Co-combustion of waste sludge in municipal waste combustors and other furnaces

A system for co-combusting sludge within a combustor, comprising:

• a sludge receiving and treatment module for receiving and treating sludge, by adding a liquid selected from the group consisting of water, aqueous based solutions, plant wastewater, industrial process liquid waste, pollution control slurries and mixtures thereof, or by reducing the moisture content of said sludge, to obtain a sludge having a desired moisture content;
• a solids controller for monitoring and varying said moisture content of said treated sludge;
• and
• a sludge injection and combustion module for injecting said treated sludge into a combustion zone of a combustor having a primary solid fuel burning therein, wherein said treated sludge is burned in suspension within said combustion zone of said combustor, and wherein said sludge injection and combustion module includes an injection nozzle for atomizing said treated sludge with steam and spraying said atomized treated sludge into said combustion zone of said combustor, a sludge tank for receiving and storing said treated sludge from said sludge receiving and treatment module and a pump in fluid communication with said sludge tank and said injection nozzle for delivering said sludge from said sludge tank to said injection nozzle, wherein said sludge tank includes a level controller for monitoring the level of sludge within said sludge tank and generating a signal to said sludge receiving and treatment module to vary the amount of sludge received in said sludge tank to maintain a constant level of sludge within said sludge tank, a mixer for continuously agitating said sludge within said sludge tank. a discharge line for delivering said sludge from said sludge tank to said pump;
• and a conditioner interposed in said discharge line for shredding said sludge before entering said pump.

A system for co-combusting sludge within a combustor, comprising:

• a sludge receiving and treatment module for receiving and treating sludge, by adding a liquid selected from the group consisting of water, aqueous based solutions, plant wastewater, industrial process liquid waste, pollution control slurries and mixtures thereof, or by reducing the moisture content of said sludge, to obtain a sludge having a desired moisture content;
• a solids controller for monitoring and varying said moisture content of said treated sludge;
• and
• a sludge injection and combustion module for injecting said treated sludge into a combustion zone of a combustor having a primary solid fuel burning therein, wherein said treated sludge is burned in suspension within said combustion zone of said combustor, and wherein said sludge injection and combustion module includes an injection nozzle for atomizing said treated sludge with steam and spraying said atomized treated sludge into said combustion zone of said combustor, a sludge tank for receiving and storing said treated sludge from said sludge receiving and treatment module, a pump in fluid communication with said sludge tank and said injection nozzle for delivering said sludge from said sludge tank to said injection nozzle, a recirculation line connected between said pump and said sludge tank for recirculating sludge back to said sludge tank, a recirculation control valve connected to said recirculation line for controlling a flow of sludge through said recirculation line and a flow controller connected to said pump for monitoring the flow of sludge through said pump and generating a signal to said recirculation control valve to vary the amount of sludge flowing through said recirculation line.

A system for co-combusting sludge within a combustor, comprising:

• a sludge receiving and treatment module for receiving and treating sludge, by adding a liquid selected from the group consisting of water, aqueous based solutions, plant wastewater, industrial process liquid waste, pollution control slurries and mixtures thereof, or by reducing the moisture content of said sludge, to obtain a sludge having a desired moisture content;
• a solids controller for monitoring and varying said moisture content of said treated sludge;
• and
• a sludge injection and combustion module for injecting said treated sludge into a combustion zone of a combustor having a primary solid fuel burning therein, wherein said treated sludge is burned in suspension within said combustion zone of said combustor, and wherein said sludge injection and combustion module includes an injection nozzle for atomizing said treated sludge with steam and spraying said atomized treated sludge into said combustion zone of said combustor, a sludge tank for receiving and storing said treated sludge from said sludge receiving and treatment module, a pump in fluid communication with said sludge tank and said injection nozzle for delivering said sludge from said sludge tank to said injection nozzle, a temperature controller for monitoring the temperature within said combustor and generating a signal in response to temperature changes within said combustor and a pump driver connected to said pump for varying the flow of sludge through said pump in response to a signal received from said temperature controller.

A method for co-combusting sludge within a combustor comprising the steps of:

• receiving sludge having a solids content;
• treating said received sludge, by adding a liquid selected from the group consisting of water, aqueous based solutions, plant wastewater, industrial process liquid waste, pollution control slurries and mixtures thereof, or by adding additional solids to said received sludge, to obtain a sludge having a desired solids content;
• monitoring the solids content of said treated sludge utilizing a solids controller;
• varying the solids content of said treated sludge in response to solids content changes of said treated sludge;
• injecting said treated sludge into a combustion zone of a combustor having a primary solid fuel burning therein;
• and
• burning said treated sludge in suspension within said combustion zone of said combustor.

A system for combusting sludge within a combustor, comprising:

• a storage tank for receiving sludge having a solids content, said storage tank including an air diffuser for metering air into said storage tank thereby mixing and aerating said sludge within said storage tank;
• a solids controller for measuring and varying said solids content of said sludge in said storage tank;
• and
• a sludge injection and combustion module for injecting said sludge from said storage tank into a combustion zone of a combustor.

A system for combusting sludge within a combustor, comprising:

• a storage tank for receiving sludge having a solids content, said storage tank including an air diffuser for metering air into said storage tank thereby mixing and aerating said sludge within said storage tank, wherein said storage tank is adapted to receive sludge from a tanker trailer;
• a sludge tanker trailer for delivering sludge to said storage tank, said sludge tanker trailer including an air diffuser for mixing and aerating said sludge within said sludge tanker trailer and a level transmitter for indicating the level of sludge within said sludge tanker trailer;
• and
• a sludge injection and combustion module for injecting said sludge from said storage tank into a combustion zone of a combustor.

A system for combusting sludge within a combustor, comprising:

• a storage tank for receiving sludge, said storage tank including an air diffuser for mixing and aerating said sludge within said storage tank;
• a sludge injection and combustion module for injecting said sludge from said storage tank into a combustion zone of a combustor;
• and
• a sludge tanker trailer for delivering sludge to said storage tank, said sludge tanker trailer including an air diffuser for mixing and aerating said sludge within said sludge tanker trailer and an air blower for providing fresh air into said sludge tanker trailer through said air diffuser, wherein said air blower provides a positive air pressure within said sludge tanker trailer for pneumatic unloading of sludge.

A system for combusting sludge within a combustor, comprising:

• a storage tank for receiving sludge, said storage tank including an air diffuser for mixing and aerating said sludge within said storage tank;
• a sludge injection and combustion module for injecting said sludge from said storage tank into a combustion zone of a combustor;
• and
• a sludge tanker trailer for delivering sludge to said storage tank, said sludge tanker trailer including an air diffuser for mixing and aerating said sludge within said sludge tanker trailer and a diffuser header connected to said air diffuser, said diffuser header being further connected to a source of tractor engine exhaust for directing said tractor engine exhaust into said sludge tanker trailer through said air diffuser.