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Our approach to the control of the Cold Air Supply for the Tunnel Kilns employed by the Ceramic Industries was prompted by the need to take care of problems with a System in southern Louisiana. Because this Kiln is housed in an open building, the various ambient air handling systems are moving volumes that vary significantly in density as the temperatures rise and fall through the course of a 24 Hr. period. While the system answered the immediate problem of compensating for the changes in Air Density, we were pleasantly surprised to discover the affect that it had on Fuel Consumption. We knew that there would be some effect, but we weren't prepared for what happened when it was turned on. To be fair, other parts of the operation at this particular Plant were less than optimum at the time that the following Screen Shots were taken (these will be addressed soon, as the fuel Savings generated free up funds for further improvement) but even if one were to draw a line in the middle, the results are impressive. Click on the Thumbnails below for a detailed look.
The system is comprised of several Mass Flow Probes, one in the Waste Heat Duct to the Dryer, and several others in the inlets to the various Air Movers that convey Outside Air into the cooling Zones of the Kiln. The information from these is then fed to a proprietary equation, which calculates a SetPoint for the Cold Air Supply system to control on. |
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