US3590756A

US3590756A - Incinerating method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3590756A
Application number: US32222A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter Erman
Original assignee: ERMAN Inc
Current assignee: ERMAN Inc
Priority date: 1970-04-27
Filing date: 1970-04-27
Publication date: 1971-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 1988-07-06

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for incinerating a railroad car in an incineration housing wherein the railroad car is ignited and a stream of air is delivered along the underside of the car while it is being burned. For railroad cars of the type having a center door opening, and as an alternative to, or in addition to, the stream of air on the underside of the car, air is blown into the interior of the car through the door opening during burning. The products of combustion produced during the burning are treated.

Description

United States Patent inventor Walter Erman Chicago, Ill.

Appl. No. 32,222

Filed Apr. 27, 1970 Patented July 6, 1971 Assignee Erman, incorporated Chicago, 111.

Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 695,488, Jan. 3, 1968.

INCINERATING METHOD AND APPARATUS 37 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

U.S.C1 110/18 C,

263/2 Int. Cl F23g 7/00 Field of Search 1 10/7, 8,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,873,101 2/1959 Babcock 110/18 XP 526,283 9/1894 Anderson 110/8 3,412,985 11/1968 Perry et al. 110/18 X Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague Attorney-Hume, Clement, Hume & Lee

ABSTRACT: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for incinerating a railroad car in an incineration housing wherein the railroad car is ignited and a stream of air is delivered along the underside of the car while it is being burned. For railroad cars of the type having a center door opening, and as an alternative to, or in addition to, the stream of air on the underside of the car, air is blown into the interior of the car through the door opening during burning. The products of combustion produced during the burning are treated.

PATENTED JUL 6 I97! SHEET 2 [1F 6 PATENTEU JUL 6 I971 SHEET 5 OF 6 .m z \3 Q A m M w w m fl Z 7 W \E M M Win i w W w K W ME 0 E W R Q Q? NQ w} lil I J J m0 m. M H. is m QN. vvlU Q g \i INCINEIRATING METHOD AND APPARATUS This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 695,488, filed Jan. 3, I968.

The present invention relates to improvements in air pollution control, and more specifically to an improved incinerating method and apparatus particularly adapted for the incineration of combustible portions of railroad rolling stock.

Incineration is a commonplace technique for removing unwanted combustible materials jn the scrapping of railroad rolling stock. This incineration yields a number of gases, along with liquid and/or particulate materials, all of which are referred to collectively as products of combustion. Included are primarily particulate carbon and its gaseous oxides, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, as well as other products. A large portion of these products are delivered to the atmosphere in the form of gases, or as fine particles in the form of smoke.

A variety of basic methods for removal or oxidation of contaminants are well known, including electrostatic precipitation, oxidizing or afterburning" the combustion products to form harmless oxides, and washing or scrubbing with a liquid. It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for incinerating railroad rolling stock, while minimizing the delivery of such contaminants to the atmosphere. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for incinerating railroad box cars and the like, while maximizing the efficiency of combustion of the combustible materials within the car.

Generally, the present invention relates to an incinerating method and apparatus wherein railroad cars are introduced into a chamber for incineration. In carrying out the method, combustible materials in the car are first ignited. As the car is burned, air is delivered along the underside of the car during the burning, both to feed the fire and to protect the trucks of the car from excess heat. Products of combustion produced during the burning are treated in order to reduce pollution of the atmosphere.

The present invention also provides an improved method for burning railroad cars having a central door opening (e.g., box cars, refrigerator cars, stock cars, and automobile cars), wherein the car is first ignited and air is blown into the interior of the car through the central door opening while the car is burning.

Generally, the apparatus of the present invention comprises an elongated incineration housing having oppositely disposed entrance and exit openings. Means are provided for removing products of combustion from an upper portion of the housing, and means are also provided for removing particulate materials from the products of combustion. To prevent the delivery of products of combustion into the atmosphere from the entrance and exit openings, air curtain means are provided for passing a curtain of downwardly and inwardly at the entrance and exit openings. This curtain of air also serves to feed the fire, and to produce a layer ofcooling air along the floor of the incineration housing.

The invention also provides an apparatus which is especially adapted to the incineration of railroad cars having a central door opening. In addition to the elongated incineration housing having oppositely disposed entrance and exit openings, the apparatus provides means for introducing a stream of air into the interior of the car through the door opening. Again, means are provided for removing products of combustion from an upper portion of the incineration housing, along with means for removing particulate materials from the products of combustion.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an incineration apparatus embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a partial plan view of an incineration apparatus embodying the features of the present invention, showing approximately half of the apparatus beginning at the entrance end;

FIG. 2B is a partial plan view similar to FIG. 2A, showing the remaining half of the apparatus, from the center to the exit end;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 28;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the entrance end of the apparatus, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the air curtain outlet for the air curtain doors employed in the apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an air introduction pipe located within the interior of the incineration chamber;

FIG. 8 is a broken cross-sectional view of the water scrubbing unit taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the outlet end of the apparatus taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 2B; and

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the automatic igniting means employed in connection with the present invention.

