Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for use in a sewage treatment plant, and is characterized by a centrifuge for receiving material precipitated by lime in the plant and for discharging a regenerable lime sludge, the centrifuge having a centrate stream of non-regenerable sludge, and means for drying the centrate stream with hot exhaust gases from a sludge furnace.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system for regenerating and manufacturing activated carbon wherein the exhaust gases and vapors from the upper portion of a multiple hearth furnace are passed to a gas cooling apparatus such as a quencher or scrubber, the clean gases from which system are exhausted and from which a slip stream of water saturated gases are conducted to a lower hearth portion of the furnace for reaction with the carbon in the furnace.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating off-gas from a furnace for burning organic material in an oxygen deficient atmosphere by passing the hot exhaust gases from the furnace ladened with combustible and noncombustible organic material to a cleaning device, and thence passing the gases to a secondary furnace for combustion therein, and while in the cleaning device removing from the gas therein noncombustible material which would otherwise still be particulate matter in the exhaust from the secondary furnace. In another form of the invention, the exhaust gas from the furnace is passed to a burner and heat exchanger device having an inlet portion for heating the incoming gases, a combustion portion with air inlets for supporting combustion therein, and an outlet portion for cooling the gases, and thereafter the gases are passed to a quenching system.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an oil burner system for burning residual type fuel oils in a high temperature combustion zone or chamber, which includes a method and apparatus for operating the system to maintain the fuel oil at a low viscosity while preventing thermal failure by destruction of the burner which protrudes into the combustion zone or chamber. The fuel oil is preheated and introduced into an oil tube extending through a high temperature furnace wall into the combustion zone or chamber, and also a heated fluid is introduced into the oil tube for passage therethrough with the fuel oil, while the outer periphery of the oil tube is cooled where it passes through the furnace wall and into the high temperature combustion zone or chamber, as well as fabricating the oil tube from a material having a low coefficient of thermal conductivity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for incinerating waste material in a multiple hearth furnace having a plurality of vertically spaced hearths wherein waste material is introduced to the furnace at the top thereof and moves downwardly in a generally serpentine fashion moving alternately inwardly and outwardly across the hearths and is discharged at the bottom of the furnace, and including the steps of introducing towards the lowermost hearth thereof air in a quantity less than that theoretically required for complete combustion of the material being processed, thereafter at successively higher hearths ascertaining the temperature at each hearth and adding air thereto in quantities only sufficient to support combustion thereon, and on each hearth in the middle portion of the furnace adding only enough air to each hearth so as to maintain the temperature on that hearth under a maximum predetermined limit, and on the hearths towards the top of the furnace reducing the quantity of air added, and thence discharging the exhau

Abstract: The present invention is directed to method and apparatus for treating waste material in a counter-flow furnace wherein the material is introduced at one end thereof and the processed material is discharged from the other end, while the gases of combustion are caused to flow in counter-current direction with respect to the material being processed and are exhausted at the first end of the furnace, and wherein the furnace has a natural tendency to form zones of processing including sequentially from the first end of the furnace, a drying zone, a charring and volatile burning zone, a fixed carbon burning zone and an ash cooling zone, a method characterized by the step of adding an oxidant including water vapor to the fixed carbon burning zone.

Abstract: The invention is directed to method and apparatus for treating waste material containing alkali metal in a counter-flow furnace wherein the waste material to be processed is introduced at one end thereof and the processed material is discharged from the other end, while simultaneously air is introduced and the gases of combustion are caused to flow in a counter-current direction with respect to the material being processed and are exhausted at the first end of the furnace, and wherein the furnace has a natural tendency to form zones of processing including sequentially from the first end of the furnace, a drying zone, a charring and volatile burning zone, and a fixed carbon burning zone, and wherein a maximum temperature is maintained in the furnace below about 1400.degree. F. directly adjacent the surface of the bed of material being processed.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for reclaiming limestone mud wherein a supply of the mud in a wet condition is passed to a spray type dryer and dried to a bone dry free-flowing powder by the use of hot drying air from a calciner furnace. The dry powder together with the exhaust gases are then passed to a dust collector for removing substantially all of the fines from the gases. The spent lime powder may then be back-mixed with some of the original spent mud in proportions designed to yield a calciner feed having the desired moisture content for optimum physical condition of both feed and calcined product.