Abstract: The invention provides methods and apparatuses for removing aerosols and, in some cases, vapor phase contaminants, such as mercury, from a gas stream. One method is directed to the removal of additional aerosols from a gas stream from which aerosols have previously been removed by using a screen in combination with a primary aerosol collection device. Another method is directed to the removal of both aerosols and vapor phase contaminants by using a sorbent in combination with a screen. Another method is directed to the removal of vapor phase contaminants by using a catalyst to convert the contaminant to a form that is more easily removed from the gas stream and optionally injecting a chemical to increase the rate of conversion. The invention also provides various apparatuses for use in performing the various methods of the invention.

Abstract: A combustion boiler for burning fuel and producing heat to generate steam. A method of minimizing discharging of nitrogen oxides from a combustion boiler comprising the steps of spraying a reducing agent into an overfire air stream and supplying the overfire air stream to the combustion boiler. Vaporizing the sprayed reducing agent at least within about 0.1 seconds of the sprayed reducing agent entering the combustion boiler and reacting the vaporized reducing agent with the nitrogen oxides within the combustion chamber to reduce the nitrogen oxides and minimize discharge of nitrogen oxides from the combustion boiler.

Abstract: An organically complexed nanocatalyst composition is applied to or mixed with coal prior to or upon introducing the coal into a coal burner in order to catalyze the removal of coal nitrogen from the coal and its conversion into nitrogen gas prior to combustion of the coal. This process leads to reduced NOx production during coal combustion. The nanocatalyst compositions include a nanoparticle catalyst that is made using a dispersing agent that can bond with the catalyst atoms. The dispersing agent forms stable, dispersed, nano-sized catalyst particles. The catalyst composition can be formed as a stable suspension to facilitate storage, transportation and application of the catalyst nanoparticles to a coal material. The catalyst composition can be applied before or after pulverizing the coal material or it may be injected directly into the coal burner together with pulverized coal.

Abstract: A solid waste burner includes a housing having a combustion chamber for receiving a waste, one or more electric heating members engaged into the combustion chamber of the housing for igniting and burning the waste. One or more airing devices each has a pipe engaged into the housing and a propelling device for circulating an air into the combustion chamber of the housing. The housing includes an inlet mouth having a double security enclosing device for preventing a waste smoke from flying out through the inlet mouth of the housing. A container is attached to the upper portion of the housing for receiving a steam and the waste smoke and for allowing the steam to remove the ash from the waste smoke.

Abstract: A method for reducing nitrogen oxides of a recovery boiler, and a recovery boiler, where the furnace of the recovery boiler is supplied with primary air from primary air nozzles, black liquor from liquor nozzles, secondary air from secondary air nozzles above the primary air nozzles but still below the liquor nozzles, tertiary air from tertiary air nozzles above the liquor nozzles, and quaternary air from quaternary air nozzles above the tertiary air nozzles. Black liquor is supplied to the furnace from first liquor nozzles and second liquor nozzles, which liquor nozzles are arranged substantially on the same level with respect to the height of the furnace, and the droplet size of liquor fed from the second liquor nozzles is substantially smaller than the droplet size of liquor fed from the first liquor nozzles.

Abstract: A method for capturing mercury in a flue gas formed by solid fuel combustion including: combusting coal, wherein mercury released during combustion is entrained in flue gas generated by the combustion; generating a thermally activated carbon-containing sorbent by partially gasifying a solid fuel in a gasifier local to the combustion of solid fuel; injecting the gasified gas products into the combustion of coal; injecting the thermally activated sorbent in the flue gas, and collecting the injected sorbent in a waste treatment system.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for energy efficient remediation of soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, including desorbing the hydrocarbon contaminants from a bed of the soil by thermal desorption in a treated desorption chamber (20) and thereafter combusting the contaminants in a thermal oxidiser (30). The combustion air for the desorption chamber and the thermal oxidiser, and the desorbed contaminants prior to admission to said thermal oxidiser, are preheated by heat exchange (40) with offgases from the thermal oxidiser. The offgases are then rapidly quenched at below 200° C.

