SBIR Phase I: Rapid Clinker Analyzer (RCA)

SBIR 第一阶段：快速熟料分析仪 (RCA)

• 批准号: 1047456
• 负责人: Tom Atwell
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: XRSciences LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2011-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1047456&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Rapid; Clinker; Analyzer

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I aims to develop an on-line measurement device that will allow cement manufacturers to significantly reduce costs, while improving quality. Cement manufacturing is an energy-intensive process that accounts for 6-8% of the world's fuel use. Despite 90% of fuel use occurring in the kiln, no real-time method currently exists for monitoring the elemental composition of the kiln output, known as clinker. Cement manufacturers have indicated that better kiln control would significantly reduce costs, improve quality, and increase profitability. The challenge is to extract the 1400 degrees Celsius clinker quickly, and analyze it within minutes of leaving the kiln. To deliver this performance, a bulk measurement technology widely used in cement manufacturing called Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation will be used, but with major modifications. In order to do this, an analysis time of 1-2 minute is required, based on 1/200th of a typical sample volume. The challenges are significant, and success would represent a major breakthrough.The commercial potential of this project will be the reduction of fuel consumption and harmful emissions in the cement industry. Estimates that widespread adoption of this technology will result in equivalent fuel savings from 150 - 600 million barrels of oil per year. In addition to fuel savings, cement manufacturing emits 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). When the kiln manufacturing process is working optimally, maximum amounts of sulfur, potassium, and other elements are absorbed into the cement, instead of being volatilized and released with the emitted gasses. As a result, this project has the potential to significantly reduce GHG. From a commercial standpoint, the concept for this product was identified as a top priority by some of the world's largest cement manufacturers. The resulting product will be unique due to the use of a smaller sample size and the faster analysis time. Unlike most other measurement approaches, this technology would be amenable to implementation through a pipe, thereby representing an entirely new product category. As such, it should be useful for many different applications and industries such as petroleum manufacturing, power plants, waste recovery, and any industry that can benefit from real-time elemental measurements through pipes.

小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段旨在开发一种在线测量设备，使水泥制造商能够在提高质量的同时大幅降低成本。水泥制造是一个能源密集型过程，占世界燃料使用量的6-8%。尽管90%的燃料使用发生在窑中，但目前没有实时方法来监测窑产出物（称为熟料）的元素组成。水泥制造商表示，更好的窑炉控制将大大降低成本，提高质量，增加利润。挑战在于快速提取1400摄氏度的熟料，并在离开窑后几分钟内对其进行分析。为了实现这一性能，将使用一种广泛用于水泥生产的称为瞬发伽马中子活化的散装测量技术，但需进行重大修改。为此，基于典型样品体积的1/200，需要1-2分钟的分析时间。挑战是巨大的，成功将是一个重大突破，该项目的商业潜力将是减少水泥行业的燃料消耗和有害排放。据估计，广泛采用这项技术每年将节省相当于1.5亿至6亿桶石油的燃油。除了节省燃料外，水泥制造业的温室气体排放量占全球温室气体排放量的3.4%。当窑炉制造过程处于最佳状态时，最大量的硫、钾和其他元素被吸收到水泥中，而不是挥发并随排放的气体释放。因此，该项目有可能大幅减少温室气体。从商业角度来看，这种产品的概念被世界上一些最大的水泥制造商确定为最优先考虑的问题。由于使用了较小的样本量和更快的分析时间，所得产品将是独一无二的。与大多数其他测量方法不同，这项技术可以通过管道实现，从而代表了一个全新的产品类别。因此，它应该适用于许多不同的应用和行业，如石油制造，发电厂，废物回收以及任何可以从通过管道进行实时元素测量中受益的行业。