초록 ▼

Material remediation apparatus includes a remediation drum through which materials, such as soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, are advanced from a feed end to a discharge end of the drum. A tube extending concentrically from the discharge end of the drum into the drum forms a combustion chamber. M

Material remediation apparatus includes a remediation drum through which materials, such as soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, are advanced from a feed end to a discharge end of the drum. A tube extending concentrically from the discharge end of the drum into the drum forms a combustion chamber. Materials being decontaminated advance through an annular space between the tube and the drum. The tube is axially first of converging and then of diverging shape, as viewed from the discharge end of the drum. A turbo burner injects combustible gases into the tube which are burned within the diverging shape of the tube. A portion of the burned gases reflow from the outlet of tube through the annular space to the discharge end of the drum. In a zone of the drum occupied by the tube materials are heated by conduction and radiation of energy passing through the wall of the tube as well as by convective heating from the reflow gases. Hot gases are exhausted from the drum at the feed end thereof. However, hydrocarbons volatilized by the heating process in the annular space first pass with the reflow gases through the combustion chamber and are burned before being exhausted. The exhaust gases are filtered in a baghouse filter. Materials from which hydrocarbons have been extracted by volatilization in the annular space are cooled and reconstituted by water injection. Steam generated as a result of the water injection is filtered in a separate filter section of the baghouse filter.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of remediating a material having short-chain and long-chain hydrocarbon fractions contaminating the material, comprising: placing a material contaminated with short-chain and long-chain hydrocarbon fractions in an intake end of a remediation drum having a discharge end opposite to the intak

A method of remediating a material having short-chain and long-chain hydrocarbon fractions contaminating the material, comprising: placing a material contaminated with short-chain and long-chain hydrocarbon fractions in an intake end of a remediation drum having a discharge end opposite to the intake end of the drum, the drum having a first heating zone extending within the drum from the intake end and a second heating zone continuing within the drum from the first heating zone to the discharge end of the drum; generating a stream of heated gases in a flame region of a combustion chamber tube extending concentrically within the drum and over the length of the second heating zone, the combustion chamber tube having an outflow end disposed adjacent to the first heating zone and a gas intake end disposed adjacent to the discharge end of the drum; diverting a portion of the stream of heated gases from the outflow end of the combustion chamber tube through an annular space extending the length of the second heating zone of the drum between the drum and the combustion chamber tube toward the discharge end of the drum and into the gas intake end of the combustion chamber tube; advancing the material through the remediation drum in a direction from the intake end of the drum toward the discharge end of the drum while repeatedly lifting and dropping the material within the drum; exposing the material in the first heating zone to the stream of heated gases flowing through the drum in a direction counterflow to that of the material advancing through the drum and heating the material in the first heating zone to a first temperature sufficient to dry the material and to volatilize the short chain hydrocarbon fractions contaminating the material; and directing the material advancing through the drum to advance through the annular space of the second heating zone in a co-current flow with the portion of the stream of heated gases diverted from the outflow end of the combustion chamber tube, and heating the material advancing through the annular space within the second heating zone to a second temperature sufficient to volatilize the long-chain hydrocarbons fractions contaminating the material such that the long-chain hydrocarbons fractions so volatilized flow with the portion of the stream of heated gases diverted from the outflow end of the combustion chamber tube into the gas intake end of the combustion chamber tube and through the flame region thereof.