Charging Device for Small Capacity Lime Kilns

Production of lime for the purpose of housing has assumed greater importance in recent years due to shortage of cement and tremendous increase in the construction activities. Although the history of the use of lime for construction purposes is very old, but its production in a large scale has been taken up in the recent years only. Depending upon the availability of raw material, fuel (l- e. lime stone, coal) and the demand pattern of the product, traditions, etc certain shapes and sizes of kilns for burning the lime stone have come up at various places in the country. One of the most common types of the kiln used, is the vertical shaft kiln of various capacities. It is a continuous kiln requiring feed in the form of lime stone and coal from the top and discharging the burnt product from the bottom level holes.

It is noticed that at psesert the mechanised methods of charging such as skip hoists, belt-conveyors and bucket elevators are used for kilns of 15 tonne per day (TPD) capacity or more. Manual charging by head buckets is used for the lower capacity kilns. Since the capital cost of the devices referred to just now in the desired capacities is prohibitive, it is therefore, a general feeling that for 5 to 10 TPD kilns simple mechanical device other than those used for higher capacity kilns should be developed.

A survey has been conducted to asses the requirements of material handling at these kilns. The existing mechanical devices for charging higher capacity kilns are also studied in detail. Based on the information collected a charging device capable of being mounted on the kiln structure has been developed. The proposed device is much cheaper and easy to operate and maintain than the traditional skip hoists, belt conveyors and bucket elevators. There is substantial savings in the deployment of labour. The labour thus saved can be used for less arduous jobs and in better working conditions.