As previously mentioned, in carrying out the invention, a railroad car is placed inside an incineration chamber, where it is first moved to an ignition station, At the ignition station, the combustible materials in the car are ignited. Although ignition may be accomplished manually, in the preferred embodiment, this ignition is accomplished by spraying a stream of flammable liquid, such as oil, onto combustible portions of the car to set them on fire.

After the car has been ignited, it is moved to a burning station. According to one embodiment, in the case of railroad cars havinga central door opening (e.g., box cars, refrigerator cars, stock cars, automobile cars, etc.), air is blown into the interior of the car at the burning station. This blowing of air aids in supporting combustion within the interior of the car, which may otherwise be starved for air because the only available air inlet is the open doors of the car. If the car is constructed of wood, the burning will soon open up additional gas ports, making it easier to support combustion. However, many box cars and the like have metal walls, so that it becomes essential to introduce air into the interior of the car through the door in order to achieve complete combustion. In one embodiment of the invention, oxygen-enriched air is delivered into the interior of the car to increase the rate of burning. Such an increase is particularly important during the early stages of combustion, when it is sometimes difficult to start the fire.

In the specific embodiment shown and described herein, the car is moved to a plurality of burning stations in order to permit a plurality of cars to be incinerated at the same time. Thus, a first car is first moved to an ignition station, at which combustible materials in the car are ignited. The first car is then moved downstream (i.e., toward the exit end) to a first burning station. At the first burning station, air may be delivered into the interior of the car while it is burning, as previously described. A second car is then moved to the ignition station, where it is ignited. The first car may or may not be moved at this time. After the second car has been ignited, the second car is moved downstream to the first burning station. At the same time, the first car is moved downstream to a second burning station, where air may again be blown into the interior of the car. When it is desired to introduce a third car into the apparatus, the first car is moved downstream to a subsequent burning station, while the second car behind the first car is moved to the previous, i.e., the second burning station. Additional cars are introduced into the chamber behind the second car. Thus, the number of cars that may be simultaneously burned within the apparatus depends to a large extent upon the number of burning stations. Generally, about 1 hour is required to burn an entire box car, and the rate of operation must be geared to this time requirement.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the car is cooled with a spray of water subsequent to the burning. This cooling reduces the introduction of smoke into the atmosphere through the smoldering that would otherwise occur.

The preferred embodiment shown in the drawings is primarily adapted to the incineration of railroad cars having a central door opening, e.g., box cars. Accordingly, in the following description, it is assumed that this type of car is being incinerated. However, it will be understood that other types of cars may also be incinerated according to the present invention, and that these cars may be interspersed with, or may entirely replace, the cars having a central door opening.

Referring to the drawings, an incinerator embodying the features of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the incinerator has an elongated incineration housing 12, which is externally supported by a plurality of A-frame members 14 having their ends imbedded in the earth 16. The A-frame members 14 and housing I2 are particularly well shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, the incinerator 10 has an entrance opening 18 at one end. FIG. 9 shows the exit opening 20 at the opposite end. A pair of tracks 19 are positioned on the floor 21 of the incineration housing 12, and a pair oflow-lying earth retaining walls 23, of concrete or the like, are positioned adjacent to the tracks 19.

As previously mentioned, the apparatus of the present invention provides means for passing a curtain of air downwardly and inwardly at the entrance and

exit openings

18, 20, respectively. This air curtain serves three functions. First, it prevents smoke from escaping from the incineration housing 12 through the entrance and

exit openings

18, 20, while at the same time avoiding any necessity for a mechanical door that must be opened and closed every time it is desired to introduce or remove a railroad car. Secondly, the air curtain provides air to feed the fire within the incineration housing 12. Thirdly, the air curtain provides a stream of cooling air along the floor of the'incineration housing I2, to prevent excessive heat from being delivered to the trucks of the car.

