Key Benefits

  • Lower CAPEX and OPEX
  • Reduced power and fuel consumption
  • Better control and productivity
  • Longer lifecycle

Maximising productivity, cost efficiency, alumina quality

As the creators of the most advanced alumina calciner systems in the industry, we value staying at the forefront of research and development. Our experts analysed every aspect of our Gas Suspension Calciner (GSC) system and discovered opportunities to address energy efficiency, economy of scale, and particle breakdown. Minor design changes on our end mean major productivity increases on yours. Our recent developments are a direct result of our customers’ desire to maximise throughput, cost efficiency and alumina quality.

Our new dust transport mode eliminates the dense-phase conveying system, resulting in:


  • No compressed air requirement
  • Reduced particle breakdown
  • Reduced wear
  • Reduced power consumption
  • Lower CAPEX

 

An improved cyclone design reduces the cylindrical height and changes the inlet, leading to:


  • Lower pressure drop
  • Higher separation efficiency
  • Reduced power consumption
  • Improved vortex finder life
  • Reduced particle breakdown for improved product quality

 

A more efficient holding vessel (HV) design now delivers:


  • More reliable fluidisation
  • Less risk of dead zones in the HV
  • Reduced possibility of over-calcination
  • Lower thermal impact to the HV refractory

 

Smarter digital interface with optional advanced process control (ECS/ProcessExpert®) gives you:

 

  • Dynamic simulation
  • Improved control on critical process parameters
  • An operator training tool
  • Reduced specific fuel consumption
  • Increased productivity

 

A lower overall building height from the new design brings about:

 

  • Reduced steel requirements
  • Lower carbon footprint
  • Reduced fuel consumption

 

With these new developments, our integrated alumina refinery concept features state-of-the-art process technology and proprietary equipment in a highly modular and standardised solution. We offer the ideal balance between customisability and cost-effectiveness.

Additional benefits of our alumina GSC:

  • Integrates into greenfield or brownfield projects
  • Easily customised to meet your specific feedstock, capacity, environmental needs and economic needs
  • Optimised, sustainable process solution options
  • Flexible delivery and implementation opportunities

A redesigned calciner that delivers on its promises

Lower CAPEX and OPEX
Our new dust transport mode eliminates the dense-phase conveying system, reducing your capital expenses. Other new design elements reduce power and fuel consumption, providing operational cost savings.
Reduced power and fuel consumption
It is well known that FLSmidth Goal #1 is to reduce fuel and emissions. The improved cyclone design and lower required building height with our calciner reduces your power consumption, saving you money in operating costs. And with our ECS/ProcessExpert advanced controls, you enjoy further reduction in fuel use.
Better control and productivity
Our optional proprietary ECS/ProcessExpert system provides better control on critical process parameters, increasing productivity.
Longer lifecycle
All of our design improvements work to reduce wear within the components – increasing the viable lifecycle of the equipment, which further reduces your CAPEX costs.

Increased efficiency from equipment modifications

Our alumina GSC features a vertical cylindrical design in which fuel is combusted in an external air heater. As fine ore (typically less than 1mm) is introduced above the GSD venturi, it directly contacts hot gases from the external air heater. Immediately entrained in the hot gases, the ore dries in seconds. Dry ore and spent gas then separate in a cyclone. Spent gas and dust report to a dust collector, and the gas vents to the atmosphere. The underflow from the cyclones and dust collector report as product.

 

The number of stages in the system can be custom designed, based on the materials being processed, process requirements, thermal and system efficiency optimisation and capacity. In addition, to preheating stages, cooling stages may also be incorporated to maximise heat recovery and limit downstream cooling requirements.

 

A closer look at our GSC components

Dust transport is a common cause of excessive power consumption. By eliminating the need to use compressed air, our newly developed transport system requires minimal power to transport dust particles back to the GSC system.

 

Our redesigned holding vessel (HV) provides the ideal retention time for solids to achieve the desired product quality. This new optimised design eliminates common deadstock issues and provides higher thermal efficiency, more reliable fluidisation and prolonged refractory life.

 

An improved cyclone design prolongs vortex finder life due to less wear on the equipment. A lower gas velocity in the cyclone reduces both pressure drop and wear on the vortex finder, which minimises the risk of particle breakdown. A shorter cyclone height helps to reduce the footprint and the building height. Fewer raw materials required for building further reduces your capital requirements as tied to structural costs.

Digital connection for expert operation: ECS/ProcessExpert®

The days of manual operation and educated guesses are behind you. With software that makes you work smarter, not harder, the digital component to operating our GSC is a game-changer for productivity and reliability. 

Controlling your system with ECS/ProcessExpert is optional, but the benefits provided by this digital ecosystem software are immense.

Manual operation is notorious for wide fluctuations in temperature and excessive fuel consumption. Especially with advancements in digital technology, conditions remain more stable with an automated process. With ECS/ProcessExpert automatically keeping our GSC temperature zones stable and reducing fuel consumption, we offer the most efficient calcination process in the industry — with a marked reduction in CO2 emissions.

 

Our renowned process control solution, ECS/ProcessExpert, is based on years of experience in advanced process control. It uses progressive techniques, such as model predictive control and fuzzy logic rules, to continuously monitor plant processes and quality parameters. ECS/ProcessExpert continuously computes new control set points, enabling it to fine-tune your processes more frequently and reliably than a human operator can do.  

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