Abstract: A high temperature gas reforming cyclo-incinerator, using reformed water and strongly swirling inlet air in its interior to burn up wastes. The incinerator has a dust collecting structure designed to almost completely remove circulating dust and other harmful impurities from air strongly swirling in the incinerator and discharge clean air to the atmosphere. Internal and external lower tubs have substantially larger diameters than those of internal and external upper tubs, thus effectively burning up a large quantity of wastes at one time. The incinerator is also provided with a flow rate control fan unit separate from a main fan unit, thus controlling the amount of inlet air as desired and allowing a user to control the incineration rate of wastes in the incinerator.

Abstract: A cracking furnace for the pyrolysis heating of an organic feedstock includes a heating section and at least one convection section. In one embodiment the furnace includes first and second convection sections positioned along opposite sides of the heating section. The openings for admitting flue gas to the convection sections can be at the top or the bottom of the heating section. In another embodiment the furnace includes a plurality of passageways for the communication of flue gas from the heating section to the convection section. The passageways can be positioned at the top or the bottom of the heating section. The passageways provide a more even flow of flue gas through the heating section by preventing recirculation of the flue gas within the heating chamber.

Abstract: A portable miniature incinerator is described allowing easy disposal of household garbage for a single-family house or a small apartment building. The housing of the incinerator is mounted on a wheeled hand-truck assembly and contains an incineration block and a filtration block. The incineration block in turn comprises a furnace chamber equipped with an electric heater. The heater is adapted to bring the temperature of the air and therefore the temperature of the garbage up to the point of spontaneous combustion. During the process of heating up the garbage, it becomes dry as the fans of the device remove all water evaporation. Once ignited, the garbage is incinerated in the furnace chamber while all exhaust gases are directed to the filtration unit. The filtration unit has a first stage of filtration comprising a wire mesh separator submerged in water. Exhaust gases pass through the mesh separator and through the water so that the pollutants and exhaust particles are separated from the exhaust gases.

Abstract: A method and system to control the operation of a scrubber, in which, the system includes a valve to control the flow of an exhaust from a tool, a sensor to determine whether the valve is open or closed and a controller to control the operation of the scrubber depending on whether the valve is open or closed.

Abstract: A combustion-based system and related method includes a combustor for burning a combustible material, wherein an exhaust gas stream output by the combustor includes NO2 and at least one metal including mercury. An ultraviolet light source is in optical communication with the exhaust gas stream. Ultraviolet light from the light source photochemically dissociates at least a portion of the NO2 to form an NO2 reduced exhaust stream. A sorbent containing filter media receives the NO2 reduced exhaust stream and as a result of the reduction in NO2 provides improved trapping efficiency of mercury.

Abstract: An overfire air injector for use in a fossil fuel-fired combustion device includes a cylindrical nozzle having an outlet end formed with a step diffuser comprising one or more radial steps that enlarge the outlet end of the nozzle. An atomizer lance may be mounted within the nozzle, having a discharge orifice at the outlet end of the nozzle, for supplying a reducing agent to the overfire air to reduce NOx emissions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multifunctional disposal apparatus for performing disposal by incineration, desiccation, fusion, degradation, ash melting and others on an object to be disposed such as raw refuse, general garbage, sludge, expanded polystyrene and others produced from a manufacturing plant, a service providing facility, a wholesale market, a general firm, a general store, a general house and others. [Structure] In a multifunctional disposal apparatus comprising: a dry combustion furnace; a kiln furnace; a first smoke feeding portion; a second smoke feeding portion; a smoke combustion portion; a dust filter portion; a second smoke feeding portion; an air heating portion; and a cooling tank portion, the present invention has such structure as that a flow of air is generated in one direction from the cooling tank to the second smoke feeding portion to form a vacuum.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) for recovering fumes from a roofing kettle (12) includes a fan (72) for drawing air from the hollow interior of a housing (20). A conduit (34) extends through the housing front wall (22) and terminates in the hollow interior. A burner assembly (44) is disposed within the conduit (34) for providing a flame within the conduit (34). The housing side wall (30) includes a fresh air intake (78). A flexible metal hose (80) extends between the outer free end of the conduit (34) and the roofing kettle (12). Rotation of the fan (72) causes air to be drawn from the interior of the housing (20) and in turn through the fresh air intake (78), through the conduit (34) and the hose (80) from the interior of the kettle (12), and through the duct (46) and tube (58) of the burner assembly (44).

