Design of a Novel α-Shaped Flue Gas Route Flame Incinerator for the Treatment of Municipal Waste Materials

Abstract In order to improve the combustion characteristics of municipal waste materials and reduce excess pollutants generated during the incineration process, this study develops a novel waste incinerator with an α-shaped flue gas route. This has been achieved through the application of momentum vector synthesis theory in order to modify the secondary air structure in a conventional incinerator, resulting in enhanced combustion efficiency of the incinerator. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based cold state test results demonstrate that with appropriate modifications to the design of the incinerator, the flue gas propagates through a longer α-shaped route rather than conventional L-shaped route. Hot state tests have been carried out on a full scale 750 tons/day waste incinerator. Test rests show that the temperature of the flue gas increases by 138% under the front arch when secondary air supply is being incorporated into the design of the incinerator, resulting in better combustion of the municipal waste materials, lower emissions and higher thermal efficiency of the incinerator. The results obtained in this study confirm the rationality and feasibility of momentum flow rate method for better design of waste incinerators. Graphical Abstract