A process for activating clays having high residual moisture by: feeding wet clay into a device for drying, comminuting the previously dried clay in a device for comminuting, thermally activating the comminuted clay in an entrained flow reactor or in a fluidized bed reactor in which the comminuted clay is in suspension in a hot gas, removing the gas from the entrained flow reactor or the fluidized bed reactor in a device for removing, and cooling the thermally activated clay in a device for cooling with a cooling gas, and to a corresponding plant. The cooling gas, heated after cooling the thermally activated clay, is combined with the gas from the reactor, and the combined gases are introduced into the drying device. The drying air is filtered after drying, and clay removed by filtration is unified with the dried clay.

A cement manufacturing plant includes a raw meal mill, at least one preheater string, a clinker furnace and a clinker cooler including a first section and a second section, wherein a preheater exhaust gas recirculation device is provided for recirculating exhaust gas leaving the at least one preheater string into the first section of the clinker cooler, and wherein the cement plant is configured for switching between an air operation mode and an oxyfuel operation mode, includes a first switching device for connecting either a source of air or a source of oxygen rich gas to a burning zone of the clinker furnace burner, and a second switching device for either establishing or separating a connection of the preheater exhaust gas recirculation means to the first section of the clinker cooler.

A method for cleaning bypass gases of the cement or mineral industry includes cooling down a removed bypass gas from a cement or mineral processing plant to a temperature of between 500 C. and 150 C., and coarsely dedusting the bypass gas, the dust burden being reduced by 30 to 95%. After the dedusting step, the gaseous constituents contained in the partly dedusted bypass gas are reduced in a reducing step. The partly dedusted bypass gas is further finely dedusted. The gaseous constituents reducing step includes at least a catalytic reduction of one or more of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide.

Methods and apparatus for reducing the content of controlled acidic pollutants in clinker kiln emissions are disclosed. The methods and apparatus include introducing bypass dust produced during production of clinker into one or more locations between the preheater exhaust and the inlet to a dust filter including into a gas conditioning tower. Total bypass dust separated from the kiln exhaust gas may be used. The bypass dust can be separated into a fine and coarse portions. Fine or total bypass dust can be mixed with water to form a bypass dust slurry that can be introduced into the gas conditioning tower. Bypass dust can be used to reduce the content of acidic pollutants such as hydrogen chloride HCl and sulfur oxides SO.sub.x from clinker kiln emissions.

Methods and apparatus for reducing the content of controlled acidic pollutants in clinker kiln emissions are disclosed. The methods and apparatus include introducing bypass dust produced during production of clinker into one or more locations between the preheater exhaust and the inlet to a dust filter including into a gas conditioning tower. Total bypass dust separated from the kiln exhaust gas may be used. The bypass dust can be separated into a fine and coarse portions. Fine or total bypass dust can be mixed with water to form a bypass dust slurry that can be introduced into the gas conditioning tower. Bypass dust can be used to reduce the content of acidic pollutants such as hydrogen chloride HCl and sulfur oxides SO.sub.x from clinker kiln emissions.

In various aspects, systems and methods are provided for operating a molten carbonate fuel cell assembly at increased power density. This can be accomplished in part by performing an effective amount of an endothermic reaction within the fuel cell stack in an integrated manner. This can allow for increased power density while still maintaining a desired temperature differential within the fuel cell assembly.

In various aspects, systems and methods are provided for integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. The molten carbonate fuel cells can be integrated with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process in various manners, including providing synthesis gas for use in producing hydrocarbonaceous carbons. Additionally, integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process can facilitate further processing of vent streams or secondary product streams generated during the synthesis process.

A method for controlling an NOx concentration in an exhaust gas in a combustion facility by: measuring a reaction velocity k.sub.i of each of a plurality of chars, each corresponding to a plurality of types of pulverized coals; determining a relationship between the NOx concentration in the exhaust gas and the reaction velocity k.sub.i for each of the chars; (iii) blending the plurality of the types of the pulverized coal, wherein a blending ratio of the plurality of the types of the pulverized coal is determined by using, as an index, a reaction velocity k.sub.blend of the char of the blended pulverized coal, which corresponds to a target NOx concentration or below, on the basis of the relationship; and supplying the blended pulverized coal to the combustion facility as the fuel of the combustion facility.

Provided is a method capable of predicting the quality of cement in a short time period and with high accuracy. The method of predicting the quality or manufacturing conditions of cement through use of a neural network including an input layer and an output layer includes: performing learning of the neural network for a sufficiently large number of times of learning such that .sub.L<.sub.M is obtained, using learning data and monitor data; then repeating the learning of the neural network until .sub.L.sub.M is obtained while the number of times of learning is decreased; inputting specific observation data to the input layer of the neural network in which a judgment value for analysis degree obtained from the neural network after the learning is less than a preset value; and outputting an estimated value of specific evaluation data from the output layer of the neural network.

A plant may include an offgas-producing treatment apparatus for mechanical and/or thermal treatment of an inorganic material, an oxidation catalyst downstream of the offgas-producing treatment apparatus in a flow direction of the offgas, a reduction catalyst downstream of the oxidation catalyst in the flow direction of the offgas, and a temperature-affecting apparatus for affecting the temperature of the offgas upstream of the oxidation catalyst and/or between the oxidation catalyst and the reduction catalyst. In some examples, the the temperature-affecting apparatus is controllable and may comprise at least one of an auxiliary preheater, a mixing-in device for a fluid, or a heat exchanger.