United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Hazardous Waste Engineering
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA/600/S2-86/050 July 1986
Project Summary
Practical Guide - Trial Burns for
Hazardous Waste Incinerators
P. Gorman, R. Hathaway, D. Wallace, and A. Trenholm
This Guide concentrates on those as-
pects of a trial burn that are the most im-
portant and those that are potentially
troublesome. It contains practical explan-
ations based on experience of Midwest Re-
search Institute (MRI) and others in con-
ducting trial burns and related tests for
EPA. Comments of several industrial plant
owners and operators are included in the
Guide. It is directed mainly to incinerator
operators, those who may conduct the ac-
tual sampling and analysis and those who
must interpret trial burn results, but it will
also be useful for regulatory personnel and
others that need to understand trial bums.
Potential trouble spots that have been en-
countered are: (1) trial burns frequently
take more time and effort than an operator
anticipates and (2) failure to meet the trial
burn requirements.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Hazardous Waste Engineering
Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, to
announce key findings of the research pro-
ject that is fully documented in a separate
report of the same title (see Project Report
ordering information at back).
Introduction
On May 19,1980, the U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency (EPA) published
regulations under the authority of the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) for hazardous waste incinerators.
These regulations require that new and ex-
isting incinerators adequately destroy haz-
ardous organic compounds and maintain
acceptable levels of paniculate and chlor-
ide emissions. Owners and operators of
incinerators are required to demonstrate
the performance of the facility by means
of a trial burn. Consequently, industry and
control agency personnel have become in-
volved in planning for, conducting, and in-
terpreting the results from trial burns. A
guide has been written to assist those
individuals in their efforts.
The Guide addresses multiple compon-
ents of the trial burn process including
planning and preparation, sampling and
analysis for the trial burn, process monitor-
ing during the trial burn, and data reduc-
tion and reporting. It does not directly ad-
dress the preparation of the Trial Burn Plan,
but it does address some planning aspects
that affect Trial Burn Plan preparation and
subsequent interpretation of the trial burn
results.
Summary of Results
The probability for success of a trial
burn is enhanced by good planning. The
major objectives of the planning process
are: (a) to select trial burn conditions that
provide the plant adequate operating flex-
ibility; (b) to assure that the trial burn will
be conducted in a manner acceptable to
regulatory agencies; and (c) to make the
trial burn cost effective.
The operating conditions selected for
the trial burn must represent the worst
case conditions under which the inciner-
ator may expect to operate, and therefore
needs to be permitted to operata The con-
ditions selected may include any or all of
the following:
Waste containing hardest-to-burn POHC
(lowest HHV).
Highest concentrations of all POHCs
selected.
Maximum waste feed rates.
Maximum combustion airflow rate (min-
imum residence time).
Maximum CO level in stack gas.
Minimum combustion temperature.
Minimum HHV of wasta
Maximum thermal input (Btu/hr).
Minimum 02 level in stack gas.
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Maximum Cl content of waste feed.
Maximum ash content of waste feed.
Minimums or maximums on other oper-
ating conditions (e.g., venturi scrubber,
AP scrubber water flow rate and pH).
POHCs for the trial burn should be selec-
ted during development of the trial burn
plan. The selection reflects the regulatory
approach. In addition to the regulatory
criteria, the following two considerations
should be taken into account: (1) max-
imum flexibility of operating conditions
under the permit and (2) ease of sampl-
ing and analysis during the trial burn.
Currently the regulation requires that a
ORE of 99.99% be demonstrated for the
selected POHCs.
The quantity of waste required is depen-
dent on the waste feedrate to be used dur-
ing each run, the number of runs, and the
duration of each run. Waste feedrate and
number of runs are selected by the inciner-
ator operator and are specified in the Trial
Burn Plan. The sampling time required in
each run is usually 3 to 4 hours plus 1 hour
to line out the unit before testing starts,
and 1- to 2-hour contingencies (plant oper-
ating problems or sampling problems).
Considering these, a quantity of waste
sufficient for 8 hours of operation should
be available for each run. If the trial burn
involved only three runs, at one set of
operating conditions, then waste sufficient
for 24 hours of operation should be
available.
Preparations for the test are numerous;
several of the most important items are
scheduling, sampling crew activities, equip-
ment preparation and calibration, facility
readiness, process data, data sheets and
labels, and safety precautions. One poten-
tial problem that should be addressed dur-
ing preparation is how to coordinate with
observers during the trial burn.
Samples taken during a trial burn are
usually brought to the analytical laboratory
for transfer to an analytical task leader. At
that point, when the samples are check-
ed in and transferred, the project leader
needs to cross-check that each sample
taken in the field has arrived and is intact.
Any missing samples can in this way be
immediately identified and hopefully lo-
cated. Also, any extra samples that have
been taken can be identified.
Conclusion
Always design the sampling and analy-
sis so that passage/failure of the 99.99%
criterion is determinable. This can best be
done by preliminary estimates of POHC
concentrations in the stack (assuming
99.99% ORE) and with selection of sampl-
ing and analysis methods having appropri-
ate upper and lower limits of detection. Ex-
perience in using these methods to avoid
contamination is also a key factor.
P. Gorman, R. Hathaway. D. Wallace, and A. Trenholmare with Midwest Research
Institute, Kansas City, MO 64110.
Donald A. Oberacker is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Practical Guide— Trial Burns for Hazardous Waste
Incinerators," (Order No. PB 86-190 246/AS; Cost: $11.95, subject to change)
will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PA
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA/600/S2-86/050
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