Electric controlled air incinerator for radioactive wastes

Claim 2

A furnace construction comprising, in combination: (a) a primary combustion chamber, (b) a plurality of generally vertical refractory tubular members disposed in spaced parallel relationship, one of said vertical members being disposed adjacent to said primary combustion chamber and in communication therewith so as to receive combustion gases therefrom, and, (c) a plurality of cast refractory manifolds connecting said tubular members together to form an afterburner chamber defining a continuous tortuous path for said combustion gases.

Claim 3

The furnace construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein said primary combustion chamber comprises a generally horizontal refractory tubular member.

Claim 4

the furnace construction of claim 1 further comprising sealing means for providing sealing of said afterburner chamber under the compressive loading of said vertical tubular members in conjunction with said manifolds.

Claim 5

The furnace construction of claim 1 further comprising a refractory cast primary combustion chamber.

Claim 6

The furnace construction of claim 1 wherein said primary combustion chamber includes an ash removal means for enabling removal of ash from the products of combustion of said primary combustion chamber.

Claim 7

The furnace construction of claim 1 further comprising means for introducing solid waste feed into said primary combustion chamber and means for removing ash from said primary combustion chamber.

Claim 8

The furnace construction of claim 1 wherein said manifolds are constructed of at least two separately cast individual portions, one of said portions including a pair of apertures therein in which the ends of a pair of said tubular members are received.

Claim 9

The furnace construction of claim 7 wherein said manifolds are constructed of three portions, a further one of said portions including a connecting chamber providing communication between said pair of tubes and said three portions being stacked vertically and being joined by ship-lap joints.

Claim 10

The furnace construction of claim 7 wherein a further one of said portions includes a removable port received therein.

Claim 11

The furnace construction of claim 9 wherein said removable port includes a sight glass therein.

Claim 12

The furnace construction of claim 7 wherein one of said manifolds includes a pipe received therein, said pipe being disposed in said manifold in communication with one of said tubular members.

Claim 13

The furnace construction of claim 11 wherein the free end of said pipe is connected to an oxygen analyzer.

Claim 14

The furnace construction of claim 1 wherein said primary combustion chamber and said tubular members are housed within a sealed shell, and said furnace includes a blanket insulation between said tubular members and said primary combustion chamber, and said shell.

Claim 15

The furnace construction of claim 1 further comprising girdle heaters surrounding said tubular members for heating the same.

Claim 16

The furnace construction of claim 1 further comprising plate heaters for heating said manifolds.

Claim 17

The furnace construction of claim 15 wherein said plate heaters are spaced from the surfaces of said manifold which are being heated.

Claim 18

The furnace construction of claim 2 further comprising feeding means for feeding waste material to said furnace, said feeding means including ram means for injecting waste into said primary chamber.

Claim 19

The furnace construction of claim 17 wherein said ram means includes a ram body having a longitudinally extending prow extending outwardly from the front thereof.

Claim 20

The furnace construction of claim 17 wherein said raw means includes a ram body and motor means for moving said ram body longitudinally and for rotating said ram body.

Claim 21

The furnace construction of claim 1 further comprising air mixing means located in said one tubular member for mixing air with the gases received from said primary combustion chamber.

Claim 22

The furnace construction of claim 20 wherein said air mixing means includes a housing having an inner surface perforate conical shell mounted therein with the small end thereof disposed toward said primary combustion chamber and means for feeding air into said housing.

Claim 23

The furnace construction of claim 17 wherein said feeding means further comprises a rotary magazine feeder for feeding said ram.

Claim 24

The furnace construction of claim 22 wherein said feeding means further includes a double valve loading mechanism and a plurality of fluid inlets located between said magazine feeder and said ram means.

Claim 25

The furnace construction of claim 1 further comprising an ash removal assembly disposed beneath the said one tubular member, said ash removal assembly including a storage chamber and knife valve means for controlling the transfer of solid products of combustion from the primary combustion chamber relative to said storage chamber.

Claim 26

A furnace for the incineration of contaminated waste material, said furnace comprising, in combination: a. a primary combustion chamber comprising a generally horizontal refractory tubular means, said member including a waste feed means at one end thereof; b. a continuous afterburner chamber comprising a plurality of generally vertical refractory tubular members disposed in spaced parallel relationship, and a plurality of cast refractory manifolds for connecting said tubular members together serially to define a continuous tortuous path within said afterburner chamber, one of said vertical members being disposed adjacent to said primary combustion chamber, and being connected thereto; c. off-gas removal means connected to the last of said vertical tubular members in the serial connection; d. heater means surrounding said primary combustion chamber and said afterburner chamber; e. insulation surrounding said chambers; f. means for enclosing and supporting said insulation and said chambers; and g. means for maintaining subatmospheric pressure in said chambers.

Claim 27

A furnace for the incineration of contaminated waste material, said furnace comprising, in combination: a. a primary combustion chamber comprising a generally horizontal refractory tubular means, said member including a waste feed means at one end thereof; b. a continuous afterburner chamber comprising a plurality of generally vertical refractory tubular members disposed in spaced parallel relationship, and a plurality of cast refractory manifolds for connecting said tubular members together serially to define a continuous tortuous path within said afterburner chamber, one of said vertical members being disposed adjacent to said primary combustion chamber, and being connected thereto; c. off-gas removal means connected to the last of said vertical tubular members in the serial connection; d. heater means surrounding said primary combustion chamber and said afterburner chamber; e. insulation surrounding said chambers; f. means for enclosing and supporting said insulation and said chambers; and g. means for maintaining subatmospheric pressure in said chambers.