A cooler for cooling bulk material such as cement clinker may include a stationary aeration grate that is for receiving the bulk material is passably by a flow of cooling gas, a conveyor unit having conveyor planks that are disposed above the aeration grate and that for transporting the bulk material are movable in a reciprocating manner in a conveying direction and counter to the conveying direction, a seal assembly that prevents grate riddlings and is attached to the stationary aeration grate, and a drive element that drives the conveyor planks and extends through the stationary aeration grate. The seal assembly may lie against the drive element, and spacing between the seal assembly and the drive element may be adjustable. Further, a method for preventing grate riddlings in a cooler may involve in the event of wear decreasing the spacing between the seal assembly and the drive element.

Disclosed is a method for producing sintered material from organic raw materials, implemented in an apparatus comprising, a cyclone preheater, a rotary furnace and a grate cooler, and in which the raw materials are preheated in the cyclone preheater, the preheated material is calcined and sintered in the rotary furnace, and the calcined materials are cooled by blowing cooling air in the grate cooler, producing hot air. The hot air is separated into three upstream-to-downstream fractions, the three hot air fractions being at decreasing temperatures. The first air fraction acts as combustion air in at least the combustion zone of the rotary furnace and/or of the potential precalciner of the apparatus. The second air fraction is greater than the combustion air needs to produce energy. The third air fraction is directed at least in part to the combustion zone of the apparatus, providing combustion air with the first air fraction.

The invention relates to a method for fitting or retrofitting a sinter cooler (1), which sinter cooler (1) comprises a cooler grate chain with an endless chain of cooler cars (2). In order to provide means for increasing the effectiveness of the sinter cooler, the invention provides that the method for fitting comprises, for at least one cooler car (2), installing a lamella grate (10) for holding sinter material and allowing air flow through the grate so that a support structure (13) is connected to the cooler car (2) and a plurality of lamellae (12) are supported by and individually movable with respect to the support structure (13), and are disposed to allow air flow between neighbouring lamellae (12). The support structure (13) comprises at least one support element (14) disposed underneath the plurality of lamellae (12) to support the plurality of lamellae (12), and at least one downholder (15) that is adapted to limit an upward motion of at least one lamella (12) is installed such that at least a portion of the downholder (15) is disposed above the at least one lamella (12). In case of retrofitting a sinter cooler (1) comprising a rigid grate (5) for holding sinter material, the method for retrofitting further comprises removing the rigid grate (5) before installing the lamella grate (10).

The present invention discloses a cooler for cooling particulate material which has been subjected to heat treatment in an industrial kiln, such as a rotary kiln for manufacturing cement clinker. This cooler comprises an inlet, an outlet, end wall, side walls, a bottom and a ceiling, at least three reciprocating supporting lanes for receiving, supporting and transporting the material to be cooled, the lanes are moving following the walking floor principles as well as means for injecting cooling gas into the material through grate plates in the lanes. With the present invention it is an aim to have an increase in the vertical shearing height, and still having stationary clinker on top of the grate plates.

A cooler for cooling bulk material, such as cement clinker, for example, may include an aeration floor through which cooling gas can flow. The aeration floor may be configured to receive bulk material and to transport the bulk material in a conveying direction. The aeration floor comprises a plurality of conveying beams that are mounted so as to be movable in the conveying direction and counter to the conveying direction. A seal is mounted between two adjacent conveying beams, and the seal has at least two sealing elements mounted so as to be movable relative to one another. The sealing elements each have a sealing profile, which interact with one another such that a sealing gap is formed between them. The sealing gap has a double or multiple U-profile.

A method for fitting or retrofitting a sinter cooler, which sinter cooler has a cooler grate chain with an endless chain of cooler cars, the method including, installing a lamella grate for holding sinter material and allowing air flow through the grate so that a support structure is connected to the cooler car and a plurality of lamellae are supported by and individually movable with respect to the support structure, and are disposed to allow air flow between neighbouring lamellae, where the support structure has at least one support element disposed underneath the plurality of lamellae to support the plurality of lamellae, and at least one downholder that is adapted to limit an upward motion of at least one lamella installed such that at least a portion of the downholder is disposed above the at least one lamella.

A cooler for cooling clinker of a cement production plant may include an aeration grate for conveying the clinker in a conveying direction, a ventilator for generating a cooling air flow that passes the aeration grate as a cross flow, and a measuring plane disposed above the aeration grate. The measuring plane may have a temperature measuring installation for ascertaining a temperature distribution in the measuring plane. The cooler may also include an open-loop/closed-loop control installation configured in an open loop/closed loop to control a conveying rate of the clinker and/or a flow rate of the cooling air flow as a function of the ascertained temperature distribution. Further, a corresponding method can be utilized to operate a cooler for cooling clinker.

A cooler for cooling bulk material such as cement clinker may include a stationary aeration grate that is for receiving the bulk material is passably by a flow of cooling gas, a conveyor unit having conveyor planks that are disposed above the aeration grate and that for transporting the bulk material are movable in a reciprocating manner in a conveying direction and counter to the conveying direction, a seal assembly that prevents grate riddlings and is attached to the stationary aeration grate, and a drive element that drives the conveyor planks and extends through the stationary aeration grate. The seal assembly may lie against the drive element, and spacing between the seal assembly and the drive element may be adjustable. Further, a method for preventing grate riddlings in a cooler may involve in the event of wear decreasing the spacing between the seal assembly and the drive element.

A conveyor grate for conveying bulk material (preferably cement clinker) in a conveying direction, which has at least two conveying means and at least one motor for advancing such conveying means in the conveying direction and for retracting the conveying means, The grate can be installed and operated at reduced costs, if a first of these conveying means is coupled via a first clutch to the motor and a second of these conveying means is coupled via a second clutch to the same motor.

A conveyor grate for conveying bulk material (preferably cement clinker) in a conveying direction, which has at least two conveying means and at least one motor for advancing such conveying means in the conveying direction and for retracting the conveying means, The grate can be installed and operated at reduced costs, if a first of these conveying means is coupled via a first clutch to the motor and a second of these conveying means is coupled via a second clutch to the same motor.