Vortex combustor

Abstract

A combustor for burning waste material includes a horizontally extended combustion chamber through which a mixture of waste material and air is introduced under pressure tangentially for establishing a vortical movement of the waste material toward one of the end walls. The waste material is ignited during its vortical movement. A second discharge port extends for discharging from the chamber non-combustible material entrained in the outer region of the vortex. The discharged material is conveyed through a conduit to a separator which separates the discharged gases and solid material. A secondary air manifold supplies air through controlled and automated dampers at portals positioned at intervals along the length of the chamber. An adjustable baffle is mounted on the flue adjacent its open end for deflecting outwardly toward the side wall solid material which moves from adjacent the one end wall toward the open end of the flue. A recuperator is mounted externally to the chamber on the exhaust flue, supplying heated air to the secondary air manifold and to the primary air and waste feed intake. Additionally, control means are provided for the use of specialized sensors to monitor the temperature, air flow and volume of the chamber, integrated into a process automation system that allows for control of individual components, stages, regions, as well as the entire process.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A combustor for burning waste material comprising in combination;
 a. a combustion chamber having spaced end walls and a side wall with its central longitudinal axis extending between said end walls, said chamber being disposed such that its central axis extends substantially horizontally,   b. means for introducing waste material and primary air into said chamber for establishing a vortical movement of said waste material and primary air toward one of said end walls,   c. means for igniting said waste material during its vortical movement,   d. a discharge flue port having an open end opening in said chamber near said one end wall and substantially concentric with said central longitudinal axis,   e. means for introducing secondary air directly into said combustion chamber substantially tangentially to said side wall at a plurality of regions which are spaced substantially throughout the entire length of said combustion chamber side wall and which are aligned along an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said chamber, said regions being located adjacent the bottom of said combustion chamber side wall at one side thereof such that secondary air is directly introduced in directions to maintain the vortical movement of waste material,   f. means for recycling heat exhausts back into portions of the process to enhance the efficiency of the operation, and   g. control means for independently controlling the introduction of secondary air into said chamber at each of said plurality of regions.   h. control means for collectively and independently controlling the operational process, including the size-reduction unit, primary air, secondary air, and burner, as well as collecting atmospheric data from within the chamber, and from the exterior portion of the exhaust flue apparatus.