Abstract: A method for minimizing corrosion and the build-up of deposits on surfaces of a flue-gas system exposed to moist substances and elevated temperatures, and particularly those surfaces which are used to convey other additives to the system and the surfaces of gas/gas heaters which receive the output from scrubbers, which method involves adding to the system, particularly in those conduits and at the surfaces of the gas/gas heater, generally inert bulking agents such as perlite and vermiculite in expanded form, such agents, apparently by acting under the operating conditions to which they are subjected to retain substantial quantities of water without becoming dissolved, accomplishing the desired results.

Abstract: A rapid cooling apparatus passing hot exhaust gas in a short time along a flow path formed in a cooling setting with piled up arrangement and having a reduced cross-sectional area of the flow path to reduce the volume thereof so as to cool rapidly to a temperature below a dioxin synthesizing temperature so that dioxins are prevented from generating, characterized in that multistage tube bodies for heat exchange to pass coolant therethrough are arranged in a rapid cooling cylindrical body for passing hot gas such as exhaust gas from an inlet opening to an outlet opening, and the cross-sectional area of the rapid cooling cylindrical body is being reduced gradually in a passing direction of the hot gas.

Abstract: An incinerator includes a furnace having a cylindrical top section, a cyclone separator connected to an effluent outlet of the top section, a tubular member mounted in the top section and defining a flue gas passage, and a flue gas guiding device mounted in the top section below the tubular member and including a seat body vertically aligned with the tubular member, and a plurality of angularly spaced apart helical blades extending radially from the seat body to an inner wall of the top section so as to provide helical movement to a stream of hot combustion gas passing therethrough and so as to split the stream of the hot combustion gas into a stream of high-density flue gas that exits from the effluent outlet, and a stream of low-density flue gas that flows outwardly through the flue gas passage.

Abstract: An apparatus for the application of heat to remove ammonia compounds from fly ash is disclosed. The apparatus includes a source of fly ash comprising particulates having ammonia compounds affixed to the fly ash particulates, a heating chamber including a treatment bed comprising a media having openings, a fly ash supply conduit for transferring fly ash from the source of fly ash to the treatment bed of the heating chamber, a source of heated air, an air supply conduit for providing a flow of heated air to the treatment bed of the heating chamber for contacting the fly ash on the treatment bed with the flow of heated air, a heated air conduit in communication with the heating chamber for transferring the flow of heated air from the heating chamber, and an ash removal conduit in communication with the heating chamber for transferring heated fly ash from the heating chamber.

Abstract: A rapid cooling apparatus passing hot exhaust gas in a short time along a flow path formed in a cooling setting with piled up arrangement and having a reduced cross-sectional area of the flow path to reduce the volume thereof so as to cool rapidly to a temperature below a dioxin synthesizing temperature so that dioxins are prevented from generating, characterized in that multistage tube bodies for heat exchange to pass coolant therethrough are arranged in a rapid cooling cylindrical body for passing hot gas such as exhaust gas from an inlet opening to an outlet opening, and the cross-sectional area of the rapid cooling cylindrical body is being reduced gradually in a passing direction of the hot gas.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) for recovering fumes from a roofing kettle (12) includes a fan (72) for drawing air from the hollow interior of a housing (20). A conduit (34) extends through the housing front wall (22) and terminates in the hollow interior. A burner assembly (44) is disposed within the conduit (34) for providing a flame within the conduit (34). The housing side wall (30) includes a fresh air intake (78). A flexible metal hose (80) extends between the outer free end of the conduit (34) and the roofing kettle (12). Rotation of the fan (72) causes air to be drawn from the interior of the housing (20) and in turn through the fresh air intake (78), through the conduit (34) and the hose (80) from the interior of the kettle (12), and through the duct (46) and tube (58) of the burner assembly (44).

