Hazardous waste incinerator and control system

An incinerator for use in destroying hazardous waste, said destruction producing exhaust gases and destroyed waste, comprising:

• (a) a rotary kiln with a helical flight therein, said helical flight defining a waste path and a combustion air path, said rotary kiln located within a containment building with at least one blast wall;
• (b) a feed assembly removably placed over the ingress to the waste path;
• (c) a discharge assembly removably placed over the egress to the waste path;
• (d) means to feed waste into said feed assembly attached to said feed assembly;
• (e) means to withdraw destroyed wastes from said discharge assembly attached to said discharge assembly;
• (f) means to pull combustion air through the combustion air path in the rotary kiln thereby entraining exhaust gases, said means to pull combustion air further pulling the combustion air and entrained exhaust gases through pollution control means;
• (g) burner means attached to said rotary kiln to heat said combustion air;
• (h) means to contain fugitive exhaust gases and reintroduce said fugitive exhaust within said combustion air path;
• (i) means to control the rate at which waste is fed to the feed assembly;
• and
• (j) pollution control means.

An incinerator for use in destroying hazardous waste, said destruction producing exhaust gases and destroyed waste, comprising:

• (a) a rotary kiln with a helical flight cast therein, said helical flight defining a waste path with an ingress and an egress and a combustion air path with an air ingress and an air egress for travel of combustion air through the rotary kiln, said rotary kiln located within a containment building;
• (b) means to heat said combustion air prior to its entrance into said air ingress of said rotary kiln;
• (c) a feed assembly removably placed over the ingress to the waste path;
• (d) a discharge assembly removably placed over the egress of the waste path;
• (e) a continuous feed system attached to said feed assembly;
• (f) a positive feed system attached to said feed assembly;
• (g) a waste discharge system attached to said discharge assembly;
• (h) a first shroud surrounding the interface between the feed assembly and the ingress to the waste path;
• (i) a second shroud surrounding the interface between said discharge assembly and the egress of the waste path;
• (j) a primary combustion air blower connected via duct means to both the first and second shrouds;
• (k) a secondary combustion blower connected via duct means to said containment building;
• (l) a secondary combustor with an ingress and an egress, said ingress connected via duct means to said rotary kiln air egress;
• (m) a spray dryer with an ingress and an egress, said ingress connected via duct means to said secondary combustor egress;
• (n) a baghouse with an ingress and an egress, said ingress connected via duct means to said spray dryer egress;
• (o) a stack with an ingress and an egress, said ingress connected via duct means to said baghouse egress;
• (p) a pair of induction fans placed between said baghouse and stack within said duct means between said stack and said baghouse, said induction fans capable of pulling the combustion air through said rotary kiln through said combustion air path;
• and
• (q) means to control the rate at which waste is fed to the rotary kiln in response to exhaust gas emissions from the stack.

A rotary kiln for use in a hazardous waste incinerator comprising:

• (a) four central retort sections, each removably attached to its adjacent section;
• (b) a first end retort sections removably attached to the proximal end of the assembled central retort sections;
• (c) a second end retort section removably attached to the distal end of the assembled central retort sections;
• and
• (d) gasket means between the attachment surfaces of each attached pair of retort sections;
• (e) a first, second, and third pair of trunion assemblies evenly spaced along the length of said six retort section assembly;
• (f) a variable speed drive motor attached to the first pair of trunions;
• and
• (g) a drive shaft connecting said first pair of trunions to the second pair of trunions.

A feed assembly for use with a rotary kiln as part of a hazardous waste incinerator, said feed assembly comprising:

• (a) a frame defining an enclosed structure;
• (b) a horizontal trough defining a feed path within said structure leading from a first orifice in said structure to a third orifice in said structure;
• (c) an angled trough defining a feed path within said structure leading from a second orifice above said first orifice to the third orifice;
• (d) an exhaust port in said structure;
• (e) first means to removably block said first orifice;
• (f) second means to removably block said second orifice;
• (g) third means to removably block the feed path between said horizontal trough and said third orifice;
• (h) a pair of removable doors leading to the interior of said structure;
• and
• (i) a feed chute attached to said frame such that the chute narrows toward the second orifice.

A discharge assembly for use with a rotary kiln as part of a hazardous waste incinerator, said discharge assembly comprising:

• (a) a frame defining a generally cylindrical structure with a combustion air ingress, a combustion air egress, and destroyed waste egress;
• (b) a door pivotally attached to said frame such that said door removably covers said destroyed waste egress;
• (c) means to position said structure adjacent the egress of the waste path of the rotary kiln;
• and
• (d) burner tile lining an inner portion of said cylindrical structure between said air ingress and said air egress.

