John Tiernan
Huber Heights, OH (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal
AFS Technology
Find More Startups
Startup
Location:
Ansonia
Industry:
Energy
Year Founded:
2005
Number Employees:
1-10 people
Business Stage:
Growth (profitable)
Entity Type:
"S" Corporation
Description:
January 13, 2020
AFS Technology, LLC, Business Summary
Since 2005, AFS Technology has dedicated itself to providing innovative solutions for the Portland cement industry’s demand for waste derived fuel systems, with a primary focus on tire-derived fuel (TDF) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) systems. With over 25 years of experience in the design, manufacturing and installation of state-of-the-art systems, AFS is a leader in providing unique and practical solutions to maximize the benefits of these alternative fuels.
NEW PATENTED TECHNOLOGY:
Waste Tires and Why Portland Cement Kilns Dominate Their Usage
It is a little-known fact, but since the early 1990’s, the majority of waste tires in the USA and Europe have been used as a supplemental fuel for Portland cement kilns. In 1981, Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, JP) was awarded a patent for utilizing waste tires in Portland cement kilns, which was given freely for the industry to use in order to alleviate the growing problem of waste tire accumulation. Since then, Portland cement kilns have become the most effective means of utilizing and disposing of waste tires. This is primarily due to the high energy content of tires and the cement kiln’s high gas temperature and long retention time. Additionally, the steel belting in the tires melts and becomes part of the iron that is needed in the Portland cement recipe. Furthermore, tire fuel is 20% to 30% biomass (natural rubber from a tree) which reduces fossil carbon emissions when compared to the use of coal.
Another important reason why cement kilns have been the champion in the usage of waste tires is because they are able to use tires “whole” and unprocessed. No other method - including landfill - is capable of a more efficient means of disposal or usage of waste tires. During the initial 20-year period when cement kilns first started using tire fuel, the most common kiln types were 4-stage preheater kilns or long kilns, both of which effectively use waste tires whole and unprocessed and at a rate of 15% to 20%. In many cases this has allowed for positive revenue or a near-zero cost fuel for the cement manufacturer. This direct-to-energy without processing has made it nearly impossible to compete with cement kilns in regard to tire disposal.
Precalciner Kilns and “Whole Tires”
The precalciner kiln was developed to reduce the amount of fuel necessary to manufacture cement and has become the new standard for cement manufacturing. Unfortunately, this fuel-saving design has greatly diminished the ability to utilize “whole tires” as an alternative fuel source. Essentially, the vertical precalciner combustion chamber is ideal for burning finely ground coal which burns quickly in suspension, but it is not ideal for “whole tire” which take minutes to completely burn. For precalciner kilns to effectively burn tire fuel, the tires must be processed into shreds or chips, which enables the tire fuel to burn in suspension. This shredding process increases the cost of the tire fuel to approximately $50 per ton and inflates fuel costs approximately $1.5M annually (based on using an equivalent tonnage of “whole tire”). Because of this the cement manufacturers have been losing the competitive edge each time an older kiln is replaced with a new precalciner kiln. The Skewer Suspension Burner gives this competitive edge back to the cement manufacturers.
The Skewer Suspension Burner “The Game Changer”
Specific Problem Solved: Solving limits of new precalciner cement kilns to use “whole tire” fuel. Older cement kiln technology routes combustion air through a horizontal combustion chamber (the kiln) allowing whole waste tires to effectively burn without being in suspension. Newer precalciner kilns (now in abundant use) route the majority of combustion air through a vertical combustion chamber (the calciner) requiring fuels to be burnt in suspension and greatly limiting the ability to use “whole tire” fuel, resulting in low ROl for tire fuel equipment investments.
Solution: AFS takes advantage of the "doughnut" shape of “whole tire” and uses a skewer suspension rod to keep the tires in the oxygen-rich vertical combustion chamber (the calciner). This allows for 100% burnout of “whole tire” in suspension and enables the kiln to use “whole tire” fuel at record levels.