Process for the thermal combustion of waste gases and thermal after-burning plant for carrying out said process

Abstract

A process for the thermal after-burning of waste gases containing combustible substances capable of forming an explosive mixture with air in a specific concentration range comprises feeding the waste gas undiluted to a flame with a concentration of combustible substances which varies between the lower and the upper explosion limits, feeding the waste gas to the combustion zone at an entry speed higher than 10 m/sec, and discontinuing the supply of waste gas when a limit temperature of 80.degree. C. is exceeded in the waste gas shortly before its entry into the combustion zone. An after-burning plant for carrying out the aforesaid process comprises a combustion chamber having a burner and a feed pipe for fuel, which latter is preferably gaseous or liquid, a waste gas feed line for introducing waste gas of the above described kind into the combustion chamber, and safety means for preventing the flame penetrating from the combustion chamber into the waste gas feed line, which safety means comprise (a) a dry detonation safety device which is provided in the waste gas feed line upstream of its entry into the combustion chamber, (b) a temperature control device and (c) at least one quick-acting gate valve which is built into the waste gas feed line upstream of the detonation safety device and which can be closed by delayed action by the temperature control device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.