APPLICATION OF PULSE COMBUSTION IN SOLID AND HAZARDOUS WASTE INCINERATION

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE PERFORMANCE OF INCINERATORS CAN BE IMPROVED BY RETROFITTING THEM WITH A PULSE COMBUSTER WHICH WILL EXCITE ACOUSTIC PULSATIONS WITHIN THE SYSTEM. BASED UPON EVIDENCE PROVIDED BY RELATED STUDIES, THESE PULSATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE MIXING RATE BETWEEN THE FUEL AND OXIDIZER, ANDTHE BURN RATE OF WASTE; IMPROVEMENTS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE INCINERATOR OUTPUT, INCREASE THE DEGREE OF DESTRUCTION OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES, AND REDUCE THE REQUIREDAMOUNT OF EXCESS AIR. THE PROPOSED STUDIES WILL INVESTIGATETHE INCINERATION OF THREE SURROGATE WASTES (PVC, A MIXTURE OF TOLUENE AND CORNCOB, AND A MIXTURE OF FUEL OIL NO.5 WITH CORNCOB) IN A SMALL SCALE INCINERATOR EQUIPPED WITH A FREQUENCY TUNABLE, PULSE COMBUSTOR. TESTS WILL BE REPEATED UNDER THE SAME OPERATING CONDITIONS WITH THE PULSE COMBUSTOROPERATED IN A STEADY AND PULSATING MODE. INVESTIGATED PARAMETERS WILL INCLUDE THE FLOW RATES OF THE FUEL AND AIR, THE TYPE AND AMOUNT OF WASTE, AND THE AMPLITUDE AND FREQUENCY OF PULSATIONS. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE INCINERATORWILL BE DETERMINED FROM MEASURED TIME DEPENDENCIES OF THE EXHAUST FLOW TEMPERATURE, CO CO2, O2, THCS AND SOOT CONCENTRATIONS, AND THE AMPLITUDES AND FREQUENCIES OF PULSATIONS IN THE COMBUSTOR AND INCINERATOR. THE EFFECT OF PULSATIONS WILL BE DETERMINED FROM COMPARISONS OR THE INCINERATOR PERFORMANCE WITH PULSATIONS PRESENT AND ABSENT IN THE SYSTEM.