As shown in FIGS. 1, and 2A the air curtain at the entrance opening is produced by a fan 22, mounted on suitable support means 24, which delivers atmospheric air from an air inlet 25 through an air pipe 26 to an air chamber 28. As shown in FIG. 4, the air chamber 28 has an air curtain'outlet 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the air curtain outlet 30 has a plurality of internal, parallel vanes 32 which form a plurality of generally rectangular outlet ports 34. In the most preferred embodiment, the air curtain outlet 30 also includes movable baffle 36, which is hinged adjacent to the outlet ports 34. The baffle 36 permits minor adjustments in the direction of the air coming from the air curtain outlet 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, the air curtain outlet 30 produces an air curtain at a downward and inward angle, as shown by the arrows. In the most preferred embodiment, this inward angle is about lO-l5 from the vertical. In the embodiment shown, an air guide trough 38 is scooped out of the earth 16 which forms the floor of the incineration housing l2. This air guide trough 38 aids in directing air from the air curtain into the interior of the incineration housing 12.

The means for producing the air curtain at the exit opening 20 are identical to the means described above for producing the air curtain at the inlet opening 18, and therefore the air curtain means at the exit opening 20 are not shown in detail in the drawings. Referring to FIG. 28, these air curtain means at the exit opening 20 include a fan 40, an air pipe 42, an an air chamber 44, and an air curtain outlet 46.

In the preferred embodiment, the

air chambers

28, 44, communicate with one another through an air chamber communication pipe 48 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, which runs along the top of the incineration housing 12. This air chamber communication pipe 48 has a valve 50 at one end thereof. The air chamber communication pipe 48 is a useful feature when the incineration apparatus 10 is located out of doors, as will usually be the case. In the event that there is a strong wind blowing toward either the entrance opening 18 or the exit opening 20, the combined effect of the wind and the air curtain will tend to defeat the effect of the air curtain at the opposite end, causing a draft through the entire length of the incineration housing 12, and raising the danger of the delivery of pollutants to the atmosphere through the entrance or exit opening.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, if a strong wind blows toward the entrance opening 18, for example, the fan 22 associated with the entrance opening 18 would be shut off, and the valve 50 on the air chamber communication pipe 48 would be opened. This procedure substantially reduces the flow of air from the air curtain outlet 30 at the entrance opening 18. The air curtain would simply have the effect of directing the incoming air in a downward direction, and the wind itself would act to shield the entrance opening 18. On the other hand, the fan 40 associated with the exit opening 20 would continue to operate, so that an air curtain of nearly normal volume and velocity would be delivered across the exit opening 20. If the wind should blow toward the opposite end of the apparatus 10, the above procedure would simply be reversed.

As previously mentioned, where a car has a central door opening, the present invention provides means for introducing a stream of air into the interior of a burning car through the door opening. To this end, a pair of air blower pipes 52 communicated with the air chamber 28, and run lengthwise along the interior of the incineration housing 12. The air blower pipes 52 are positioned approximately 40 inches above the tracks 19, i.e., slightly above the level of the floor of a standard box car. Referring to FIG. 6, these air blower pipes 52 have a plurality of air injector pipes 56 communicating therewith and projecting horizontally inwardly toward the center line of the incineration housing 12. As shown in FIG. 7, each air injector pipe 56 has a flattened end which expands the air stream as it is directed to the interior ofa box car.

Referring to FIG. 2A, the air injector pipes 56 are spaced from one another at the distance between door openings of two uncoupled box cars. Since standard cars are either 40 or 50 feet long, these injector pipes are preferably spaced about 43 feet apart, so that they will meet the door openings of either length of car. The air blower pipes 52 communicating with the air chamber 23 associated with the entrance opening 18 travel approximately to the center of the incineration housing 12. A similar pair of air blower pipes 54 having air injector pipes 56 communicate with the air chamber 44 associated with the exit opening 20. These air blower pipes 54 supply the air to railroad cars in the second half of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2B.

A plurality of smoke collectors 64, of generally horizontal cylindrical configuration, are positioned at the top of the incineration housing 12. These smoke collectors 64 have smoke ports or openings 66 on the underside thereof, communicating with the interior of the incineration housing l2. Smoke and gases collected by the smoke collectors 64 are delivered to a pair of primary manifolds through primary smoke delivery pipes 70. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 28, one primary smoke delivery pipe 70 communicates with each of the smoke collec tors 64. The primary smoke delivery pipes along one side of the incineration housing 12 communicate with a first primary manifold 72, while the pipes on the opposite side of the housing 12 communicate with a second primary manifold 74. The first and second primary manifolds 72, 74, communicate, respectively, with a first secondary manifold 76 and a second secondary manifold 78. This communication is provided by a plurality of secondary smoke delivery pipes 30. The relationship between the smoke collectors 64, the primary smoke delivery pipes 70, the primary manifolds 72, 74, the

secondary manifolds

76, 78, and the secondary smoke delivery pipes 80 is particularly well shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, taken together with FIG. 6.

