Interview with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Schäffer, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, WesterWaldCampus, Höhr-Grenzhausen

Innovation is essential to survival

In Zi 6, 7, 8/2015, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Schäffer of Koblenz University of Applied Sciences introduced his concept for extensive energy conservation in the brick and tile industry. In this interview, he recounts his main messages for us and previews a number of exciting additional research topics.

In the course of as-yet three successive articles in Zi Brick and Tile Industry International, you have comprehensively explained diverse options for reducing energy consumption in the brick and tile industry. Now, would you please recapitulate your crucial theses for us?

Well, I think it all comes down to five fundamental issues:

First of all, we can decouple the kiln and the dryer. This is accomplished by extending the kiln, hence making it possible to retain the cooling air within the kiln, i.e., to move it from the cooling zone to the firing zone instead of to the dryer. Technically, this is...

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Issue 7/2015 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Schäffer

Hybrid-ring tunnel kiln with flue-gas-based combined heating system: 65% savings on energy – a concept study

1 Introduction The concept begins by dissolving the kiln/dryer combined heating system, instead supplying the dryer with energy via exergetically optimized heat flow from the kiln exhaust and power...

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Issue 8/2015 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Schäffer

Combined kiln-dryer heating systems with thermochemical heat storage

1 Introduction In Zi Brick and Tile Industry International 7/2015, the concept of a brickworks with a “hybrid-ring tunnel kiln” was presented, in which the kiln cooling/dryer combined heating system...

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Issue 2/2015 Steffen Hauschel

Combined heat and power generation in the brick and tile industry – savings potentials through innovative dryer heating

1 Introduction In ceramic production, the high energy expenditures for operating the kiln and drying the wares are a crucial cost driver. In Germany, the financial burden of rising outlays for energy...

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Issue 08/2014

Potential savings for the brick and tile industry via innovative dryer heating

In brick and tile manufacturing, high energy expenditures for heating the kiln and drying the shaped products are a crucial cost driver. The rising cost of energy is increasingly emburdening...

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Issue 01/2022

High-Temperature Coatings offer energy savings

What is Emisshield? Emisshield is a family of high emissivity ceramic coatings manufactured by Emisshield, Inc. based on patented technology licensed from NASA. This latest NASA emissivity technology...

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