Balancing the desire to reduce operating costs with increasingly stringent emission rates

Cement producers are continually placed under increased pressure to further reduce production costs to improve competitiveness while at the same time facing equally high pressure to further reduce specific emission rates. Substitution of bituminous coal with alternative fuels, such as petroleum coke, can yield significant cost savings for the cement producer. However, in the modern pyroprocess, such a substitution can have adverse affects to the specific gaseous emission rates. This paper focused upon high temperature combustion and secondary methods for emission control while firing alternative fuels. Case studies were presented to illustrate the practical aspects of such control measures.