Energy Sources, Part A, 31:1510–1520, 2009 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1556-7036 print/1556-7230 online DOI: 10.1080/15567030802093989 In-Depth Experimental Study of Solid-Waste Destruction by High Temperature Air Combustion P. SUVARNAKUTA, 1 S. PATUMSAWAD, 2 and S. KERDSUWAN 2 1 The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand Abstract The objective of this article is to investigate the application of high temperature air combustion in thermal destruction of solid waste. The secondary air was preheated at different temperatures and burned with low calorific value and high content of diluted inert gas released from solid waste. It was discovered that the combustion with the higher preheated secondary air temperature had affected an increase in average flame temperature, and reduction in supplementary fuel consump- tion, but caused higher NO X emission. The maximum percentage of energy saving and NO X emission increasing occurred in the case of preheated secondary air at 900 ı C with a value of 56% and 40%, respectively. Keywords energy saving, high temperature air combustion, incineration, solid waste, thermal destruction Introduction Waste management is an increasingly difficult process because materials being discarded are more complex and heterogeneous, and the quantity of waste generation is growing. Different technologies are currently used for this purpose, but incineration is looked upon as most favorable as heat in the incinerator can be used for electricity generation and other applications. Air-staging combustion technique is commonly used for treatment of solid waste. The operation concept involves sequential thermo-chemical processes that take place in two separate chambers. The waste is fed into the primary combustion chamber (PCC). The devolatilization of the waste is initiated under sub-stoichiometric condition combustion, in which the volatile gases leave the PCC and pass to the secondary combustion chamber (SCC). The secondary burner and secondary air are used in SCC in order to maintain the conditions of high temperature, excess oxygen, and high turbulence that result in the complete destruction of the volatile gases which eliminate impacts on health and environ- ment. The recommended range of SCC temperature for infectious-material destruction from U.S. EPA is 980 ı C–1,200 ı C (Jangsawang and Kerdsuwan, 2001). Obtaining and Address correspondence to Pitaksa Suvarnakuta, The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, 1518 Pibulsongkram Rd., Bangsue, Bangkok 10800, Thailand. E-mail: suvarnakuta@yahoo.com 1510