Furnaces – Process – Incinerating refuse
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-12
2001-02-20
Lazarus, Ira S. (Department: 3743)
Furnaces
Process
Incinerating refuse
C110S110000, C110S230000, C110S257000, C110S342000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189463
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for the incineration of combustible waste material such as farm animal biomass in an essentially pollution free manner.
There exists a need for disposing of farm animal biomass from high-density animal farming without fouling the environment through excessive dispersion of nutrients and viruses. The term biomass as herein used includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the waste of farm animals (e.g. hogs and poultry), diseased animal carcasses, and animal bedding material (e.g., straw and wood chips). Currently, disposal methods include transferring such biomass to existing waterways, which can, however, pollute the water and present potential health hazards.
Proposals for incinerating the biomass have involved the use of high and non-uniform combustion temperatures, resulting in the production of noxious substances, such as NO
x
, SO
x
, CO, and sub-micron fly-ash which dictates the need for extensive (and expensive) scrubbing and filtering to meet current emission standards.
Other proposals, such as trucking, composting, and biodegrading have proven economically infeasible and detrimental to the environment and public health.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide novel methods and apparatus for disposing of farm animal biomass in a relatively inexpensive, non-polluting manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the method for the incineration of combustible waste material, such as farm animal biomass. The method comprises the steps of passing farm animal biomass through a duct in the absence of sufficient oxygen for supporting combustion, while heating the biomass to a temperature for transforming the biomass into combustible gas and partially carbonized char.
Preferably, the combustible gas and partially carbonized char are discharged from the duct to a combustion chamber arrangement in which the combustible gas and partially carbonized char are combusted in the presence of oxygen.
The biomass is preferably introduced into an inlet end of the duct and advanced therein by a rotating feed screw disposed coaxially within the duct.
Hot air is preferably conducted within the interior of the feed screw in order to heat the feed screw, and a portion of the duct is located in the combustion chamber arrangement, in order to heat the duct. By heating the feed screw and the duct, the biomass is heated to a carbonizing temperature.
The invention also pertains to an apparatus for the disposal of combustible waste material, such as farm animal biomass. The apparatus comprises a duct having an inlet for receiving farm animal biomass, and an outlet. A conveyor is disposed in the duct for advancing the biomass toward the outlet in the absence of sufficient oxygen for supporting combustion. A heating arrangement heats the advancing biomass to a temperature sufficient for transforming the biomass into partially carbonized char and releasing combustible gas therefrom. A combustion chamber arrangement receives the partially carbonized char and combustible gas from the outlet and combusts the partially carbonized char and the combustible gas.
The feed screw is preferably hollow and is supplied with heated air for heating the feed screw. That air is discharged from an air outlet of the feed screw and into the combustion chamber arrangement for supporting combustion. A portion of the duct extends through the combustion chamber arrangement for heating the duct.
Preferably disposed within the combustion chamber arrangement is a hollow cylindrical porous ceramic wall member arranged to conduct the combustible gas radially therethrough, whereby combustion occurs within the porous ceramic wall member.
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Article: “Improving Combustion of Solid Fuels by Precarbonization”, 3rdInternational Symposium on Coal Combustion (S.C. Ling et al.; 1995).
Ling Sung C.
Pao Hsien P.
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Ciric Ljiljana V.
General Technology, Inc.
Lazarus Ira S.
LandOfFree
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