Incineration and Air Pollution Control
Australia now has some of the most stringent controls for `control of air pollution from combustion processes` in the world. These factors have necessitated the development of equipment and processes capable of meeting the most rigorous and up-to-date air pollution emission standards while at the same time providing the most cost effective solution for the client. Advanced Combustion Engineering’s extensive experience of more than 50 years therefore places the company in a strong position to complete contracts of any magnitude in the field of incineration and air pollution control. Advanced Combustion Engineering can offer anything from design and project management to complete turnkey installations. In the technically demanding field Advanced Combustion Engineering is the only Australian company capable of offering incineration plants complete with air pollution control systems of it`s own design.
Incineration Equipment;
Advanced Combustion Engineering can supply incineration incineration plants to safely dispose of solid, liquid and gaseous wastes including:
- Biomedical Wastes
- Pharmaceutical Wastes
- Industrial Wastes
- Municipal Wastes
- Toxic and Scheduled Wastes
Incineration equipment and combustion based pollution control devices are designed to suit the particular application and range from simple afterburners to high temperature incineration plants capable of meeting RCRA and EEC standards with destruction and removal efficiencies of 99.9999%.
Air Pollution Control Equipment:
All `Advanced Combustion Engineering` incineration plants are equipped with afterburners and emission control equipment. We can supply equipment to suit any existing incineration plant, to treat air or liquid emissions, from virtually any industrial or commercial source.
Incineration based air pollution control systems include:
- Wet Systems
- Dry Systems
- Hybrid Systems
Other air pollution control plants supplied by `Advanced Combustion Engineering` include:
- Afterburners
- Chemical Scrubbers
- Condensation Units
- Absorption and Absorption Plants
Biomedical Waste Disposal:
The environmentally safe disposal of biomedical waste particularly Cytotoxic and infectious waste is a worldwide problem.
The disposal of this waste by centralised high temperature incineration plants with efficient gas cleaning equipment remains the most reliable method available, despite experimentation with other methods.
Biomedical Waste Properties:
Biomedical waste is a heterogeneous mixture of general refuse, laboratory and pharmaceutical chemicals and containers, pathological wastes and cytotoxic wastes. All of these wastes are potentially infectious.
The chemical and physical characteristics of the different waste materials vary widely. Biomedical wastes also vary considerably so consequently heat release, moisture content and bulk density can vary from one bag to the next.
The chemical composition of the waste material also affects pollutant emissions. Wastes containing metals or plastics are of particular concern. Metals that vaporise at the primary chamber temperature may become metal oxides with particle sizes less than one micron. Halogenated plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride, will form acid gases such as hydrogen chloride. The presence of chlorinated wastes could also contribute to the formation of chlorinated organic compounds such as dioxins and furans under poor operating conditions.
Biomedical Waste Incineration:
Incineration is the combustion of the waste materials at high temperatures to produce an inert ash, carbon dioxide, water and trace levels of pollutants.
Whilst the pathogens in the biomedical wastes are readily destroyed at relatively low temperatures in the primary chamber the incomplete products of combustion formed during this process must be incinerated in a secondary combustion chamber at high temperatures to ensure virtually complete breakdown of all combustible gaseous wastes.
Emissions from an efficient combustion source are generally low. However, stringent emission
regulations now required by environmental protection authorities necessitate that biomedical waste incineration plants be fitted with exhaust gas cleaning equipment.
Thus the modern biomedical waste incineration facilities consists of three main items. The primary chamber, the secondary chamber and the air pollution control plant.
Incineration Details:
The typical Advanced Combustion Engineering Biomedical waste incinerator is a two chamber design consisting of primary chamber for the combustion of solid wastes and a secondary chamber/afterburner for virtually complete destruction of combustible gases and particulate matter discharged from the primary chamber.
Depending on the composition of the waste the primary chamber is either of a stationary hearth design, utilising a series of rams to slowly push the waste material through the incinerator, or a rotary kiln. Both types of primary chamber are equipped with a final burnout hearth.