Smoke and gases which are the products of combustion of a railroad car burning within the incinerator housing 12 pass through the primary smoke delivery pipes 70, primary manifolds 72, 74, secondary smoke delivery pipes 80, and

secondary manifolds

76, 78, to first and second combustion products removal systems, generally indicated respectively by

reference numerals

82 and 84. Since these combustion

products removal systems

82, 84 are identical, they will be simultaneously described, and like parts will be designated by like reference numerals.

Products of combustion from the

secondary manifolds

76, 78 first pass into an afterburner 86 having a refractory lining, and having a plurality of gas jets 88. These gas jets 88 deliver an ignited gas-air mixture into the afterburner 86, burning many of the solid products of combustion and completely oxidizing many of the partially oxidized gases such as carbon monoxide. The products of combustion then pass through a series of baffles 90, which intercept many of the particulate materials that were not removed in the afterburner 86.

After passing through the baffles 90, the products of combustion pass into a scrubber 92. As shown in FIG. 8, the scrubber 92 has a plurality of water spray nozzles 94 positioned in an upper portion thereof. These water spray nozzles 94 spray water downwardly within the scrubber 92, carrying solid particles with them, and dissolving water-soluble gases. A plurality of drain pipes 96 communicate with the bottom of the scrubber 92. In the present invention, these drain pipes 96 each communicate with the interior of the scrubber 92 through a well formed by an upstanding wall 100, which rises 11 short distance above the floor 98. The use of the short walls 100 causes a shallow pool of water 102 to be formed on the floor of the scrubber 92. This water 102 is drawn off at the top, so that solid materials collected within the scrubber 92 will be swirled to the drain pipe 96, Preferably the scrubber in cludes means for turning on only a portion of the water spray nozzles 94, since all of them may not be needed when relatively little smoke is being produced.

After the combustion products have been delivered to the scrubber 92, most of the atmospheric pollutants will have been removed. The gases, which are now relatively free ofparticles, pass through a second series of baffles 104 to a fan 105. The fan 105 is driven by an electric motor 106 through a belt 107. The fan 105 delivers the gases to a stack 108, which, in turn, delivers the gases to the atmosphere. The stack 108 is equipped with a photo cell 110 and a light source 112, shown in FIG. 3, which are directed at one another through openings (not shown) located on opposite sides of the stack 108. The photo cell is adapted to measure the density of particle content in the products of combustion delivered to the stack 108.

A particular advantage of having two combustion

products removal systems

82, 84 is that one of the systems may be shut down in the event that the incinerator is being operated at partial capacity. Since the smoke collectors 64 are parallel to one another, such an arrangement permits products of combustion to be removed from the incineration housing 12 along its entire length, even when only one of the combustion

products removal systems

82, 84 is in operation.

In the most preferred embodiment, the incineration housing 12, smoke collectors 64, primary smoke delivery pipes 70, primary manifolds 72, 74, secondary smoke delivery pipes 80, and

second manifolds

76, 78, are all constructed of sheet metal, which is much less expensive than refractory materials. Because the incineration housing 12 is suspended from external A-frame members 14, these structural supports will not be affected by the heat. However, the sheet metal must be cooled in order to withstand the high temperatures involved. Therefore, the apparatus of the present invention is preferably provided with means for spraying water over the exterior of the aforementioned sheet metal portions. Referring to FIGS. 2A, 2B and 7, water for cooling the exterior ofthe incinerator 10 is carried along the length of the incineration housing 12 by a water supply pipe 116, which communicates with a suitable source (not shown) of water under pressure. A plurality of water spray pipes 118 having spray nozzles 120 communicate with the water supply pipe 116 in a manner which produces a spray pattern over the exterior of the incineration housing 12, the

smoke delivery pipes

70, 80, and the manifolds -72, 74, 76. 78.

In order to protect the air curtains at the entrance and

exit openings

18, 20, respectively, from the effects of crosswinds, in the preferred embodiment the incinerator 10 is provided with an entrance wind screen 124 outside the entrance opening 118 and an exit wind screen 126 outside the the exit opening 20. Referring to FIG. 1, the entrance wind screen 124 has a pair of vertical sidewalls 128 and a flat roof 130, forming a tunnellike structure having a wind screen entrance 131. Referring to FIG. 9, the exit wind screen 126 similarly has a pair of sidewalls 132 and a flat roof 134, also forming a tunnellike structure having a wind screen exit 135.

