Martin® Air Cannons Result In No More Unscheduled Outages
Product Types Used Air Cannon Solutions , Air Cannons , Flow Aid Accessories
[unset] Installation
Industry Cement

Problem

The CEMEX plant in Knoxville, Tennessee lists capacity of 2,500 tons per day for an annual output of 800,000 tons per year.

Buildup on the walls of the pre-heater was a continuing headache for operating personnel and a consistent production bottleneck. To knock down the buildup, the plant resorted to water blasting, but the frequent water blasting proved costly, with high labor expenses, shortened refractory life and reduced kiln efficiency.

Solution

The elimination of the blockages required that the Martin® Air Cannons be "densely packed" on the pre-heater tower.

Martin Engineering recommended Martin® Air Cannons to help solve the problem.

A total of 50 additional Martin® Air Cannons were installed to cover the pre-heater. Martin® Air Cannons utilize the powerful dischargeof a reservoir of compressed air to remove material from vessel walls, improve flow and enhance plant efficiency. Installation of the air cannon system was performed during the plant’s annual maintenance outage.

The nozzles were installed through the pre-heater walls by the plant’s maintenance crews and then covered with castable refractory. The air cannon system, including blowpipes, air lines and control systems were installed by a crew from the MartinPLUS® Services group.

Results

To reduce employee exposure to severe temperatures, Martin® Thermo Safety Shields were included in the air cannon installation project.

To eliminate the blockages, the air cannons had to be “densely packed” on the pre-heater tower. “Basically, we installed a cannon every place where the material would build up, every place where we would need to water blast to clean the surface,” explains Joe Roark, production manager.

Since the installation of the air cannons, the plant has virtually eliminated water blasting. In eight months of operation, there have been no pre-heater chokes leading to unscheduled outages. The Martin® Air Cannons continuously and automatically clean the pre-heater to make sure the plant is getting the most out of its system.

Resources

PDF - Printable Version of Case Study Download
Brochure - Air Cannons Download
Brochure - MartinPLUS® Services Download
Brochure - Martin Engineering Corporate Profile Download

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