Cyclone furnace for hazardous waste incineration and ash vitrification

• US 5,022,329 A
• Filed: 09/12/1989
• Issued: 06/11/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group Incorporated (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Company (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Inventors: Vecci, Stanley J., Rackley, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Favors, Edward G.
• Application Number:
  US07/406,393
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 110/237, 110/264, 110/346, 110/229, 110/234
• US Class Current: 110/234
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 3/02 combined with preheating, premelting or pretreating the glass-making ingredients, pellets or cullet
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 3/026 by charging the ingredients into a flame, through a burner or equivalent heating means used to heat the melting furnace
• 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 5/12 in shaft furnaces C03B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2202/104 with ash melting stage
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2900/50001 Combination of two or more furnaces
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/006 General arrangement of incineration plant, e.g. flow sheets
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/16 in a separate combustion chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/32 the waste being subjected to a whirling movement, e.g. cyclonic incinerators
• CPC Class Codes: F23J 3/06 Systems for accumulating residues from different parts of furnace plant
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/50 Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping

Abstract

An apparatus and method for vitrifying inorganic hazardous material including heavy metals from waste containing organic and inorganic substances. The inorganic hazardous material is retained and vitrified in the slag layer of a cyclone furnace where it is converted to a nonleachable, inert form for safe disposal in conventional landfills and where, simultaneously, organic hazardous substances are completely destroyed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for vitrifying inorganic material in a waste containing organic and inorganic substances, comprising:

a boiler having at least one burner for incinerating a fuel and recovering heat of combustion gases produced therefrom;

a cyclone furnace separately fired attached to said boiler for receiving ash from said boiler and converting the ash into a vitreous slag; and

means for introducing the waste into said cyclone furnace for destruction of the organic and vitrification of the inorganic substances.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a hopper connected to said boiler for storing ash from the bottom thereof; and

means for transporting the ash to said cyclone furnace for conversion to vitreous slag.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a flue gas duct for carrying flue gases from the boiler;

a particulate collector connected along the flue gas duct for removing particulate from the flue gas passing along the flue gas duct; and

means for transporting the collected particulate to said cyclone furnace for conversion to vitreous slag.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

means for separating a portion of the waste prior to said boiler; and

means for gasifying the separated portion to produce fuel for said cyclone furnace.

5. An apparatus for controlling hazardous waste containing organic and inorganic materials comprising:

a furnace having at least one burner for incinerating a fuel, said furnace including means for restricting flow at the exit to recirculate combustion gas and increase residence time for destroying the organics and vitrifying the inorganic substances;

a cyclone furnace separately fired attached to said furnace, said cyclone furnace firing into said furnace; and

means for introducing waste into said cyclone furnace for destruction of the organic and vitrification of the inorganic materials.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said cyclone furnace is oriented tangentially to said furnace to further increase combustion gas residence time and collection of inorganic materials.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said furnace includes at least one reburn burner for reburning fuel for No_X control.

8. An apparatus for vitrifying inorganic material, comprising:

a boiler having at least one burner for incinerating a fuel and recovering heat of combustion gases produced therefrom;

a cyclone furnace attached to said boiler for receiving ash from said boiler and converting the ash into a vitreous slag; and

means for transporting the ash to said cyclone furnace for conversion to vitreous slag.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a hopper connected to said boiler for storing ash.