Hazardous waste reactor system

Claim 2

A hazardous waste disposal system comprising a hollow high temperature cylindrical core defining a central reaction zone, a shell about said core and defining an annular space thereabout communicating with said reaction zone interior, means for heating said core for raising the temperature thereof to a very high temperature in excess of 1500 degrees fahrenheit, means directing a carrier gas in a flow through said annular space for preheating said gas and then through said reaction zone, means continuously inserting hazardous waste into said reaction zone in a finely divided or gaseous form to produce carbon dioxide and water and a safe particulate solid reaction product from said solid waste, and means for removing said solid reaction product from a bottom end of said reaction zone.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 further comprising means passing an electrical current through said core for raising the temperature thereof to the order of 1600 to 2900 degrees fahrenheit.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 further defined by a solid waste processor receiving solid hazardous waste and operating thereon to reduce the waste to particles having a controllable size in the range of 50 microns to 1200 microns, and injection means directing said particles into a top of said core to pass downwardly through said reaction zone in counter flow to said carrier gas for controlling residence time of said particles in said zone.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 further defined by means controllably injecting liquid or gaseous waste into said flow of carrier gas and including a controllable nozzle to establish the size of liquid droplets as a control of residence time in said reaction zone.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1 further defined by gas exit means including a cooler connected to receive carrier gas flowing from the top of said core for reducing gas temperature and discharging cooled gas into the atmosphere.

Claim 7

The system of claim 1 further defined by said core being formed from a high temperature material that is non reactive in the presence of oxygen at very high temperature whereby hazardous wastes including chemically bonded oxygen may be directly processed at high temperatures for decomposition.

Claim 8

The system of claim 6 further defined by said core being formed of a material chosen from the group of silicon carbide and zirconia or titania.

Claim 9

The system of claim 1 further defined by a cylinder disposed within said shell about said core and defining an annular space between shell and cylinder, and a packed bed disposed in said annular space for transferring heat to said carrier gas in passage through said packed bed.

Claim 10

The system of claim 8 further defined by a tube disposed concentrically within said cylinder and spaced therefrom, and said packed bed extending through an opening in said cylinder into the space between said tube and cylinder.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1 further defined by said core being hollow and divided into two halves longitudinally thereof from the top to a short distance from the bottom by a pair of slots spiraling about the core to define an elongated electrical path between the two halves at the top of the core, a variable power supply connected between the two halves of said core at the top thereof, and a top plate across the top of said shell and mounting said core to depend therefrom.

Claim 12

The system of claim 1 further defined by a heat exchanger disposed exteriorly of said shell and connected for passage of reactor influent and effluent carrier gas therethrough for heat exchange therebetween.

Claim 13

A hazardous waste disposal system comprising a reactor having a central substantially vertical hollow core of material impervious to oxygen and very high temperatures in excess of 1500° farenheit and defining a vertical reaction zone therethrough, means forcing a carrier gas through said reaction zone, means heating said core to a very high temperature, means continuously feeding hazardous waste in finely divided solid form into the top of said reaction zone though which carrier gas flows, means controlling the residence time of hazardous waste in said reaction zone for producing carbon dioxide, water and glassified non-leachable solid particles of said waste as the product of said reactor, and means removing the product of said reactor from the bottom of said reaction zone for conventional waste disposal.

Claim 14

A hazardous waste disposal system comprising a reactor having a central substantially vertical hollow core of material impervious to oxygen and very high temperatures in excess of 1500° farenheit and defining a vertical reaction zone therethrough, means forcing a carrier gas through said reaction zone, means heating said core to a very high temperature, means continuously feeding hazardous waste in finely divided solid form into the top of said reaction zone though which carrier gas flows, means controlling the residence time of hazardous waste in said reaction zone for producing carbon dioxide, water and glassified non-leachable solid particles of said waste as the product of said reactor, and means removing the product of said reactor from the bottom of said reaction zone for conventional waste disposal.

Claim 15

A hazardous waste reactor system comprising means defining a central reaction zone an electrical heater disposed through said reaction zone for energization to rise the temperature thereof to the order of 1600° fahrenheit or more, means defining at least one packed bed adjacent said reaction zone for receiving heat therefrom, means forcing a carrier gas through at least one of said packed beds and into said reaction zone, and means injecting hazardous waste in liquid or gaseous form into said carrier gas exteriorly of said reaction zone for heating in said packed bed and decomposition by heat in said reaction zone.

Claim 16

A hazardous waste reactor system comprising means defining a central reaction zone an electrical heater disposed through said reaction zone for energization to rise the temperature thereof to the order of 1600° fahrenheit or more, means defining at least one packed bed adjacent said reaction zone for receiving heat therefrom, means forcing a carrier gas through at least one of said packed beds and into said reaction zone, and means injecting hazardous waste in liquid or gaseous form into said carrier gas exteriorly of said reaction zone for heating in said packed bed and decomposition by heat in said reaction zone.

Claim 17

The system of claim 13 further defined by said means defining at least one packed bed further defining adjacent counterflow passages about said reaction zone in heat conducting relation to each other and to said reaction zone for heating hazardous waste in said carrier gas to a very high temperature before entry into said reaction zone.

Claim 18

The reactor system of claim 13 further defined by said means defining said reaction zone and said packed beds comprising concentric cylinders with packed beds therebetween for defining tortuous labyrinthine paths for carrier gas before entering said reaction zone.

Claim 19

A hazardous waste reactor system comprising means defining a central reactor zone, an electrical heater disposed in said reactor zone for energization to raise the temperature thereof to the order of 1600° F. or more, means defining a plurality of packed beds in heat exchange relation to said reactor zone, means forcing a carrier gas through said packed beds and said reactor zone, and means controllably injecting hazardous waste in liquid or gaseous form into said carrier gas for passage through said packed beds and reactor zone to decompose said hazardous waste into safe residue.

Claim 20

A hazardous waste reactor system comprising means defining a central reactor zone, an electrical heater disposed in said reactor zone for energization to raise the temperature thereof to the order of 1600° F. or more, means defining a plurality of packed beds in heat exchange relation to said reactor zone, means forcing a carrier gas through said packed beds and said reactor zone, and means controllably injecting hazardous waste in liquid or gaseous form into said carrier gas for passage through said packed beds and reactor zone to decompose said hazardous waste into safe residue.

Claim 21

The system of claim 16 further defined by said means defining a reactor zone comprising a tube, and said means defining packed beds including a plurality of concentric cylinders about said tube with end connections for establishing an elongated heat exchange path for carrier gas and hazardous waste prior to entry into said reactor zone for raising said waste to predetermined temperatures in zones defined by separate packed beds.