Burning used tires, etc. and apparatus therefor

Abstract

Waste which contains a substantial amount of material which melts and drips as it burns, is used as the source material. The process is adapted to not only dispose of the waste, but also to provide heat for generating steam and other useful purposes. The invention is used very advantageously for the burning of vulcanized rubber wastes with control of the gases so that they do not cause an environmental hazard. The waste may be reduced to particle size, but this is not necessary. Whole old tires may be used. The meltable waste is burned over means which collects the drip and does not let it collect in and plug openings in conveyor means used in the combustion process. A very satisfactory means for collecting the drip is a bed of non-combustible balls or other particulate material carried by a conveyor, which bed prevents any substantial amount of the drip from being collected by the conveyor. Such non-combustible particulate material may be formed of steel, aluminum, ceramic material, etc. The waste material may rest on the bed and be carried through the combustion chamber supported by the bed, or the waste material may be carried through the chamber above the bed which collects the drip. In such a procedure, the waste (such as old tires) may be carried through the combustion chamber on hooks or the like on a continuous conveyor, or large pieces of such waste may be carried through the combustion chamber resting on a conveyor provided with sufficient open spaces to allow the drip to pass therethrough, and this drip may be collected below the conveyor on a continuously moving bed such as described. The drip from waste carried on such a conveyor may be collected in any other suitable manner. If the waste is composed of a mass of small particles it must be spread on the conveying support in such a manner that air required for combustion can pass up through it, and if the waste rests on a bed of non-combustible balls or other particulate matter, the air must pass up through openings therein, and the melt from the waste must not be allowed to plug the openings. If the waste is in large pieces (such as old tires) the pieces may be suspended from a conveyor, or they may rest on a bed of balls or other particulate matter which prevents the melt from passing into openings in the conveyor that supports the bed, or the bed may be omitted if openings in the conveyor are so large that the melt will not plug them. Oil and/or gas is usually supplied to the combustion chamber above and/or below the grate to provide the temperature required for any commercial use of the combustion, and for combustion of the waste when necessary. If the waste contains sulfur, the amount of oil and/or gas used is controlled so that the sulfur dioxide content of the exhaust gases does not exceed a predetermined limit. If the waste is substantially free of sulfur and burned solely to dispose of it, it is not necessary to use any oil or gas, except perhaps to start the fire or to keep the fire burning. The heat generated may be supplied to a boiler or be otherwise used for a beneficial purpose. Thus, not only does the process provide for the disposal of waste, but also utilizes the heat generated, and if the waste contains sulfur this may be done without polluting the atmosphere.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.