What are the disadvantages of using natural gas in new environmentally friendly lime kilns
Although the new environmentally friendly lime kiln uses natural gas as fuel, which has advantages such as cleanliness, environmental protection, and sufficient combustion, there are still some obvious disadvantages in actual production.
The difficulty of calcination control is the primary issue. The fast combustion speed and delayed temperature regulation response of natural gas make it difficult to accurately control temperature fluctuations inside the kiln. Especially in the limestone decomposition stage, small temperature changes may directly affect the reaction rate and product activity, requiring more precise automation systems and manual experience to cooperate, increasing operational complexity and technical barriers.
The relatively limited production capacity is another weakness. Compared with coal or electric furnaces, the unit heat released by natural gas combustion is lower, and the kiln body needs to compensate by extending the calcination time or optimizing the heat exchange efficiency, which makes it difficult for a single kiln to break through to a higher level of daily energy production. For large-scale production needs, more kiln equipment needs to be invested, significantly increasing fixed asset costs.
The high rate of overheating directly affects economic benefits. The concentration of natural gas flames can easily cause uneven temperature distribution inside the kiln, and the area near the fire source is prone to overburning (coarse lime crystals), while the edge area may be burnt (not completely decomposed), resulting in a decrease in the yield of finished products. According to statistics, some enterprises have a burning rate of over 10%, which not only wastes raw materials but also increases the cost of secondary processing.
Therefore, when choosing natural gas fuel, enterprises need to comprehensively evaluate process adaptability and cost-effectiveness.
