooler of a cement production facility. The cooling of the clinker is modelled by a gas-solid series of cross-current contacting stages fully mixed for the calculation of the temperatures of the clinker and the air with their thermodynamic properties along the cooler. The equation of the production of entropy developed in the case of this representation reveals various adimensional parameters. The study of the sensitivity of the entropy generation number by tests of simulation in real operating conditions of the cooler shows the importance of the inlet temperature ratio and the number of stages cross-current contacting.