A continuous feed system for use in conveying hazardous waste through a blast wall to a feed assembly associated with a rotary kiln as part of a hazardous waste incinerator, said continuous feed system comprising:

• (a) a substantially horizontal loading conveyor on which hazardous waste is placed;
• (b) an integrated belt scale attached to said loading conveyor;
• (c) a primary waste feed conveyor positioned to accept waste conveyed to it by the loading conveyor, and transporting said waste through an opening in said blast wall;
• and
• (d) a kiln charge conveyor positioned to accept waste conveyed to it by the primary waste feed conveyor, said kiln charge conveyor leading to the feed assembly.

A positive feed system for use in conveying hazardous waste to a feed assembly associated with a rotary kiln as part of a hazardous waste incinerator, said positive feed system comprising:

• (a) a weighing conveyor for accepting the hazardous waste packaged in a consumable box;
• (b) a pacing conveyor positioned to accept said box from said weighing conveyor;
• (c) an input conveyor positioned to accept said box from said pacing conveyor;
• (d) a transfer conveyor positioned to accept said box from said input conveyor to transport said box to a position in front of said feed assembly;
• (e) a feed ram positioned to push said box into said feed assembly;
• (f) a safety enclosure positioned to accept a box from said transfer conveyor;
• and
• (g) a feed retractable fence between said safety enclosure and said transfer conveyor.

A discharge handling system for use in conveying destroyed waste from a discharge assembly associated with a rotary kiln and through a blast wall as part of a hazardous waste incinerator, said discharge handling system comprising:

• (a) a discharge conveyor extending through an opening in the blast wall and positioned to accept destroyed waste from said discharge assembly;
• (b) an enclosure attached to the blast wall and positioned over the part of said discharge conveyor outside of the blast wall so that air can be drawn underneath said enclosure, across said discharge conveyor and through the opening in the blast wall;
• (c) a shaker grate outside the blast wall and positioned to accept destroyed waste from said discharge conveyor, said shaker grate capable of separating the waste into an ash component and a scrap metal component, each component deposited on separate conveyor means;
• (d) ash collection means positioned to accept ash component from the ash component conveyor means;
• and
• (e) scrap metal collection means positioned to accept scrap metal component from the scrap metal conveyor means.

An air pollution control system for use in treating a flue gas stream exhausting from a rotary kiln with a combustion air egress, said air pollution control system comprising:

• (a) a secondary combustor with an ingress and an egress, said ingress connected via duct means to said rotary kiln combustion air egress;
• (b) a spray dryer with an ingress and an egress, said ingress connected via duct means to said secondary combustor egress;
• (c) a baghouse with an ingress and an egress, said ingress connected via duct means to said spray dryer egress;
• (d) a stack with an ingress and an egress, said ingress connected via duct means to said baghouse egress;
• (e) a pair of induction fans placed between said baghouse and stack within the combustion air path defined by said duct means, said induction fans capable of pulling air through said rotary kiln and through said combustion air path;
• and
• (f) means to control the rate at which waste is fed to the rotary kiln in response to exhaust gas emissions from the stack.

A method of treating exhaust gases containing acidic components created by the combustion of hazardous waste within a hazardous waste incinerator comprising:

• a) raising the temperature of said exhaust gases to between 1200.degree. to 2200.degree. F. in a secondary combustor;
• b) quenching the exhaust gases with a soda ash solution in a spray dryer;
• c) converting the acidic components of the exhaust gas to sodium salts with the soda ash solution in the spray dryer;
• d) filtering particulate matter from the exhaust gases in a baghouse;
• and
• e) dispersing said exhaust gases into the atmosphere through a stack.

A method of containing fugitive emissions from a hazardous waste incinerator during waste incinerator, said incinerator comprising a rotary kiln, the ends of which are covered by shrouds, said kiln and shrouds located within a containment building, comprising:

• a) maintaining said rotary kiln under negative pressure;
• b) maintaining said shrouds under negative pressure;
• and
• c) maintaining said containment building under negative pressure.

A method of positively feeding waste into a rotary kiln of a hazardous waste incinerator comprises:

• a) placing waste onto a weighing conveyor;
• b) transferring said waste from said weighing conveyor to a pacing conveyor;
• c) transporting said waste on said pacing conveyor;
• d) transferring said waste from said pacing conveyor to an input conveyor;
• e) transporting said waste on said input conveyor;
• f) transferring said waste from said input conveyor to a transfer conveyor;
• g) transporting said waste on said transfer conveyor to a position in front of said rotary kiln;
• and
• h) injecting said waste into said rotary kiln with a feed ram.