The present invention relates to device for heat-treating solid material, in particular in granular form, wherein the device comprises a kiln and an external heat source, wherein said device comprises at least two steps arranged above each other, wherein each step comprises a gas permeable sloped sliding surface on which a bed of said solid material slides down within said device due to gravity and wherein said sloped sliding surfaces of said steps directly consecutive to each other slope in opposite directions, wherein the kiln comprises at least one, preferably at least two, of said steps and the kiln is configured such that a hot gas generated by the external heat source is led through said solid material inside the kiln to heat said solid material to a desired temperature in order to change the substance properties of said solid material. According to the invention, said device comprises at least one gas temperature adjustment system comprising a gas outlet in a second step of said steps, a temperature adjustment zone and a gas inlet in a first step of said steps, preferably the first step being arranged directly consecutive and above the second step, wherein at least the first step is one of said at least one step inside the kiln and wherein said gas temperature adjustment system is adapted such that hot gas is extracted from said second step through the gas outlet, directed into the temperature adjustment zone where a hot gas temperature is adjusted to an adjusted temperature by the external heat source and reintroduced into said first step at said adjusted temperature. The invention further relates to a method for producing supplementary cementitious materials.

In various embodiments, a process is described for the preparation of a concrete mixture in a Ready-mix or for an installation. A quantity of amorphous silica is added with an average particle size in the range of from about 1 to about 55 nanometers and/or wherein the surface area of the particles of the amorphous silica is in the range of from about 50 to about 900 m.sup.2/g. The amorphous silica may be added in colloidal form or otherwise, and is added at a particular stage to ensure efficacy.

Methods including experimentally determining a salt creep profile for a single salt or intercalated salts in a subterranean formation, designing a proposed cement slurry based on the salt creep profile, experimentally determining whether the proposed cement slurry is capable of forming a wellbore load resistant cement sheath based on actual thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the proposed cement slurry, theoretically determining whether the proposed cement slurry is capable of forming the wellbore load resistant cement sheath by designing an electronic, cross-section geometric model of the subterranean salt formation and simulating a condition of the wellbore loads on the cured proposed cement slurry using the geometric model, establishing a final cement slurry capable of forming the wellbore load resistant cement sheath, and performing a final cementing operation with the final cement slurry in the subterranean salt formation.

Methods including experimentally determining a salt creep profile for a single salt or intercalated salts in a subterranean formation, designing a proposed cement slurry based on the salt creep profile, experimentally determining whether the proposed cement slurry is capable of forming a wellbore load resistant cement sheath based on actual thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the proposed cement slurry, theoretically determining whether the proposed cement slurry is capable of forming the wellbore load resistant cement sheath by designing an electronic, cross-section geometric model of the subterranean salt formation and simulating a condition of the wellbore loads on the cured proposed cement slurry using the geometric model, establishing a final cement slurry capable of forming the wellbore load resistant cement sheath, and performing a final cementing operation with the final cement slurry in the subterranean salt formation.

Provided is a method capable of predicting the quality of cement in a short time period and with high accuracy. The method of predicting the quality or manufacturing conditions of cement through use of a neural network including an input layer and an output layer includes: performing learning of the neural network for a sufficiently large number of times of learning such that .sub.L<.sub.M is obtained, using learning data and monitor data; then repeating the learning of the neural network until .sub.L.sub.M is obtained while the number of times of learning is decreased; inputting specific observation data to the input layer of the neural network in which a judgment value for analysis degree obtained from the neural network after the learning is less than a preset value; and outputting an estimated value of specific evaluation data from the output layer of the neural network.

Provided is a method for controlling a free lime content of a clinker by regulating the free lime content. Here the amount of sulfur trioxide resulting from fuel and the used amount of a fluorine-based mineralizer are regulated using the following Formulas (1) to (3), thereby controlling the free lime content (f.CaO) of the clinker.
f.CaO=0.29e.sup.(0.65A)(A=aSO.sub.3+b)(1)
a=0.0001F+9.2t0.18HM9.2(2)
b=0.0005F32.8t2.9HM+28.4(3) SO.sub.3 is an amount of sulfur trioxide in the clinker; a is a coefficient satisfying Formula (2); b is a coefficient satisfying Formula (3); F is an amount of fluorine in the clinker; when a burning temperature is X C., t=X/1450; and HM is a hydraulic modulus.

Providing an implementable renewable fuel gas plant processes with management of greenhouse gases with minimal changes to existing plant set ups is a technical challenge to be addressed. Embodiments herein provide a system for renewable fuel gas generation and utilization in industrial plants with carbon dioxide as heat carrier. The system design integrates renewable fuel gas (H.sub.2) which is generated within the system and utilized to meet the thermal energy requirements of the production process. CO.sub.2 produced as byproduct of calcination in a process equipment, such as during calcination in cement plant is used as a heat-transferring medium to heat the H.sub.2. Further, the system provides recycling of the generated byproducts by separating the exhaust gases, comprised of CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2O. The H.sub.2O is recycled to generate H.sub.2 via electrolysis. The separated CO.sub.2 again serves as a heat-transferring medium, while the excess CO.sub.2 is sequestrated.

A device for thermal treatment comprises at least a preheater, a calciner, and a materials cooler, wherein a solids stream is guided into the preheater, from the preheater into the calciner, from the calciner into the materials cooler, and out of the materials cooler, wherein a gas stream is guided into the materials cooler, from the materials cooler into the calciner, from the calciner into the preheater, and out of the preheater, wherein the device comprises a combustion chamber, wherein the gas stream from the materials cooler is guided at least partially through the combustion chamber into the calciner, wherein a residence time device is arranged between the combustion chamber and the calciner.

A particle sorting method may more quickly and more reliably obtain image data in which particles suitable for evaluation has been imaged. The particle sorting method includes: a process (a) of collecting, as a particle sample, some of particles contained in a pulverized clinker or a cement particle group, and mixing the particle sample with a predetermined solvent to prepare a suspension; a process (b) of pouring the suspension into a flow path that has been predetermined, and imaging the suspension flowing through the flow path to obtain sorting image data; and a process (c) of applying the sorting image data to a first learned model, and sorting the sorting image data according to a type of an imaged particle, the first learned model being generated by performing machine learning based on first training input data is associated with a feature parameter serving as a reference.