Abstract: A system and method for removing mercury from the flue gas of a coal-fired power plant is described. Mercury removal is by adsorption onto a thermally activated sorbent produced in-situ at the power plant. To obtain the thermally activated sorbent, a lance (thief) is inserted into a location within the combustion zone of the combustion chamber and extracts a mixture of semi-combusted coal and gas. The semi-combusted coal has adsorptive properties suitable for the removal of elemental and oxidized mercury. The mixture of semi-combusted coal and gas is separated into a stream of gas and semi-combusted coal that has been converted to a stream of thermally activated sorbent. The separated stream of gas is recycled to the combustion chamber. The thermally activated sorbent is injected into the duct work of the power plant at a location downstream from the exit port of the combustion chamber. Mercury within the flue gas contacts and adsorbs onto the thermally activated sorbent.

Abstract: A sloping fuel grate allows primary air to flow up into a thick biomass fuel bed in a gasifier producing combustible gases. Fuel feed screws keep the fuel bed at a nearly constant height in response to a level indicator. A burner above the fuel bed admits swirling secondary air and combustible gases, burning the gases to produce a flame to heat a boiler or other heat applying device. A donut shaped collar in the burner prevents gases from leaking back into the burner. A programmable logic controller maintains the system at a desired optimum level of operation based on signals from oxygen, moisture, pressure, temperature and fuel bed height sensors. The controller sends signals to controls for primary air valves and dampers, fuel feeder, and an induced draft fan and optional combined primary and secondary air fan controlling the pressure and flow of air and gases for the system.

Abstract: A method for minimizing corrosion and the build-up of deposits on surfaces of a flue-gas system exposed to moist substances and elevated temperatures, and particularly those surfaces which are used to convey other additives to the system and the surfaces of gas/gas heaters which receive the output from scrubbers, which method involves adding to the system, particularly in those conduits and at the surfaces of the gas/gas heater, generally inert bulking agents such as perlite and vermiculite in expanded form, such agents, apparently by acting under the operating conditions to which they are subjected to retain substantial quantities of water without becoming dissolved, accomplishing the desired results.

Abstract: Method and apparatus to recover energy from waste by means of combustion of such waste in industrial furnaces, particularly of the rotary type, that has an external calciner, feeding such waste into the tertiary air duct of the calciner and burning the waste inside the duct itself, to efficiently make use of the energy produced by such combustion, as a contribution of the total cost of fuel necessary to operate the industrial furnace. The method and apparatus permit the elimination of hazardous wastes that are efficiently disassociated when burned sufficiently to produce effluents that are typically non-toxic, producing greatly reduced or even no atmospheric pollution nor environmental damage.

Abstract: A gasification and melting furnace for wastes has a vertically movable furnace center lance disposed along the axis of the furnace and adapted to blow off a combustion sustaining gas downward into the furnace. One or more stages of upper tuyeres are disposed so that the angle at which the combustion sustaining gas is blown off into the furnace is displaced from the furnace axis direction, and one or more stages of lower tuyeres projected into the furnace so as to blow off a combustion sustaining gas or both combustion sustaining gas and fuel toward the furnace axis. Formation of a low temperature region in the furnace are prevented and a fire spot is concentrated on the combustion of wastes. As a result, molten slag and various metals, as well as an energy gas, which are high in added value, can be recovered stably.

Abstract: An incinerator device includes an incinerator for burning the garbage to generate a smoke, the smoke has a portion sent back to and retreated by the incinerator, and the other portion sent to and retreated by a furnace. The furnace may energize a steam boiler to actuate an electric generator and to generate electricity. A filtering device includes a serpentine conduit for receiving the smoke from the furnace, and disposed in a casing for heating the water in the casing and for supplying the heated water for family use or for use in swimming pool or the like.

