Patent ID: 8268276

Claim:
A method for reducing lime consumption in DFGD systems comprising: forming a slaked lime slurry in a slaker; removing at least a portion of the slaked lime slurry from the slaker; adding water to the removed portion of the slaked lime slurry prior to providing the removed portion of the slaked lime slurry to a spray dryer; atomizing the slaked lime slurry in the spray dryer; reacting a flue gas stream with the atomized slaked lime slurry in the spray dryer causing sulfur dioxide absorption into droplets forming the atomized slaked lime slurry, and formation of calcium sulfite and calcium sulfate particulate; and collecting at least a portion of the substantially dry particulates from the spray dryer and flue gas using a filter, prior to being mixed with water and lime in the slaker during a slaking operation so that unreacted lime in the particulates is used in forming said slaked lime slurry.