Method and apparatus for controlling auxiliary fuel addition to a pyrolysis furnace

Claim 1

In a method for controlling the operation of a two stage furnace to efficiently incinerate combustible material in a starved-air mode, a primary stage having means to introduce combustible material therein as well as auxiliary fuel burner(s) and combustion air flow means for introducing flows of auxiliary fuel-air mixture and combustion air, respectively, into said primary stage at substoichiometric air conditions to pyrolyze the combustible material at predetermined set point(s) and a secondary stage connected to said primary stage to receive gas and vapor products from said primary stage, said secondary stage including secondary combustion airflow means for introducing a flow of secondary combustion air and being operated at excess air conditions at a predetermined minimum temperature to combust said gas and vapor products from the primary stage, and wherein the combusted gas and vapor products are discharged as flue gas from the secondary stage, the improvement which comprises the steps of: (a) measuring the oxygen concentration in the flue gas discharged from said secondary stage: (b) measuring the air flow rates to each of the primary and secondary stages of said furnace, and using said measured rates and said measured oxygen concentration to compute the primary stage air rate as a percentage or fractional value of the stoichiometric air rate; (c) establishing a predetermined set-point control value of said primary stage percent stoichiometric air to achieve the desired efficient furnace operation; (d) comparing said computed percent stoichiometric air value from step (b) with said predetermined set-point control value of primary stage percent stoichiometric air; (e) establishing a predetermined set-point control value of primary stage temperature; (f) measuring said primary stage temperature and comparing said primary stage temperature with said predetermined set-point control value of primary stage temperature; (g) controlling said flows of auxiliary fuel-air mixture to said burner(s) and air to said combustion air flow means to simultaneously maintain said primary stage temperature at its predetermined set-point control value and said primary stage percent stoichiometric air at its predetermined set-point control value, said control of primary stage comprising: (x) correcting variations in primary stage temperature to the predetermined temperature set-point value by regulating changes in flow rate of said auxiliary fuel-air mixture at a pre-set finite minimal relay function and regulating changes in said combustion air flow rate at a pre-set finite maximum relay function, provided computed primary stage percent stoichiometric air is below said predetermined set-point control value of percent stoichiometric air in the primary stage; (xx) regulating changes in flow rates of said fuel-air mixture and said combustion air when said computed primary stage percent stoichiometric air is at the predetermined set point value wherein as the heat required to maintain said predetermined set-point temperature increases, the relay function for regulating said fuel-air mixture is continuously modulated from said pre-set minimum value to a pre-set finite maximum value, and the relay function for regulating said combustion air rate is continuously modulated from said pre-set maximum value to a pre-set finite minimum value, the resulting said changes in flow rates acting to satisfy said heat requirement without changing said computed primary stage percent stoichiometric air; and (xxx) correcting variations in the temperature in said primary stage to the predetermined set-point value, when said computed primary stage percent stoichiometric air exceeds the predetermined set point control value wherein said relay function for regulating said fuel-air mixture is maintained at pre-set maximum value, and said relay function for regulating said combustion air mixture is maintained at said pre-set minimum value.