Abstract: Materials containing CH polymer chains are treated by a process comprising triggering combustion of the material in an environment insulated from the outside; removing gaseous combustion products from the environment under a vacuum; feeding combustion-supporting gas in a quantity insufficient to create centers of combustion while maintaining the environment under vacuum to favor a process of molecular decomposition of the material; condensing the gases, and collecting the condensate in a non-pressurized environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling or removing mercury, mercury compounds and high molecular weight organics, if present, from a waste incineration apparatus exhaust stream by separately adding a carbonaceous char to the flue gas while the flue gas is still within the unit. The char can be produced in situ by adding a carbonaceous material and allowing the carbonaceous material to thermally decompose.

Abstract: The method is applicable to a combustion system of the circulating fluidized bed type which system includes a hearth and a cyclone, and operates using fuel that is inserted into the bottom of the hearth, where a reducing atmosphere is created and where the fuel undergoes pyrolysis with separation into two phases, namely a solid phase made up of grains of coke, and a gaseous phase containing volatile matter. Provision is made for a primary air injection, secondary air injections, and a late air injection to be performed at different levels. The late air injected between the top of the hearth and the inlet of the cyclone is used to increase the efficiency with which the cyclone collects the particles that reach the top of the hearth unburnt, and thus to increase the combustion efficiency of the system. The system includes air injection means making it possible to implement the method.

Abstract: An incinerator has a combustion vessel, a base trap and an afterburner. The combustion vessel has a combustion chamber, an exhaust leading from the chamber, an air intake leading to the chamber, and a gas intake leading to the chamber. Fresh air is mixed with burning propane gas to elevate the temperature to incinerate waste with little ash. Household waste burns in the chamber generating flue gas that is moved from the chamber to the base trap where it is cooled. The cooled flue gas is moved from the base trap through a filter to the afterburner where it is oxygenated and burned prior to release to the atmosphere.

Abstract: An incineration process and an incinerator using heat generated from combustion to bake and sublimate waste to produce gas as for burning waste is designed to use heat generated from the gas as burning chamber in the baking process and to allow waste to emit inflammable gas to be used as fuel in the gas burning chamber without using any other kind of fuel. The baked waste will be burned until it becomes charcoal in the burning chamber while its ash will be continuously removed and more waste continuously fed into the burning chamber. With this process, high temperature, low pollution, and budget savings will result.

Abstract: A splitter plate arrangement is provided for controlling the flow of flue gas in a vertical stack. The splitter plate arrangement 100 is operable to control the flow of flue gas in a vertical stack 128 having an annular entry 130 communicated with two inlets 126A, 126B which each communicate a respective one of the flue gas producers with the vertical stack 128. The inlets 126A, 126B are both disposed on a common inlet axis which bisects the annular entry 130 into two bisected halves, the two inlets 126A, 126B are oriented in opposition to one another such that the inlet flow 132 of flue gas through the inlet 126A flows in a direction opposite to the inlet flow 134 of flue gas through the inlet 126B. The splitter plate arrangement 100 includes a first splitter plate 136 and a second splitter plate 138.

Abstract: A method of combustion and a combustion plant in which absorbent is regenerated is described herein. During the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber enclosing a fluidized bed, a fuel and an absorbent are supplied to the fluidized bed. The combustion gases generated during the combustion are collected and purified in a separating member by separation of solid material from the combustion gases. The separated solid material is recirculated to the fluidized bed through a channel, and a gaseous medium is supplied in a controlled manner to the separated solid material present in the channel in order to displace the combustion gases and provide a chemical reaction.

Abstract: Various smoke and combustible gas combustors (200, 300) are disclosed, and also disclosed are systems (100, 200) combining gas combustor with inventive burner. Such a burner (100 or 100′) provides combustion of a particulate fuel such as sawdust, and many types of varying moisture content biomass fuels such as poultry litter. The combustors and burners exhibit a high turndown ratio [‘TDR”].

