Processing organics and inorganics in a submerged combustion melter

• US 10,144,666 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Johns Manville Corporation (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baker, John Wayne, Charbonneau, Mark William
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JODI COHEN
• Application Number:
  US14/918,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20170107139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2211/22 by direct combustion in the melt
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2211/23 using oxygen, i.e. pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/005 of glass-forming waste materials disposal or transformation of solid waste in general B09B; treatment of radioactive waste G21F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/04 in tank furnaces C03B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/2356 Submerged heating, e.g. by using heat pipes, hot gas or submerged combustion burners bubblers C03B5/193
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 5/44 Cooling arrangements for furnace walls
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2202/20 to temperatures melting waste
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/085 High-temperature heating means, e.g. plasma, for partly melting the waste
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/50 Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping

Abstract

Primary inorganic feedstock material is introduced into the melting region of an SCM melter. The material is heated with a burner to form a turbulent melt matrix. The burner exit is disposed below the top surface of the turbulent melt matrix. A mixture of secondary inorganic material and organic material is introduced into the melting region below the top surface of the turbulent melt mixture. The mixture is heated with the burner to incorporate the secondary inorganic material into the turbulent melt matrix and combust at least some of the organic material to produce heat.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

introducing a primary inorganic feedstock material into a melting region of a submerged combustion melter;

heating the primary inorganic feedstock material with a fuel introduced via a fuel exit of a burner so as to form a turbulent melt matrix, wherein the fuel exit of the burner is disposed below a top surface of the turbulent melt matrix;

introducing a waste mixture into the melting region, wherein the waste mixture comprises at least one of a secondary inorganic material and an organic material, and is introduced below the top surface of the turbulent melt mixture via a waste mixture exit of the burner, wherein the waste mixture exit is discrete from the fuel exit and extends a distance from both the fuel exit and a terminus of a tip of the burner; and

heating the waste mixture with the fuel introduced via the fuel exit of the burner so as to incorporate the secondary inorganic material of the waste mixture material into the turbulent melt matrix and combust at least some of the organic material to produce heat.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the waste mixture includes an organic compound having a heating value of at least 5000 BTU/kg.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the waste mixture includes at least one of a tar sand waste, a fracking waste fluid, a household waste material, and a chemical processing waste material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic feedstock is selected from the group consisting of glass batch, basalt rock, and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inorganic feedstock consists essentially of glass batch.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the inorganic feedstock consists essentially of basalt.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the waste mixture is introduced as a slurry.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the waste mixture exit is disposed at a conduit axially extending from a terminus of the burner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, during heating, the fuel substantially surrounds the waste mixture.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing an oxidant to the melt matrix via an oxidant exit of the burner, wherein the oxidant exit is discrete from both the waste mixture exit and the fuel exit.

11. A method comprising:

melting with a fuel introduced via a fuel exit of a burner, in a melting region of a submerged combustion melter, a feedstock material so as to form a turbulent melt matrix, wherein the fuel exit of the burner is disposed below a top surface of the turbulent melt matrix;

introducing a waste mixture into the melting region via a waste mixture exit of the burner, wherein the waste mixture is substantially different than the feedstock material and is introduced below the top surface of the turbulent melt mixture, wherein the waste mixture exit is discrete from the fuel exit and extends a distance from both the fuel exit and a terminus of a tip of the burner; and

heating the waste mixture with the fuel introduced via the fuel exit of the burner so as to incorporate the waste mixture into the turbulent melt matrix and combust at least some of the waste mixture to produce heat.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the feedstock material consists essentially of at least one of glass batch and basalt.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the waste mixture comprises at least one of an organic compound and an inorganic compound.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the waste mixture includes at least one of a tar sand waste, a fracking waste fluid, a household waste material, and a chemical processing waste material.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the waste mixture exit is disposed at a conduit axially extending from a terminus of the burner.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising introducing an oxidant to the turbulent melt matrix at an oxidant exit of the burner, wherein the oxidant exit is discrete from both the waste mixture exit and the fuel exit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, during introduction at the burner, the at least one of the oxidant and the fuel substantially surrounds the waste mixture.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, during introduction, the oxidant substantially surrounds the waste mixture and the fuel substantially surrounds the oxidant.