v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA/540/MR-95/502
March 1995
SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION
Demonstration Bulletin
Cello® Pulse Combustion Burner System
Sonotech, Inc.
Technology Description: Sonotech, Inc. (Sonotech), of At-
lanta, GA, the developer of the Cello® pulse combustion burner,
claims that its burner system can be beneficial to a variety of
combustion processes. The system incorporates a combustor
that can be tuned to induce large amplitude sonic pulsations
inside combustion process units such as boilers or incinerators.
According to Sonotech, these pulsations increase heat release,
mixing, and mass transfer rates in the combustion process,
resulting in faster and more complete combustion. Sonotech has
targeted waste incineration as a potential application for the
system. To test its potential applicability and effectiveness, the
Sonotech system was demonstrated on the pilot-scale rotary kiln
incineration system (RKS) at the EPA Incineration Research
Facility (IRF) in Jefferson, AR. In the demonstration, a Sonotech
Cello® system was retrofit to the primary combustion chamber of
the RKS.
A pulse combustor typically consists of an air inlet, a combustor
section, and a tailpipe (see Figure 1). In the Cello® pulse com-
bustor, fuel oxidation and heat release rates vary periodically with
time, producing periodic variations or pulsations in pressure,
temperature, and gas velocity. Sonotech claims that large ampli-
tude resonant pulsations excited by its frequency-tunable pulse
combustor can significantly improve an incinerator's performance,
thereby reducing capital investment and operating costs for a
wide variety of incineration systems.
Waste Applicability: The Sonotech Cello® combustor can be
incorporated into the construction of most new combustion de-
vices or can be retrofit to many existing systems. The Cello®
burner system can be used to treat any material typically treated
in a conventional incinerator, and Sonotech believes the technol-
ogy is ready to be used for the full-scale incineration of contami-
nated solids, liquids, sludges, and medical wastes. Contaminated
soil, sludge, and tar samples collected from two manufactured
gas plant Superfund sites were blended for use in this SITE
demonstration.
Demonstration Results: The primary objective of the demon-
stration was to develop test data to evaluate the treatment effi-
ciency of the Sonotech Cello® combustor system compared to
conventional combustion. Test data were evaluated to determine
if the Sonotech system (1) increased incinerator capacity, (2)
increased destruction and removal efficiency (ORE) of principal
organic hazardous constituents (POHC), (3) decreased flue gas
carbon monoxide emissions, (4) decreased flue gas nitrogen
oxides emissions, (5) decreased flue gas soot emissions, (6)
decreased combustion air requirements, and (7) decreased auxil-
SECONDARY
BURNER
AIR I
NATURAL QAS
SONOTECH
TUNABLE-PULSE BURNER
J
II
NATURAL QAS
TO AIR POLLUTION
CONTROL SYSTEMS
AFTERBURNER
f
ASH
BM
1
J|
ROTARY
KILN
a
t
SOLIDS FEEDER
-MAIN BURNER
I AIR
NATURAL (US
Figure 1. The Sonotech Frequency-Tunable Pulse Combustion Burner System fitted to the IRF RKS.
Printed on Recycled Paper
-------
v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA/540/MR-95/502
March 1995
SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION
Demonstration Bulletin
Cello® Pulse Combustion Burner System
Sonotech, Inc.
Technology Description: Sonotech, Inc. (Sonotech), of At-
lanta, GA, the developer of the Cello® pulse combustion burner,
claims that its burner system can be beneficial to a variety of
combustion processes. The system incorporates a combustor
that can be tuned to induce large amplitude sonic pulsations
inside combustion process units such as boilers or incinerators.
According to Sonotech, these pulsations increase heat release,
mixing, and mass transfer rates in the combustion process,
resulting in faster and more complete combustion. Sonotech has
targeted waste incineration as a potential application for the
system. To test its potential applicability and effectiveness, the
Sonotech system was demonstrated on the pilot-scale rotary kiln
incineration system (RKS) at the EPA Incineration Research
Facility (IRF) in Jefferson, AR. In the demonstration, a Sonotech
Cello® system was retrofit to the primary combustion chamber of
the RKS.
A pulse combustor typically consists of an air inlet, a combustor
section, and a tailpipe (see Figure 1). In the Cello® pulse com-
bustor, fuel oxidation and heat release rates vary periodically with
time, producing periodic variations or pulsations in pressure,
temperature, and gas velocity. Sonotech claims that large ampli-
tude resonant pulsations excited by its frequency-tunable pulse
combustor can significantly improve an incinerator's performance,
thereby reducing capital investment and operating costs for a
wide variety of incineration systems.
Waste Applicability: The Sonotech Cello® combustor can be
incorporated into the construction of most new combustion de-
vices or can be retrofit to many existing systems. The Cello®
burner system can be used to treat any material typically treated
in a conventional incinerator, and Sonotech believes the technol-
ogy is ready to be used for the full-scale incineration of contami-
nated solids, liquids, sludges, and medical wastes. Contaminated
soil, sludge, and tar samples collected from two manufactured
gas plant Superfund sites were blended for use in this SITE
demonstration.
Demonstration Results: The primary objective of the demon-
stration was to develop test data to evaluate the treatment effi-
ciency of the Sonotech Cello® combustor system compared to
conventional combustion. Test data were evaluated to determine
if the Sonotech system (1) increased incinerator capacity, (2)
increased destruction and removal efficiency (ORE) of principal
organic hazardous constituents (POHC), (3) decreased flue gas
carbon monoxide emissions, (4) decreased flue gas nitrogen
oxides emissions, (5) decreased flue gas soot emissions, (6)
decreased combustion air requirements, and (7) decreased auxil-
SECONDARY
BURNER
AIR
NATURAL (US
Pt
D
SONOTECH
TUNABLE-PULSE BURNER
All
NATURAL GAS
II
f
TO AIR POLLUTION
CONTROL SYSTEMS
n
AFTERBURNER
ASH
BIN
ROTARY
KILN
i
SOLIDS FEEDER
-MAIN BURNER
I AIR
NATURAL QAS
Figure 1. The Sonotech Frequency-Tunable Pulse Combustion Burner System fitted to the IRF RKS.
Printed on Recycled Paper
------- |