Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1989

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Environmental Engineering

Major Professor

Wayne T. Davis

Committee Members

Gregory Reed, Terry Miller

Abstract

This study presents the development of a low-cost compliance tool by which short-term combustion efficiency can be monitored. The more traditional methods of hazardous and solid waste management, such as landfilling and surface impoundment, are being replaced by on-site treatment technologies. Among the best long-term options is some type of thermal treatment for waste management. As the use of thermal treatment increases, the need for effective destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) monitoring also increases. The compliance tool described in this study serves as a low-cost option for monitoring the efficiency of a combustion system. Normally, the demonstration of acceptable emissions is accomplished through a series of trial burns at the start up of a facility. However, as time progresses the destruction and removal efficiency may decrease to unacceptable levels for a variety of reasons including age, changes in operating conditions, and possible faulty maintenance. This simple monitoring device allows for periodic checks by which this type of situation can be identified and rectified, well in advance of serious deterioration in destruction efficiency. This compliance tool assists in improving public security and acceptance. While most scientists and engineers consider incineration to be a favorable option for waste disposal, much of the general public does not. The public's perception of combustion systems, waste emissions, and potentially hazardous secondary chemical reactions has been understandably negative. This tool provides visible evidence to the general public that efforts are being made to monitor and control emissions. This study demonstrates the simplicity and adaptability of this tool. The compliance tool incorporates the devices which are needed for routine monitoring, and they are arranged for convenient use in a single stack port. This tool can be stack-specific or applied to multiple exhaust systems, and it serves as a valuable indicator of minor mechanical perturbations which must be corrected before the major ones develop.

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