SBIR Phase I: Rapid Clinker Analyzer (RCA)

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内，但目前还没有实时方法来监控窑产出的元素组成，即熟料。水泥制造商表示，更好的窑炉控制将显著降低成本，改善质量，增加盈利能力。挑战是快速提取1400摄氏度的熟料，并在离开窑后的几分钟内对其进行分析。为了实现这一性能，将使用一种在水泥制造中广泛使用的体积测量技术，称为瞬发伽马中子激活，但进行了重大修改。要做到这一点，需要1-2分钟的分析时间，基于典型样品体积的1/200。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，这项技术的广泛采用将带来每年1.5亿-6亿桶石油的同等燃料节约。除了节省燃料外，水泥制造业排放的温室气体占全球温室气体排放量的3.4%。当窑炉制造过程处于最佳工作状态时，最大限度地将硫、钾和其他元素吸收到水泥中，而不是挥发和释放排放的气体。因此，该项目有可能显著减少温室气体排放。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首要任务。由于使用了更小的样本量和更快的分析时间，所得到的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，因此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，以及任何可以通过管道进行实时元素测量的行业。

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.