Cement and Coking Industry Gas Detection Solution: Nexisense Helps Achieve Efficient and Safe Production

Cement, as a fundamental material in the construction industry, involves complex physical and chemical reactions in its production process, including three major processes: raw material grinding, calcination, and finished product grinding. Although these processes have been optimized to the lowest carbon emission level, with total heat and electricity consumption per ton of cement not exceeding 120 kg of standard coal, gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and acetylene are still produced. If these gases leak, they not only threaten personnel health but may also cause explosions or environmental pollution. With the implementation of environmental regulations such as GB 13223-2011 (Emission standard of air pollutants for thermal power plants), cement enterprises need to strengthen gas monitoring to achieve real-time early warning and compliance management. Nexisense focuses on the field of gas perception, and its series of products are tailored to the pain points of cement and coking, providing stable and reliable detection solutions that have proven their value in multiple cement plants.

Gas Risks and Causation Analysis in Cement Production

Cement raw materials are mainly calcium carbonate ore, which is transformed into clinker through crushing, preheating, calcination and other processes. The calcination process requires high-temperature kilns, where fuel combustion produces carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide; sulfur compounds are oxidized to produce sulfur dioxide; nitrogen oxides form nitrogen dioxide; acetylene and other combustible gases originate from incomplete combustion or raw material volatilization. These gases easily accumulate in confined workshops or pipelines, and improper ventilation immediately becomes a hazard.

Specific risks include:

• Carbon monoxide (CO): Colorless and odorless, excessive concentration causes poisoning and affects the central nervous system.

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂): High concentration causes oxygen deficiency, common in the kiln tail sealed area.

• Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂): Acidic gases that irritate the respiratory tract, long-term exposure increases the risk of lung disease.

• Acetylene (C₂H₂): Flammable, explosive and toxic, leakage can easily cause fire or explosion.

Industry data shows that cement plants without gas leakage monitoring have a safety accident rate more than 20% higher. Traditional manual sampling is lagging and dangerous, while automated monitoring systems can cover key points such as kiln head, kiln tail, and coal mill, combined with data analysis to optimize fuel ratio, reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency.

Technical Advantages of Nexisense Gas Detection Products

The Nexisense product line uses imported sensors as the core, with secondary calibration, temperature and humidity compensation, and anti-interference design to adapt to the high-temperature and dusty environment of cement plants. The series includes online SGA-500, portable SGA-600, module SGA-100, sensor module SGA-700 and controller SGA-800, meeting the needs from point monitoring to system integration.

Core Functions of SGA-500 Online Gas Detector

Suitable for fixed installation, such as around kilns or in pipelines. This series has a response time<30 seconds and accuracy up to ±3% FS. Highlights include:

• Multi-gas support: Monitoring CO (0-1000 ppm), CO₂ (0-5% VOL), SO₂ (0-100 ppm), NO₂ (0-20 ppm), C₂H₂ (0-100 ppm).

• Rich output interfaces: 4-20mA, RS485 Modbus-RTU, relay switch quantity, easy to connect to DCS or PLC.

• Sampling and alarm: Diffusion or pump suction sampling; high and low alarm thresholds adjustable, e.g., SO₂ alarm point 20 ppm, adjustable according to site conditions.

• Environmental adaptability: IP65 protection, resistant to high temperature 50℃, built-in compensation algorithm to offset dust interference.

  
  

Factory calibrated, plug-and-play, easy maintenance.

Mobile Inspection Advantages of SGA-600 Portable Gas Detector

For inspections such as coal mill maintenance, this series is lightweight (<500 with="" battery="" life="">8 hours. Features include:

• Flexible sampling: Diffusion or probe rod type, extending into narrow spaces for safe sampling.

• Intelligent features: Data storage, average value calculation, unit switching (ppm/LEL), temperature and humidity display.

• Alarm design: Audible, visual and vibration reminders to ensure immediate operator response.

