SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency	
EPA/540/M5-88/002
April 1989
SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION
Demonstration Bulletin
Electric Infrared Incineration
Shirco Infrared Systems, Inc.
TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION: The electric infrared
incineration technology is a mobile thermal
processing system which uses electrically powered
silicon carbide rods to bring the organic waste to
combustion temperatures and then, to incinerate any
remaining combustibles in an afterburner. The mobile
system is comprised of four components: the
elec:ric-powered infrared primary chamber, a gas-
fired secondary combustion chamber, an emission
control system, and a process management and
monitoring control center.
Waste is fed into the primary chamber on a wire
mesh conveyor belt and exposed (at temperatures of
up to 1850°F) to infrared radiant heat provided by the
horizontal rows of electrically-powered silicon
carbide rods above the belt (Figure 1). A blower
provides air at selected locations along the belt and
can be used to control the burning rate of the waste
feed and its location v/hile burning on the belt.
The ash material which drops off the belt in the
primary chamber is quenched by water sprays
utilizing scrubber effljent. The ash is held until the
PCE content is determined to be less than 1 ppm.
Gaseous volatiles from the primary chamber are
destroyed in the fired secondary chamber. Gases are
ducted through the emissions control system, which
consists of a venturi scrubber for particulate matter
and a packed tower to neutralize acid vapor. An
induced draft blower draws the cleaned gases from
the scrubber into the free standing exhaust stack.
The scrubber liquid effluent then flows into a clarifier
where scrubber sludge settles out for disposal.
Finally, the scrubber effluent flows to an effluent tank,
Figure 1. Peak oil Incineration unit process diagram.
through an activated carbon filter for reuse, or to a
POTW tank for disposal.
WASTE APPLICABILITY: This technology is suitable
for organic wastes contained in soils or sediments.
Liquid organic wastes can also be handled once they
are mixed with sand or soil.
DEMONSTRATION RESULTS: Demonstration of the
electric furnace was carried out at full-scale at an oil
refinery site near Tampa, Florida, from August 1 to 4,
1987. As part of the removal operation by EPA
Region IV, a nominal 100-ton per day Shirco

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Table 1. Peak Oil Test Summary
Test Results
Waste Feed	Stack Gas	Ash
Run
Feed-
rate
(kg/hr)
PCB
(ppm)
Pb
(ppm)
EP Tox
(Pb)
(ppm)
TCLP
(Pb)
(ppm)
Particulates
(mg/dscm)
DRE
(wt. %)
PCB
(ppb)
Pb
(ppm)
EP Tox
(Pb)
(ppm)
TCLP
(Pb)
(ppm)
1
3328
5.85
5900
27.00
8.60
358
99.99967
10
7100
25.0
0.01
2
3287
3.85
4900
29.00
2.50
211
99.99880
240
6000
28.0
0.01
3
3626
5.34
5000
--
3.00
173
99.99972
900
6400
36.0
0.02
4
3600
3.48
4400
24.00
3.50
171
99.99905
54
6200
36.0
0.01
Table 2. Rose Township Test Summary
Test Results
Waste Feed	Stack Gas	Ash



EP Tox
TCLP




EP Tox
TCLP

PCB
Pb
(Pb)
(Pb)
Particulates
DRE
PCB
Pb
(Pb)
(Pb)
Run
(ppm)
(ppm)
(ppm)
(ppm)
(mg/dscm)
(wt. %)
(ppb)
(ppm)
(ppm)
(ppm)
1
10.20
3000
0.15
0.67
23
>99.9922
37
1100
0.05
ND
2
35.20
1400
0.20
0.35
-¦
>99.9976
112
1300
ND
ND
3
20.40
550
0.35
1.30
68
>99.9953
3
1100
0.13
0.05
Infrared System was set up at the site. The site was
contaminated with nearly 7,000 cubic yards of waste
oil sludge containing PCBs and lead. During the
demonstration, the SITE program evaluated the
system for reliability of PCB destruction and to
determine if the solubility of lead compounds could be
reduced. A second demonstration of the system, at
pilot-scale, took place at the Rose Township Dump
Site in Michigan, from November 2 to 11, 1987.
Organics, PCBs, and metals in soil were the target
waste compounds to be destroyed or immobilized.
The pilot-scale operation allowed the evaluation of
several different operating conditions. Results of the
two tests were similar.
•	In both tests, at standard operating conditions,
PCBs were reduced to less than 1 ppm in the
ash with a DRE greater than 99.99% (based on
detection limits).
•	In the full scale demonstration, the air pollution
control system did not reduce particulate
emissions to the regulatory level and several
adjustments were needed to bring it into
compliance with regulations.
•	Lead was not immobilized; however, it remained
in the ash and was not transferred to the
scrubber water or emitted to the atmosphere.
. • The pilot-scale unit demonstrated that blending
fuel oil with the feed reduced the primary
chamber temperatures and thus lowered energy
costs without decreasing performance.
• The unit requires a feed having one inch or less
diameter and care must be exercised in design
and construction of material handling systems
prior to feeding the material to the unit.
A report and summary has been published on the
Peak Oil test:
EPA/540/5-88/002a - September 1988
Technology Evaluation Report SITE
Program Demonstration Test Shirco Infrared
Incineration System
The report and summary for Rose Township and the
Application Analysis Report for the infrared technology
will be published in Spring 1989.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
EPA Program Manager:
Howard 0. Wall
U.S. EPA
Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
513-569-7691 (FTS: 684-7691)

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