The role of research in practical incineration systems - A look at the past and the future

The interaction between advances in combustion research, practical demonstrations of incineration technology, and changing regulations over the past 10 years is reviewed. The driving force behind changes in technologies for the incineration of hazardous and municipal waste is the changing regulatory climate. More stringent regulations create the need for better understanding of all aspects of the combustion process. In this review, case studies are employed to demonstrate how recent advances in combustion have impacted the design and operation of incinerators, with special emphasis on pollutant minimization, process upsets, and system simulations. The three topics covered under pollutant minimization are methods for complying with proposed incinerator emission standards for dioxins and furans, the interaction of NO_x and chlorine in incinerators, and the environmental impact of solid residues from incinerators. The topics under process upsets include the failure of trial burns to cover emissions during upsets, such as emergency shutdowns, and estimation and measurement strategies. The final topic provides illustrations of how numerical simulations of combustion systems have advanced to the point where they can be used as engineering tools to design trial burns, optimize facility operation, and study the consequences of extreme operating conditions that cannot be tested in practice. The review concludes with identification of future topics in combustion research as suggested by additional issues of concern to incinerator operators.