Extensibility of Supporting Modules and Systems

SGA-100 module and SGA-700 module are used for embedding in equipment, supporting TTL/RS232 output; SGA-800 controller realizes multi-point networking, centralized display of alarm information.

These products have passed explosion-proof certification (Ex d IIC T6 Gb), sensor lifespan 2-5 years, suitable for explosive areas in cement plants.

Typical Application Scenarios and Actual Cases

In cement production lines:

• Kiln calcination area: SGA-500 monitors SO₂ and NO₂, linking desulfurization system to control emissions.

• Coal mill and raw material mill: SGA-600 inspects CO and C₂H₂ to prevent explosions.

• Finished product storage: SGA-700 module integrates silo system to monitor CO₂ accumulation.

• Overall monitoring: SGA-800 controller networks to form gas heat maps, supporting remote viewing.

Multiple cement enterprises have verified the effectiveness of the solution. After deploying SGA-500 in a large cement plant, gas leakage incidents decreased by 40%, successfully passing environmental inspections. In another coking project, SGA-600 assisted maintenance teams in avoiding multiple potential risks.

During implementation, enterprises need to consider gas concentration ranges, installation locations and integration requirements. Nexisense provides services from survey to commissioning to ensure successful implementation.

Key Considerations for Implementing Gas Detection Systems

Before selection, evaluate on-site dust, temperature and corrosiveness. When installing SGA-500, place it upstream of potential gas leakage points; perform regular calibration (every 6 months) using standard gas cylinders. Combined with IoT, upload data to cloud platform to achieve predictive maintenance, optimize fuel usage and reduce carbon footprint.

Common Questions and Answers (FAQ)

Q1: Which common gases in cement production are supported by Nexisense series products? Can the range and sensitivity be customized according to kiln type or fuel type?

A1: Standard products cover core gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and acetylene (C₂H₂). For coal powder kilns, natural gas kilns or kilns co-processing hazardous waste, we provide customization services that can adjust ranges (e.g., SO₂ extended to 0-500 ppm high-concentration version, or CO down to 0-50 ppm high-precision version), cross-interference compensation (e.g., SO₂ dedicated algorithm for high-sulfur coal) and sensor selection. The customization process requires customers to provide kiln specifications, fuel composition analysis, historical emission data and regulatory requirements, usually delivering prototypes in 4-8 weeks to ensure compatibility with existing desulfurization and denitrification systems.

Q2: How is the long-term stability and anti-interference performance of the online SGA-500 in high-dust and high-temperature environments of cement plants?

A2: High-selectivity imported sensors combined with multi-stage digital filtering and automatic zero tracking control dust interference within ±5%, operating temperature range -20℃～+60℃ (optional high-temperature version up to +80℃). Built-in pre-filter and automatic cleaning function. Continuous operation projects show that after 5000 hours in coal mill area, zero drift <±2% FS, span error <±4%. Recommended measures: installation location avoids direct dust injection ports; monthly inspection and replacement of filter; quarterly zero calibration with clean air; add cooling jacket in high-temperature areas to further extend sensor life.

Q3: How is the safety and practicality of the portable SGA-600 during kiln inspection and coal mill maintenance?

A3: It has Ex ib intrinsically safe explosion-proof certification, suitable for Zone 0/1 hazardous areas. Probe rod sampling length 1-2 m, allowing operators to detect kiln head or coal bunker gases from a safe distance without directly entering high-CO or oxygen-deficient areas. Alarm mechanism includes triple audible-visual-vibration reminders, thresholds support toxicity-priority settings (e.g., acetylene 10/20/50 ppm three levels). Weight<500 anti-slip="" one-hand="" battery="" life="" 8-12="" supports="" usb-c="" fast="" data="" storage="">100,000 entries, one-click Excel report export, convenient for inspection records and safety supervision filing. Actual usage feedback: in dusty environments, the screen's automatic light-sensing backlight remains clearly visible.

