• Portland cement (hydraulic) for finishing brick buildings in wet climates
• Mortars for masonry construction of harbour works, etc., in contact with seawater
• Development of high-strength concretes

Cement is a substance used for construction, where mixed with fine aggregate produces mortar for masonry, or with sand and gravel, produces concrete. Cements used in construction are usually inorganic (lime or calcium silicate-based), characterized as non-hydraulic or hydraulic, depending on the ability of the cement to set in the presence of water.

Non-hydraulic cement does not set in wet conditions or underwater but sets as it dries and reacts with carbon dioxide in the air. Hydraulic cements (Portland cement) set and become adhesive due to a chemical reaction between the dry ingredients and water. The chemical reaction results in mineral hydrates that are not very water-soluble, allowing setting in wet conditions or underwater.

There are several types of cement production methods: dry, semi-dry, semi-wet, and wet, depending on the preconditioning process of raw materials. But nowadays, almost all plants are based on the dry process where the main stages are:

Feed stocks preparation: this stage includes the process of siege, crushing, and pre-homogenization. Typical raw materials used for cement production have 85% cayenne, 13% clay or blackboard, and remaining materials such as silica, alumina, and iron ore. These feed stocks are crushed into particles with a diameter of less than 20 mm and mixed with a pre-homogenization pile.

PiControl Solutions LLC has extensive experience in PID tuning and optimization for PID controllers in the cement production industry. We understand and know how to tackle typical PID control loop problems and have customized PID tuning and optimization software tools to help optimize all cement production unit controllers.

Our unique and novel closed-loop system identification technology makes it possible to tune and optimize base-level PID control loops quickly, efficiently, and precisely. With our closed-loop technology, we can perform system identification and PID tuning optimization of the following critical base-level PID controllers easily. Moreover, all process and data analysis and PID tuning and optimization work can be easily performed remotely by PiControl Solutions LLC process control engineers.

PiControl Solutions LLC has extensive experience in advanced process control optimization for cement production processes. We understand the economic factors that drive profit margins and have customized multivariable closed-loop system identification and advanced process control (APC) design and optimization tools to help optimize and improve cement production units.

Because of the relatively small size of many cement production plants, it is more cost-effective to implement DCS-based APC (advanced process control) rather than model predictive control (MPC) techniques. DCS-based APC (advanced process control) approach is fast, cost-effective, and all inside the existing DCS/PLC, avoiding the complications of OPC/other data communication links from computer to DCS.

We focus on analyzing the process and providing the right economic advanced control solution for each cement production plant. Our DCS-based APC (advanced process control) methodology has proven particularly successful in the cement production area. Our DCS-based APC (advanced process control) design will result in the following cement production benefits:

Kiln operation optimization – The main process control goal of a rotary cement kiln is maintaining a given temperature profile along the kiln at the lowest energy consumption possible. The rotary cement kiln process often seems unstable because of long, slow process dynamics and large disturbances. Our DCS-based APC (advanced process control) methodology will provide increased throughput but stable and tight temperature profile control of a rotary cement kiln with the lowest energy consumption possible.

Furnace performance optimization with alternative fuels – Burning processes in the furnace unit can lead to instability of the rotary cement kiln in the clinker manufacturing process, especially if alternative fuels are used. Our APC (advanced process control system) can improve the control and mixing rates of alternative fuels to ensure consistent burning, while also ensuring that the kiln does not become unstable due to changes in fuel calorific value.

Ball mill control optimization – The most important quality-relevant parameters in the cement grinding ball mill process, which determines the quality of the produced cement, are the fineness, Blaine, and the slope of the RRSB PSD curve. Our DCS-based APC (advanced process control) system will provide increased throughput of the ball mill by predicting and optimizing all quality-relevant product parameters, which will finally be compared with and adjusted based on the lab assays.

Blending process optimization – Stable and correctly proportioned raw meal is essential for energy-efficient clinker production. Optimal cement blending process at the right proportions can be ensured using our APC (advanced process control system), which will provide the desired specifications and quality of a product for the end customer.