Numerical modelling of flow and transport processes in a calciner for cement production

Controlling the calcination process in industrial cement kilns is of particular importance because it affects fuel consumption, pollutant emission and the final cement quality. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of flow and transport phenomena in the calciner is important for efficient cement production. The main physico-chemical processes taking place in the calciner are coal combustion and the strongly endothermic calcination reaction of the raw materials. In this paper a numerical model and a parametric study are presented of the flow and transport processes taking place in an industrial calciner. The numerical model is based on the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for the gas flow, and on Lagrangean dynamics for the discrete particles. All necessary mathematical models were developed and incorporated into a computational fluid dynamics model with the influence of turbulence simulated by a two-equation (k-ε) model. Distributions of fluid velocities, temperatures and concentrations of the reactants and products as well as the trajectories of particles and their interaction with the gas phase are calculated. The results of the present parametric study allow estimations to be made and conclusions to be drawn that help in the optimization of a given calciner.     

Redefining cement characteristics for sulfate-resistant Portland cement

Experimental research was performed to relate specific cement characteristics to expansion due to sulfate attack. Twenty-one North American cement of statistically diverse chemical composition were used in the study. ASTM 1012 “Standard Test Method for Length Change of Hydraulic Cement Mortars Exposed to a Sulfate Solution” was performed using mortars prepared with each of the cement. First-order and multivariate relationships between cement characteristics and sulfate expansion were correlated at different ages. Analysis revealed that while tricalcium aluminate (C₃A) has typically been targeted as the chief contributor to sulfate attack, iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) or tetracalcium aluminoferrite (C₄AF) content, combined with total equivalent alkalis, showed a much stronger negative correlation with expansions at all ages. These results are in agreement with a broad spectrum of sulfate expansion theories and can provide a better means of specifying sulfate-resistant cement.     

具有椭圆盘极点约束的线性系统滤波器设计

针对一类线性系统,研究其闭环系统极点具有椭圆盘约束的情况下滤波器设计问题。在极点约束的前提下,控制目标要求闭环系统渐近稳定,并且干扰抑制性能指标小于给定的上界。首先利用有界实引理给出椭圆盘极点约束前提下滤波器的存在条件;其次,利用线性矩阵不等式技术,将滤波器的存在性问题转化成一组线性矩阵不等式(LMI)的可行性问题,根据LMI的可行解,给出滤波器的设计方法,由该方法得到的滤波器满足给定的性能要求;最后,数值算例说明该方法的有效性和可行性。     

Industrially interesting approaches to “low-CO2” cements

This article discusses the practicality of replacing portland cements with alternative hydraulic cements that could result in lower total CO₂ emissions per unit volume of concrete of equivalent performance. Currently, the cement industry is responding rapidly to the perceived societal need for reduced CO₂ emissions by increasing the production of blended portland cements using supplementary cementitious materials that are principally derived from industrial by-products, such as blast-furnace slags and coal combustion fly ashes. However, the supplies of such by-products of suitable quality are limited. An alternative solution is to use natural pozzolans, although they must still be activated either by portland cement or lime or by alkali silicates or hydroxides, the production of all of which still involves significant CO₂ emissions. Moreover, concretes based on activated pozzolans often require curing at elevated temperatures, which significantly limits their field of application.The most promising alternative cementing systems for general concrete applications at ambient temperatures currently appear to be those based at least in part on calcium sulfates, the availability of which is increasing due to the widespread implementation of sulfur dioxide emission controls. These include calcium sulfoaluminate-belite-ferrite cements of the type developed in China under the generic name “Third Cement Series” (TCS) and other similar systems that make good use of the potential synergies among calcium sulfate, calcium silicate and calcium aluminate hydrates. However, a great deal more research is required to solve significant unresolved processing and reactivity questions and to establish the durability of concretes made from such cements. If we are to use these potentially more CO₂-efficient technologies on a large enough scale to have a significant global impact, we will also have to develop the performance data needed to justify changes to construction codes and standards.     

大型常压锥顶贮罐的设计

以工程实例为依据，论述国内以往较少采用的大型梁柱式支承锥顶贮罐的结构，介绍了国内外相关设计标准，给出了贮罐的典型结构－斜椽，横梁和立柱的计算公式，并用Excel电子表格编制了计算书。     

Rehydration and microstructure of cement paste after heating at temperatures up to 300 °C

This paper is concerned with the evolution of the microstructure of cementitious materials subjected to high temperatures and subsequent resaturation in the particular context of long-term storage of radioactive wastes, where diffusive and convective properties are of primary importance. Experimental results obtained by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) are presented concerning the evolution of the pore network of ordinary portland cement (OPC) paste heated at temperatures varying between 80 and 300 °C. The consequences of heating on the macroscopic properties of cement paste are evaluated by measures of the residual gas permeabilities, elastic moduli and Poisson's ratio, obtained by nondestructive methods. Resaturation by direct water absorption and water vapour sorption are used to estimate the reversibility of dehydration. The results provide some evidence of the self-healing capacity of resaturated cement paste after heating at temperatures up to 300 °C.     

超空泡航行体纵向运动的鲁棒极点配置控制

由于空泡及滑行力的存在,使得超空泡航行体的建模及控制问题变得非常复杂,在其模型简化过程中会产生一定的建模误差,采用鲁棒极点配置算法进行超空泡航行体控制可以有效克服这一缺点.对超空泡航行体所受的流体动力、尤其是滑行力的动态特性进行了分析整理;建立了超空泡航行体纵平面内的动力学模型;最后利用鲁棒极点配置算法设计了控制器.仿真结果表明,该控制系统具有较强的鲁棒性及稳定性.对各控制变量的控制效果进行了对比分析,分析结果表明空化器比尾舵具有更好的控制效果.     

Low-temperature synthesis of cements from rice hull ash

Rice hull is an agricultural by-product containing about 20% of silica. Usually, this material is burned at the rice fields generating small silica particles, which may cause respiratory and environmental damage. This work describes the use of rice hull ash as a raw material to prepare Ca₂SiO₄-related cements, which is a component of commercial Portland cement. Rice hull was heated at 600 °C rendering silica with a surface area of 21 m² g⁻¹. This material was mixed with CaO and BaCl₂·2H₂O in several proportions, added stoichiometricaly in order to keep a ratio (Ca+Ba)/Si=2. The solids were mixed with water 1:20 (w/w) and sonicated for 60 min. The suspensions were dried and heated at several temperatures (from 500 to 1100 °C). The resulting solids were analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Cements with structure similar to that of β-Ca₂SiO₄ were obtained at temperatures as low as 700 °C, according to the composition.     

Impedance spectroscopy study of hardened Portland cement paste

In this paper, the differential impedance analysis (DIA) has been applied to the study of the dielectric properties of hardened Portland cement paste. Two time constants are found in the impedance spectra obtained in the frequency region form 100 kHz to 15 MHz. One time constant has been attributed to the solid matrix and the other one to the liquid phase filling the pores. The effect of the cement paste-electrodes interface has been quantified using two different experimental set-ups. Measurements using direct contact between electrodes and cement paste have been compared with measurements using an air gap technique in which the specimen “floats” between the electrodes. The two referred time constants have been found in both types of measurements. The influence of drying on the dielectric parameters is also studied.