Combustion chamber for the incineration of waste products

Abstract

A combustion chamber for use in the incineration of waste products includes an inner refractory wall which extends vertically within an outer protective wall in a spaced relationship so as to define a plenum therebetween. The inner refractory wall is constructed using a plurality of precast, refractory blocks which are stacked and arranged to define a cylindrical interior cavity. The refractory blocks include mating features on adjacent surfaces to facilitate assembly and provide structural support. For additional support, selected blocks are fixedly connected to vertical support tubes by metal tie-back anchors. To facilitate combustion, a selection of the blocks is precast with a tuyere hole in order to deliver a uniform and balanced supply of air from the plenum into the interior cavity. The precast nature of the refractory blocks enables the inner refractory wall to be constructed with great precision, thereby optimizing incineration and minimizing material degradation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for constructing a combustion chamber for the incineration of waste products, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) installing an outer protective wall;   (b) providing a plurality of precast, refractory blocks, each of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, an inner surface, an outer surface, a left end surface, and a right end surface, all of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks having a common width in the horizontal direction between the inner surface and the outer surface, wherein a selection of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks is precast to define a tuyere hole extending therethrough;   ( c ) selecting and assembling the plurality of refractory blocks in a predefined, side-by-side, and stacked arrangement to create an inner refractory wall that extends within the outer protective wall, the inner refractory wall being shaped to define an interior cavity, wherein the selection of refractory blocks precast with a tuyere hole is optimally arranged within the inner refractory wall to ensure balanced airflow delivery into the interior cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the tuyere hole is circular in transverse cross-section. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the tuyere hole extends downward and horizontally from the outer surface to the inner surface. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of refractory blocks includes a variety of refractory blocks of different lengths. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the variety of refractory blocks is arranged to create the inner refractory wall with a desired dimension. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 5  wherein a joint is formed between adjacent refractory blocks in the inner refractory wall. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6  further comprising the step of applying refractory mortar in the joint between adjacent refractory blocks in the inner refractory wall. 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the inner refractory wall is spaced in from the outer protective wall so as to define a plenum therebetween. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the plurality of precast, refractory blocks matingly engages one another when stacked in layers. 
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the inner surface for each of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks has a fixed radial curvature. 
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10  wherein a projection is formed on the top surface of each of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks. 
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein a recess is formed on the bottom surface of each of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks. 
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the recess on one of the plurality, of precast, refractory blocks is dimensioned to fittingly receive the projection on another of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks when arranged in a stacked relationship. 
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13  wherein a tongue extends out from one of the left end surface and the right end surface of each of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks. 
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 14  wherein a groove is formed in the other of the left end surface and the right end surface of each of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks. 
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the groove on one of the plurality, of precast, refractory blocks is dimensioned to fittingly receive the tongue on another of the plurality of precast, refractory blocks when arranged in an end-to-end relationship.