Patent ID: 7862332

Claim:
An apparatus for reducing potentially harmful emissions from a rotary kiln, dry-process cement manufacturing plant, comprising: a feed meal source for providing feed meal used in the manufacture of cement, wherein said source is adapted to provide feed meal at a temperature below the temperature at which harmful compounds in the feed meal volatilize, an enclosed heating chamber for receiving feed meal from said feed meal source and for raising the temperature of the feed meal, wherein said heating chamber is adapted to heat the feed meal to a temperature above the temperature at which harmful compounds in the feed meal volatilize, an exhaust duct from said enclosed heating chamber to a combustion chamber, whereby harmful volatile compounds released from said feed meal are subjected to combustion, wherein said enclosed heating chamber comprises a duct for flowing high temperature flue gas exhausted from said kiln, said duct comprising a heat exchange surface whereby said feed meal is indirectly heated by said flue gas.