System for producing electric power and concurrently disposing of garbage and refuse

Claim 2

A GAR (Garbage and Refuse) disposal means capable of providing a dependable heat output over wide variations in the nature of the GAR supplied thereto, said GAR disposal means comprising a vertically elongated cupola-type furnace; means for feeding combustion air and a primary fluid fuel at the base of said furnace; means for feeding GAR at the top of said furnace; means for receiving said GAR and guiding it axially of said combustion chamber, means at one side of said furnace for discharging hot gaseous combustion products therefrom; means for guiding hot gaseous combustion products first as a central upward flow in thermal contact with at least a part of said means for receiving said GAR and guiding it axially of said combustion chamber, and then as an outer downward flow communicating with said side discharge; means at the bottom of said furnace for removing in the molten state non-combustible residue from said GAR; and, means for individually varying the feeds of said primary fuel, combustion air, and GAR to provide substantial uniformity in the heat content of the gaseous combustion products discharged from said furnace.

Claim 3

The GAR disposal means of claim 1 wherein said furnace comprises a generally cylindrical inner shell of refractory material defining a combustion chamber; an outer generally concentric shell spaced from said inner shell; transverse partition means between said inner and outer shells to form a bustle-like inlet air chamber at the lower portion of said furnace and a hot gaseous combustion products chamber at the upper portion of said furnace; a plurality of circumferentially and vertically spaced tuyeres at the lower portion of said inner shell establishing communication between said inlet air chamber and said combustion chamber; a plurality of circumferentially and vertically spaced tuyeres at the upper portion of said inner shell establishing communication between said combustion chamber and said hot gaseous combustion products chamber; and, one side of said outer shell having an enlarged opening adjacent said partition means providing for discharge of said hot gaseous combustion products.

Claim 4

The GAR disposal means of claim 2 wherein said furnace includes a domed structure at the upper portion thereof providing a GAR receiving chamber, and said means for guiding the feed of GAR axially of said combustion chamber being located at the lower portion of said GAR receiving chamber.

Claim 5

The GAR disposal means of claim 3 wherein said guiding means is of funnel-like contour extending downwardly into said combustion chamber to a point below the lowermost of said upper tuyeres.

Claim 6

The GAR disposal means of claim 3 wherein at least one trap door is provided in said domed enclosure through which GAR is introduced to said GAR receiving chamber and mechanical means is provided for the pressure feeding of GAR through said trap door.

Claim 7

The GAR disposal means of claim 5 wherein said mechanical means is spaced from said trap door such as to assure maintenance of a compressed plug of GAR externally of said trap door, said compressed plug of GAR providing a supplementary seal to said domed enclosure.

Claim 8

The GAR disposal means of claim 2 wherein a feed line for said primary fluid fuel is arranged within said bustle-like chamber and disposed to introduce said primary fuel to said combustion chamber through said plurality of circumferentially and vertically spaced lower tuyeres.

Claim 9

The GAR disposal means of claim 7 wherein said fuel feed line at each circumferentially spaced location is divided into three separate feeds passing through said vertically spaced tuyeres.

Claim 10

The GAR disposal means of claim 8 wherein each of said circumferentially spaced sets of fuel feeds include a horizontally disposed feed, an upper and upwardly directed feed and a lower and downwardly direction feed.

Claim 11

The GAR disposal means of claim 2 wherein the portion of said inner shell below said lower tuyers forms a reservoir for collecting non-combustible residue of said GAR in a molten state as stratified layers comprising an upper molten ceramic layer and a lower molten metal layer, said reservoir having vertically spaced discharge means for separately withdrawing therefrom said molten ceramic and metal layers.

Claim 12

A GAR disposal means as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for discharging hot gaseous combustion products communicates directly with steam generating means.

Claim 13

A GAR disposal means as defined in claim 11 wherein said steam generating means includes means for the collecting and removing of particled materials entrained in said hot gaseous combustion products.

Claim 14

A GAR disposal means as defined in claim 11 wherein said steam generating means includes means for preheating combustion air supplied to said furnace.

Claim 15

A combination power generating and GAR disposal means characterized as providing a uniform dependable power output over wide variations in the nature of the GAR supplied thereto, said combination power generating and GAR disposal means comprising a vertically elongated cupola-type furnace; means for feeding combustion air and a primary fluid fuel at the base of said furnace; means for feeding GAR at the top of said furnace; means for receiving said GAR and guiding it axially of said combustion chamber; means at one side of said furnace for discharging hot gaseous combustion products therefrom; means for guiding hot gaseous combustion products first as a central upward flow in thermal contact with at least a part of said means for receiving said GAR and guiding it axially of said combustion chamber, and then as an outer downward flow communicating with said side discharge; means at the bottom of said furnace for removing in the molten state non-combustible residue from said GAR; means for individually varying the feeds of said primary fuel, combustion air, and GAR to provide substantial uniformity in the heat content of the gaseous combustion products discharged from said furnace; and said means for discharging hot gaseous combustion products communicating directly with the steam generating means feeding steam turbine and alternator means of an electric power generating installation.

Claim 16

A combination power generating and GAR disposal means characterized as providing a uniform dependable power output over wide variations in the nature of the GAR supplied thereto, said combination power generating and GAR disposal means comprising a vertically elongated cupola-type furnace; means for feeding combustion air and a primary fluid fuel at the base of said furnace; means for feeding GAR at the top of said furnace; means for receiving said GAR and guiding it axially of said combustion chamber; means at one side of said furnace for discharging hot gaseous combustion products therefrom; means for guiding hot gaseous combustion products first as a central upward flow in thermal contact with at least a part of said means for receiving said GAR and guiding it axially of said combustion chamber, and then as an outer downward flow communicating with said side discharge; means at the bottom of said furnace for removing in the molten state non-combustible residue from said GAR; means for individually varying the feeds of said primary fuel, combustion air, and GAR to provide substantial uniformity in the heat content of the gaseous combustion products discharged from said furnace; and said means for discharging hot gaseous combustion products communicating directly with the steam generating means feeding steam turbine and alternator means of an electric power generating installation.