Q4: How does the detector's signal output seamlessly integrate with the existing DCS or PLC system in the cement plant? Is there development resource support?

A4: SGA-500 supports 4-20mA (three-wire), RS485 Modbus-RTU (transmission distance >1200 m, strong anti-interference) and relay switch quantity, which can be directly connected to mainstream systems such as Siemens S7, Honeywell Experion or ABB 800xA. We provide free Modbus register mapping table, communication protocol documentation, ladder diagram sample code and host computer monitoring software (real-time curves, historical trends, multi-level alarms, automatic reports). Integration cycle is usually 1-3 weeks; SGA-800 controller can be extended to 32-point networking, supports MQTT upload to cloud platform for mobile remote monitoring.

Q5: What factors affect sensor lifespan? How to reasonably plan maintenance and replacement costs?

A5: Electrochemical sensor lifespan is generally 2-4 years, infrared/catalytic combustion type can reach 4-6 years. Main influencing factors: 1) Continuous high-concentration exposure accelerates consumption; 2) Dust/oil mist adhesion blocks the diaphragm; 3) Extreme temperature and humidity fluctuations cause drift. We recommend: monthly visual inspection of probe; quarterly zero calibration (clean air); annual or after 8000 operating hours, perform span calibration with standard gases; install multi-stage filters in high-dust areas. Maintenance cost is about 12-18% of equipment total price per year, providing modular sensor replacement service (completed on-site in 10-15 minutes) and annual maintenance contracts, with spare parts discounts for bulk users.

Q6: Has the product passed relevant standards and certifications in the cement industry? How does it demonstrate value in environmental acceptance and safety supervision review?

A6: It has obtained national measuring instrument type approval (CMC), explosion-proof certificate (Ex d IIC T6 Gb), electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, and complies with GB 13223-2011 (Emission standard of air pollutants for cement kilns), GB 50058-2014 (Code for design of electric power installations in explosion and fire hazard atmospheres) and HJ 543-2009 (Emission standard of air pollutants for cement industry) and other requirements. Detection data can be directly imported into environmental online monitoring platforms as proof of emission compliance and basis for occupational health protection. Export models additionally meet IECEx/ATEX and CE standards, providing Chinese-English calibration certificates.

Q7: What response mechanisms does the system have when gas concentration exceeds the limit? How to balance safety and production continuity?

A7: Supports three-level alarm thresholds (warning/alarm/high limit), each level can independently set concentration, delay time (1-60 seconds to prevent transient fluctuations) and linkage actions. Upon triggering: 1) Local audible and visual alarm (≥90 dB); 2) Relay output controls fans, shut-off valves or kiln feed reduction; 3) RS485 sends alarm messages to central control; 4) Optional SMS/WeChat/APP push. False alarm control is achieved through concentration trend judgment, averaging filtering and environmental compensation. In practical applications, settings such as “high limit confirmation before linkage” or “only high limit shutdown for toxic gases” can effectively avoid unnecessary downtime while ensuring personnel safety.

Q8: How to quickly obtain detailed selection advice, prototype trial or on-site support?

A8: Please visit the Nexisense official website to submit a requirement form, or contact sales/technical support, providing kiln type, fuel type, main monitoring gases, concentration range, number of installation points and budget information. We usually reply within 24-48 hours with complete selection tables, reference quotes, technical manuals and typical cases. For key projects, free prototype trials (1-2 months, including on-site installation guidance, simulated gas testing and performance verification) or engineer on-site survey and layout can be arranged to ensure the solution accurately matches actual working conditions.

Summary

Gas detection in cement and coking is a dual guarantee of safety and environmental protection. The Nexisense series helps enterprises prevent risks and optimize production with precise technology and flexible configuration. Facing the low-carbon transition, timely deployment of monitoring systems will promote sustainable development of the industry. Nexisense will continue to innovate and advance together with cement enterprises.