Field Investigation of the Temperature Distribution in a Commercial Hazardous Waste Slagging Rotary Kiln

Gas and bed temperatures were studied in a 4.4 m by 12 m, co-current flow, slagging rotary kiln at a commercial hazardous waste incinerator. The visual observations used by the kiln operators to control the process are described. These observations were quantified using thermocouples, radiation pyrometers, and phase-change indicators. The objectives were to estimate the peak bed temperature and compare this to measurements at the kiln exit. The maximum bed temperature occurs toward the middle of this type of kiln and not at the discharge. The slag melting temperature and test pellets with known melting points indicate that the peak bed temperature can be 100−300 K higher than the kiln exit temperature reported by the permanent instruments at this facility. Both broad-band radiation pyrometers and thermocouples give a qualitative temperature indication that can be used for process control, but the readings depend on the sensor locations relative to the incompletely mixed air and combustion products. Two-co...