Heat recovery from rotary cement kiln

Heat loss from rotating kilns may represent a significant percentage of the total energy input especially in highly energy intensive industrial sectors such as cement production. Cement production has been one of the most energy intensive industries in the world. In order to produce clinker, rotary kilns are widely used in cement plants. As an alternative to traditional energy recovery methods, the possibility of recovering radiant and convectional heat lost through the kiln surface has been proposed in the literature. This may be accomplished by surrounding the kiln with a secondary external shell acting as a heat exchanger for a transfer fluid. The recovered heat energy can then be used for several purposes, such as electricity generation and preparation of hot water.