Furnaces – Refuse incinerator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-19
2001-07-10
Ferensic, Denise L. (Department: 3749)
Furnaces
Refuse incinerator
C110S255000, C110S215000, C110S216000, C110S203000, C110S342000, C261S115000, C432S148000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257157
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention relates to a refuse incineration plant, and more particularly to incineration exhaust gas filtration systems for use therewith.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Consumer and industrial refuse generation has reached an unprecedented level in the United States. Consumer consumption on the individual and family level combined with an increased amount of product packaging has raised the individual refuse generation volume to one of the highest levels in recorded history. To meet an increased consumer demand for products, industry has also increased their production which carries with it, as a natural by-product, increased refuse generation at the manufacturer level as well.
At the same time that the refuse output of the population is increasing, the available space in current and proposed landfills is rapidly decreasing due to increased consumer demand for land and the volume of refuse placed in current fills. As a result, much research and development activity has concentrated in the area of refuse management, and in particular on refuse incineration. Out of this research and development, various incineration systems have been patented, including those depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,467,587, 3,937,023, 3,965,362, 4,852,344, 4,896,508, 4,970,969, 5,127,344, and 5,678,420. While many of these systems are able to alleviate the pressing problem resulting from the increased refuse generation, most are primarily concerned with aspects of the incineration process to maximize the electric power generated from the heat produced during the incineration of the refuse. While energy production and utilization is an important by-product benefit of refuse incineration, many of these systems overlook the environmental impact caused by the smoke and exhaust resulting from the incineration of refuse as fuel for power generation. To prevent much of this impact, many of the refuse incineration plants currently in operation require that the various types of refuse be separated to remove many types of materials prior to the incineration of the refuse. This significantly increases the cost of refuse incineration, and tends to dissuade further investment in this technology.
The requirement for the separation of this refuse stems from output emissions requirements and incinerator performance. Specifically, the output emissions filtration systems which are currently available and economically feasible simply cannot provide the required amount of filtration at an acceptable cost to allow the incineration of multiple types of refuse in a single incinerator. There exists therefore a need and a desire for an incineration plant which is capable of incinerating unsorted refuse while still meeting and exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency's requirements on clean air standards for emissions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems existing in the art, it is an object ofthe instant invention to provide a new and improved refuse incineration plant, and more specifically a new and improved refuse incineration plant utilizing a filtration system which economically meets and exceeds the EPA's emissions requirements for refuse incineration plants. It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a refuse incineration plant which is capable of incinerating unsorted refuse, thus greatly reducing the overall costs of such incineration. It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a refuse incineration plant which utilizes the heat generated from the incineration process to produce electrical energy for distribution to the power grid. It is an additional object of the instant invention to provide a refuse incineration plant that produces as a by product of the incineration process a material which may be used instead of simply discarded.
In view of these and other objects, it is a feature of the instant invention to provide an incineration plant utilizing a series of filtration towers which filter the incineration exhaust so as to release essentially no pollutants into the atmosphere. It is a further feature of the instant invention that the filtration towers utilize a porous fill material to increase the surface area within the filtration tanks to improve the efficiency thereof. It is a further feature of the instant invention that the filtration towers utilize spray water mist to aid in the filtration process. Further, it is a feature of the instant invention to utilize vaporizing and collection plates for reducing the volume of water required for the filtration system and for collecting the precipitant material removed from the incineration exhaust by the filtration system.
Additionally, it is a feature of the instant invention to provide a post-incineration ash treatment subsystem. It is a further feature that this ash subsystem separate various materials from the residual ash for recycling. It is also a feature of the instant invention to provide treatment of the sorted ash to produce a valuable by product whose properties may be modified during the treatment process.
In view of these objects and features of the instant invention, a preferred embodiment of the incineration plant comprises a plurality of incineration tray tracks which accommodate the refuse loading, inserting, and extracting from the incineration chamber, and ash removal from burn trays which hold the refuse to be incinerated. Multiple trays may be utilized on a single track, with individual trays being located at various functional locations thereon. Preferably, the plant of the instant invention includes multiple incineration cores into which the refuse loaded trays are positioned for incineration of the refuse contained therein. The trays themselves are made of a high-strength, heat resistant material capable of withstanding the refuse incineration process. Preferably, the burn core includes a door on either end to accommodate the insertion of a refuse tray on one side and allowing for the extraction thereof from the other. Once a refuse loaded tray has been positioned within the burn core, air rams engage, forcing air in from both ends of the burn core to aid in the incineration process over top fuel assist. The heat energy generated within the burn core is used in a fairly conventional steam driven turbine power plant to generate electricity.
Once the refuse has been fully incinerated, the tray is extracted from the opposite end of the burn core where it travels around the track to an ash removal bay. The ash removed from the trays is then sorted or sifted to remove recyclable material such as glass, etc. The non-recyclable ash is stored pending treatment to produce a usable by product. This by product is strong and waterproof and may be utilized as a construction material which will not conduct electricity. This treatment process may be controlled to produce a flexible or hard byproduct for use in a variety of products including trays, shingles, tiles, countertops, etc.
The output exhaust from the incineration process is preferably exhausted into a main mixing tank. Preferably, this main mixing tank includes a secondary fume ignitor to burn off any volatile gases and enhance the safety of the overall system. In a preferred embodiment, the main mixing tank includes a plurality of baffle plates and water vapor spray jets to begin the initial precipitation of the exhaust pollutants. The exhaust preferably enters the bottom of the main mixing tank and provides an exhaust flow path upward through the mixing tank to the top thereof. This main mixing tank provides an outlet conduit at the top thereof leading to a first filter condensation tank which provides a downward exhaust flow path through a porous material. Preferably, lava rock is utilized in the filter condenser tanks because of its enhanced surface area due to its porous nature and because it is lightweight and capable of withstanding high temperatures. This first filter condenser tank is preferably coupled through a conduit to another filter condenser tank which provides an upward exhaust flow path,
Ferensic Denise L.
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Rinehart K. B.
Synturian Enterprises, Inc.
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