Method and apparatus for the treatment of waste material

A method of treating comminuted waste material, the method comprising:

• a) providing a heating chamber and one or more combustion heaters for heating the contents of the heating chamber, the heating chamber having an inlet and an outlet and comprising a first and second zone,
• b) feeding comminuted waste material through the inlet and into the heating chamber;
• c) heating the comminuted waste material in the first and second zone of the heating chamber, using the said one or more combustion heaters, to generate a combustible gas;
• d) supplying at least a portion of the generated combustible gas to the said one or more combustion heaters for heating the first and second zones of the heating chamber;
• and
• e) heating the comminuted waste material in the first zone of the heating chamber to a first temperature T1 to gasify the comminuted waste material;
• heating the gasified material in the second zone of the heating chamber to a second temperature T2 to generate combustible gas, where the second temperature T2 is greater than the first temperature T1, and
• adjusting the amount of heat applied by the said one or more combustion heaters to the first and second zones of the heating chamber by altering the ratio of two or more fuel components supplied to the said one or more combustion heaters.

An apparatus for treating comminuted waste material, the apparatus comprising:

• a heating chamber for generating a combustible gas from comminuted waste material, the heating chamber comprising an inlet for the introduction of comminuted waste material into the heating chamber, an outlet for the egress of a generated combustible gas from the heating chamber, and comprising a first and second zone;
• one or more combustion heaters configured or configurable to heat, in use, the contents of the heating chamber;
• a controller configured or configurable to adjust or alter the amount of heat generated by one or more of the one or more combustion heaters to the first and second zone of the heating chamber, wherein the controller is configured or configurable to alter the ratio of two or more fuel components of a fuel mixture arranged or arrangeable to supply fuel to the said one or more combustion heaters, and wherein the first zone is heated to a first temperature T1 and the second zone is heated to a second temperature T2 and wherein the second temperature T2 is higher than the first temperature T1;
• and a supply system configured or configurable to supply to the said one or more combustion heaters at least a portion of a combustible gas generated, in use, in the first and second zone of the heating chamber.