Desulfurization characteristics of slaked lime and regulation optimization of circulating fluidized bed flue gas desulfurization process—A combined experimental and numerical simulation study

• Using slaked lime with ~80% calcium hydroxide content and particle size >40 mm significantly reduces desulfurizer cost without compromising efficiency. • CPFD simulation reveals skewed gas-solid flow in the desulfurization tower due to circulating ash, impacting performance. • Optimal operating parameters (atomized water flow 7.5 kg/s, circulating ash flow 70 kg/s, slaked lime flow 0.56 kg/s) achieve 98.19% desulfurization efficiency. • The combined experimental and numerical approach provides practical guidance for industrial CFB-FGD optimization to meet ultraclean emission standards.