OPTIMIZING THE THROUGHPUT OF HAZARDOUS-WASTE INCINERATORS

This work presents a linear, steady‐state model of a rotary kiln hazardous waste incinerator. Mass balance constraints, energy balance constraints, constraints typically imposed by incinerator permits, and constraints imposed by design limitations are all included in the model. The model is used to perform optimization studies, which maximize a measure of the incinerator's throughput. The sensitivity of the model to uncertainties in the chemical property values of the waste streams is also examined. For the spectrum of case studies examined, the optimal operating conditions are most sensitive to halogen content and water content of the wastes and are less sensitive to variations in heating value and nitrogen content. Copyright © 1990 American Institute of Chemical Engineers