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 ------- 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) ------- |