Numerical Simulation of an Improved Structure for High-Resistance Grate Plates

In a typical cement plant, the cement clinker production consumes 80% of the total energy used in cement production. The grate plate is the main sector of the grate cooler, and its structure can be modified to receive electric power while cooling the clinker. In this paper, Ansys Fluent was used to simulate the flow field of an existing high-resistance grate plate. The structure of the existing high-resistance grate plate was improved based on the velocity and pressure fields. Results showed an improvement in the performance of the modified high-resistance grate plate-greater velocity and lower pressure drop were observed. When the pressure drop decreased by 51.58%, 2.84% of the total energy consumption could be saved. These results, to some extent, guided the rational design of high-resistance grate plates, and played an indirect role in energy conservation as well.