Abstract: Apparatus for the treatment of volatile material(s) in contaminated material(s) including a retort assembly which includes a rotatable retort disposed at least partially within a combustion chamber with a heater to indirectly heat the contents of the rotatable retort. A feeder feeds the contaminated material(s) to the retort. The apparatus further includes a pathway for passing contaminated material(s) to the retort and a conduit for passing the combustion gases from an afterburner to the retort assembly to provide additional heat for heating the contaminated material in the retort. The apparatus may also include a high temperature filter which can filter the volatiles before entering the afterburner.

Abstract: In a process for the thermal treatment of solid materials (3), in particular refuse, in which the solid materials (3) are burnt/gasified or pyrolized in a first step (5) with a lack of oxygen, and then, in an afterburning zone (14), the flue gases (6) from the first step (5) are mixed with an oxygen-containing gaseous medium (15) and are burnt with complete burn-off, the flue gases (6) emerging from the first step (5) are firstly actively homogenized in a mixing zone (7) with the addition of a gaseous oxygen-free or low-oxygen medium (8) before they are mixed with the oxygen-containing medium (15). Then, the homogenized flue-gas stream flows through a holding zone (13), in which it stays for at least 0.5 second, before, in an afterburning zone (14), the medium (15) which serves to ensure complete burn-off of the flue gas is added. The process according to the invention is distinguished by simple process steps and by a reduced level of pollutant emissions, in particular NOx, compared to the prior art.

Abstract: A waste incineration machine capable of rendering a waste gas occurring during the combustion of waste smokeless and odorless. A heat insulating wall to which a first far infrared ray radiator is fixed is provided so as to surround a combustion furnace and a combustion chamber, and a heat exchanger so as to surround the heat insulating wall. An inner flue is formed between the heat insulating wall and combustion furnace, and an outer flue serving as a waste gas convection chamber between the heat insulating wall and heat exchanger. An upper part of a communication portion between the inner and outer flues is covered with a heat insulating member constituting a second far infrared ray radiator so as to subject the waste gas to secondary heating using far infrared rays, and thereby to render the waste gas smokeless and odorless.

Abstract: To effectively separate and recover solid dust and volatile or molten components while preventing solid dust and volatile or molten component dust from being adhered to inner walls of a temperature control tower.

Abstract: A procedure wherein a catalyst pertaining to the family of zeolites is injected into the vessel (1) of the circulating fluidized bed, in powder form. The installation includes a vessel (1) in which the top is connected to a separator (3) in which the bottom is connected to the vessel (1) by a recirculation loop (4), a silo (5), in which the catalyst based on crushed zeolites is stored, and which is connected by a conveyer (6) to the recirculation loop (4).

Abstract: Process for treating materials containing CH polymer chains comprising the following steps: by external means, triggering combustion of the material in an environment insulated from the outside; drawing off the gaseous combustion products from said environment to put it under vacuum; feeding combustion-supporting gas in a quantity insufficient to create centers of combustion while maintaining the environment under vacuum in order to favor a process of molecular decomposition of the material; subjecting the produced gases to condensation and collecting the condensate in a non-pressurized environment.

Abstract: An energy conversion system which comprises a solid fuel fed combustor system having a first chamber portion with an inlet feed for feeding a metered amount of a solid fuel thereto, a first burner stage having a first traveling conveyor firebelt, a metered amount of air introduced in progressively increasing proportions along the length of the first traveling conveyor. A second burner stage having a second traveling conveyor firebelt with air introduced in a progressively decreasing amount along the length of said second traveling conveyor firebelt and a controller for controlling air introduced to the system. The chamber has a sloped common roof section common to the burner stages and is made of radiative energy reflective fire brick and angled to reflect radiative energy generated from fuel traveling on the traveling conveyor firebelts and directing the radiative energy on fuel traveling on the first firebelt.

Abstract: A cement production plant and method of regulating the flue gas temperature in a cement production plant. The cement production plant includes a kiln, a flue gas conditioning device, a mill and an electrostatic precipitator. The flue gas from the kiln is passed through the conditioning device. From there, the flue gas is conveyed either via the mill or directly to the electrostatic precipitator. The measurements are carried out in the flow path of the gas of the flue gas temperature before the electrostatic precipitator, and the water is supplied to the flue gas for cooling purposes in the conditioning device as a response to this temperature measurement, provided the temperature is too elevated.

