CATALYTIC STABILIZED THERMAL COMBUSTION OF HAZARDOUS ORGAN- ORGANICS

AN ATTRACTIVE POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE TO CURRENT HAZARDOUS ORGANICS INCINERATORS IS THE CATALYTICALLY STABILIZED THER- MAL (CST) COMBUSTOR. EXPLORED IN THE LATE 1970'S (WITH EPA FUNDING) AS A COMBUSTION SYSTEM TO ELIMINATE GAS TURBINE NOXEMISSIONS, THE CST COMBUSTOR USES CATALYTIC SURFACE REAC- TIONS TO STABILIZE GAS PHASE COMBUSTION, COMBINING HIGH GAS PHASE REACTION RATES WITH THE LEAN BURN CAPABILITY OF CATA- LYSTS. EPA-FUNDED TEST RESULTS USING CONVENTIONAL FUELS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE PLUG FLOW CST COMBUSTOR, COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL (BACKMIXED) COMBUSTORS, IS CAPABLE OF OPERATING AT HIGHER EFFICIENCY, WITH GREATER STABILITY, AT LEANER FUEL/AIR MIXTURES AND WITH UNSURPASSED CO,NOX, SOOT AND UNBURNED HYDROCARBON EMISSIONS. RECENT WORK AT YALE UNIVERSITY HAS SHOWN THAT THE CST COMBUSTOR CANACHIEVE HIGH DESTRUCTION LEVELS OF A METHYL CHLORIDE WITH VERY LOW RESIDENCE TIME AND HIGH FLAME STABILITY. THE IMPLICATIONS FOR INCINERATION INCLUDE LOWER CAPITAL COSTS, LOWER OPERATING COSTS, INCREASED SAFETY OF OPERATION, PLUS A LOWERMINIMUM ECONOMIC SIZE. COMPARED TO CURRENT BACKMIXED GAS PHASE INCINERATORS, THE INVESTIGATORS PRELIMINARY RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE PLUG FLOW CST COMBUSTOR WILL EXHIBIT LOWER RESIDENCE TIME, HIGHER FLAME STABILITY, HIGHER DESTRUCTION EFFECTIVENESS, LOWER OPERATING COSTS, AND MUCH LOWER CAPITAL COSTS. GASEOUS AND LIQUID WASTES CAN BE BURNED DIRECTLY AND PCI BELIEVERS SOLIDWASTE BURNING CST SYSTEMS WILL BE FEASIBLE. COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS INCLUDE CURRENT THERMAL DESTRUCTION CHALLENGES PLUS NEW MARKETS ARISING FROM ADVANTAGEOUS ECONOMICS, INCLUDING THE INCREASED ON-SITE DESTRUCTION.