51th Annual Conference Sets Records

Despite the economic crisis, more than 650 participants, about 17 % of them cement producers, came to the Desert Springs, a JW Marriott’ Resort & Spa, Palm Desert, California, to attend the 51st annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference. The majority of participants came from the US, followed by Canada and Germany. After the opening of the conference by Phil Gaynor, Head of the Palm Springs Organizing Committee, and Christopher Macey, Chairman of the IEEE-IAS 2009 Cement Industry Committee, the technical program was started. The lectures included a wide range of topics covering the fields of automation, general practice, environmental maintenance and safety, drives, power distribution and generation. Technical tutorials, held before the conference, gave practical answers to many questions. The tutorials included “Wireless primer”, “Fundamentals of bulk materials handling and pneumatic conveying technology” and “Whats’s new in alternative fuels”. The tutorials offered a good information platform to exchange experiences and discuss practical topics.

An exhibition accompanied the conference, where more than 125 manufacturers presented their companies and products. An additional part of the conference was the presentation of the PCA Safety Awards. Concurrent to one session, an Environmental Workshop was held that addressed critical sustainability concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, mercury, and NOx. Other topics covered were SNCR and SCR as well as an NESHAP update (National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants). This year an OEM Cooler Round Table Panel Discussion was on the agenda. Experts from KHD, Polysius, FLSmidth, Claudius Peters and IKN presented the state of the art and put the advantages of their system up for discussion. In the meantime, many years of experience have been implemented into the development of new and efficient cooler generations. Improved cooler inlets, reduced snowman formation and increased uptime at lower maintenance were some of the key features that new or retrofitted cooler systems can offer. The importance of an efficient cooler system for product quality issues and heat recuperation in the cement production process was also emphasized. The plant tour of the TXI Oro Grande facility rounded off the conference on Thursday. The next IEEE-IAS/PCA Conference will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado from March 28-April 1, 2010.