Abstract: A process for the utilization and strategic addition of ash modifying compounds, into selective catalytic reduction units, to modify the resultant ash chemistry to control ash accumulation and corrosive effects of the combustion products, and problems associated with fly-ash disposal or recycling.

Abstract: Methods are provided for decreasing the amount of nitrogen oxides released to the atmosphere as a component of combustion emissions. The methods are carried out by forming a combustion flue gas in a combustion zone, the combustion flue gas including nitrogen oxides, injecting overfire air and droplets of a solution or a powder of a selective reducing agent into a burnout zone, and contacting the combustion flue gas with the overfire air and the selective reducing agent in the burnout zone to thereby decrease the concentration of nitrogen oxides therein. The selective reducing agent is provided in an aqueous solution or powder which is injected into the overfire air in optimized droplet or particle form prior to or concurrently with injection of the overfire air into the burnout zone.

Abstract: Organic gases and the like containing poisonous dioxin and so on which are evaporated from articles when they are subjected to a heat treatment such as degreasing, are led from a muffle where they are heated into radiant heating tubes located outside the muffle and loaded with a negative pressure, and they are discharged into the air on account of the negative pressure working in the heating tubes after they have been substantially completely pyrolyzed in the heating tubes.

Abstract: A rotating vacuum kiln and method for heat treating solid particulate material under vacuum conditions uses a rotating refractory metal cylindrical vessel with a cool inlet zone, hot intermediate zone, and cool exit zone, with a first series of inner radiation shields provided at the hot intermediate zone adjacent to the cool inlet zone and a second series of inner radiation shields provided at the hot intermediate zone adjacent the cool exit zone to protect those two zones from the high temperatures in the hot intermediate zone. Heat for the hot intermediate zone of the cylindrical vessel is provided indirectly by electrical resistance heaters that surround the vessel and outer radiation shields are provided about the heaters to direct heat to the cylindrical vessel.

Abstract: A combustor system provides high temperature, high-dwell combustion of emission products, as from charcoal kilns, with inner and outer combustion chambers. Multiple inlets receive emission products from multiple heat exchangers omnidirectionally extending for continuous heat exchange connection between the combustor and emission sources. Hot products of combustion are delivered to each heat exchanger, each with multiple ducts in mutual heat exchange relationship including at least a hot products of combustion duct for receiving at the proximal end hot products of combustion from an outlet of the outer chamber, and conveying the hot products of combustion to the distal end at a respective emission source, an emissions inlet duct for receiving emission products at the distal end from the emission source, and a return products of combustion duct for receiving at the distal end the hot products of combustion and returning them to the combustor.

Abstract: In a furnace having a primary combustion zone for combustion of a fuel and oxidant, an in-furnace method for reducing nitrogen oxides in combustion products generated in the primary combustion zone in which at least one fluid fuel selected from the group consisting of natural gas, hydrogen, CxHy compounds, CxHyOz compounds and mixtures thereof in an amount in a range of about 2.0% to about 25% of a total heat input to the furnace and at least one nitrogenous compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, amines, urea, cyanuric acid and mixtures thereof are injected into the furnace downstream of the primary combustion zone, forming an overall fuel-lean NOx-reduction zone.

Abstract: A refuse incineration plant is disclosed which utilizes a continuous rail system to transport refuse from a loading area into a burn core, from the burn core to an ash removal area, and back to the refuse loading area. Smoke and exhaust generated by the incineration process is sensed to control the incineration burn cycle, thereby allowing a variable burn cycle depending upon the composition of the refuse incinerated therein. Once sensed, the smoke and exhaust from the incineration process is exhausted into a filtration system having a main mixing tank and a number of filter condenser tanks coupled in series ascending/descending gaseous communication. The main mixing tank utilizes a series of baffle plates which aids in the mixing of the smoke/exhaust with water vapor as delivered within the main mixing tank by a series of water vapor spray jets. A cooling unit is also utilized to cool the mixture and aid in the condensation thereof.