#LIMELIGHTS
Analysis and Resolution of Fuel Injection and Combustion Issues in a PFR Lime Kiln
Identifying the root cause and implementing corrective actions for Fuel Injection, and Unproper Combustion in a PFR Lime Kiln.
What did our team find?
Along March, on a bi-weekly meeting with our customer Bergmann Kalk, our X4LIME data scientist Team, lead by Edoardo Cella, properly informed by iDO Industrial Digital Operator, found and deeply analyzed a particular alarm stream in order to support plant operator mitigating its impact on QualiCal Synthesis PFR Lime plant performances, operating at Bergmann Kalk Group in Germany.
What was the trigger for this analysis?
Leveraging the iDO’s Operational Competences:
we set out to analyze the alarm data systematically. An important tool is the TOP ALARM LIST: clearly showing the most occurring alarms within a given period (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis). This iDO skill is very effective support to X4LIME Team in order to analyze and perform optimization, in co-ordination with site team, on what really matter first.
This was the case also on the present case of study: thanks to this approach, the team immediately visualize an alarm stream on the “FUEL INJECTION TOO SLOW” occurring during the latest days.
Upon identifying the issue, the X4LIME Team provided effective online support to operators by analyzing the alarm occurrences. Through detailed analysis, we identified and cross-correlated a consistent pattern where the fuel regulator slightly deviated from the theoretically required fuel amount over the specified fuel supply period. This discrepancy resulted in the kiln receiving less fuel than needed for the calcination process, triggering the aforementioned alarm and potentially impacting the quality of the product.
What was the value to the customer?
As X4LIME, our goal was to not only identify the most frequent alarms but also to understand their root causes. This digital deep dive revealed a slight discrepancy in the fuel regulator’s performance, leading to inadequate fuel supply.
The analysis provided helped dX4LIME Team stricly cooperating on lime kin operation with Bergmann Kalk to identify and address the issue quickly, by adjusting fuel regulation parameters and minimizing the impact of an unproper fuel injection and reducing potential quality issue.
Another important correlated effect was to minimize alarm triggering that was appearing on operator SCADA.
As the Chief Digital Officer of DIGITA put it:
“The collaboration between X4LIME and Bergmann Kalk exemplifies the tangible benefits of digitalization. By addressing the issue head-on, we not only mitigated the immediate problem but also enhanced the overall efficiency and quality of the lime production process. Moreover, our intervention led to a significant reduction in alarm occurrences, streamlining operations for the plant operators.”
Digitization for Sustainable Development
At X4LIME, our mission extends beyond immediate problem-solving. We aim to empower our clients with actionable insights into their equipment’s health and performance. Our approach aligns whit GOAL 9.8 of Global Goals 2030., focusing on building resilient infrastructure, promoting sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. Through careful and systematic analysis of data provided by smart systems like the MOSAICO WORKSPACE, we’re not just solving today’s problems; we’re paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient future.