When a railroad car is rolled into the incineration housing 12, it interrupts the air curtain at the entrance opening 18. Similarly, when a railroad car is removed from the incineration housing 12, it interrupts the air curtain at the exit opening 20. This interruption of the air curtains could cause a momentary delivery of pollutants to the atmosphere, which it is desirable to avoid. Accordingly, both the entrance wind screen 124 and the exit wind screen 126 are preferably provided with air blower means to prevent combustion products from being delivered to the atmosphere. These air blower means also serve to prevent delivery to the atmosphere of any combustion products that may escape from the incineration housing 12 during the incineration of a railroad car. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 4, the entrance wind screen 124 is equipped with a secondary air curtain outlet pipe 136 just above the wind screen entrance 131. As shown in FIG. 4, this secondary air curtain outlet pipe 136 produces a downward and inward flow of air, although the overall strength of the curtain will be far below that of the air curtain produced by the air curtain outlet 30 at the entrance opening 18. The secondary air curtain outlet pipe 136 communicates with the air chamber 28 via an air pipe 138.

Since the primary escape of the combustion products will tend to occur through the upper portion of the entrance wind screen 124, a pair of vertical air blower pipes 140 is also provided within an upper portion of the entrance wind screen 124. These vertical air blower pipes 140 have a series of slots 142, which direct a stream of air inwardly as shown by the arrows 144 in FIG. 2A. The vertical air blower pipes 140 also communicate with the air chamber 28 via air pipes 146, as shown in FIG. 4.

The air blower system associated with the exit wind screen 126 is virtually identical to that associated with the entrance wind screen 124 as just described. Accordingly, the wind screen exit has a secondary air curtain outlet pipe 148 connected to the air chamber 44 by an air pipe 150, as shown in FIG. 28. Similarly, a pair of vertical air blower pipes are provided communicating with the air chamber 44 via air pipes 152.

As previously mentioned, in the preferred embodiment, the present invention includes means for spraying a stream of ignited, flammable material into the interior of a railroad box car. Accordingly, an oil pipe 154 and a gas pipe 156 communicate with the interior of the incineration housing 12 near the entrance opening 18, as shown in FIG. 2A. The oil pipe 154 communicates with an oil tank 158, having suitable means (not shown) for producing a pressure therein, and valve means 159 for controlling the flow of oil through the oil pipe 154. At the point at which they project into the incineration housing 12, the oil pipe 154 is above the gas pipe 156 and both pipes, 154, 156 are surrounded by a shield pipe 160, as shown in FIG. 10.

The oil pipe 154 has a nozzle 162 on the end thereof for delivering a fine spray of oil. The gas pipe 156 has an orifice 164 in the end thereof. The gas pipe 156 supplies a pilot light for the automatic ignitor. Thus, when a car is in position for ignition, the valve means 159 is adjusted to produce a flow of oil through the oil pipe 154. The spray coming from the nozzle 162 is ignited by the pilot light from the gas pipe 156 and a stream of flaming oil is sprayed onto combustible portions of the railroad car. Accordingly, the shield pipe is positioned just above the level which coincides with the floor of a standard box car, so that flowing oil may be sprayed into the interior through the open door.

As also previously mentioned, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, means are provided for delivering oxygen-enriched air into the interior ofa railroad box car. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 2A, an oxygen supply pipe 166 communicates with the interior of the incineration housing 12 adjacent to one of the air injector pipes 56 closest to the entrance opening 18. The oxygen supply pipe I66 communicates with an oxygen tank'l68, and has suitable valve means, not shown in the drawings. The oxygen pipe is provided only in association with the air injector pipe 56 closest to the entrance opening 18, since oxygen will ordinarily be required only during the initial stage of burning. In many cases, no oxygen is required at all.

In the most preferred embodiment, the apparatus is provided with cooling means for cooling a railroad car after it is removed from the incineration housing 12. Referring to FIGS. 28 and 9, an inverted U-shaped water spray delivery pipe 170 is positioned within the exit wind screen 126. This water spray delivery pipe 170 has a series of nozzles I72, which spray water over the sides of a railroad car as its passes through the exit wind screen 126. The water spray delivery pipe I70 communicates with the end of the water supply pipe 116 via a water pipe I74.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, a great deal of water is employed in the operation of the incinerator 10. Much of this water will flow to the ground, and will eventually seep into the interior of the incineration housing I2. Accordingly, the earth retaining walls 23 have a plurality of water drainage pipes 176, which deliver water downwardly through the retaining walls 23 to the level of the tracks 19. The floor 21 of the incineration chamber 12 has a pair of drainage channels 1180 running along the outside edges thereof. These drainage channels 180 follow a slight incline from the entrance opening 18 to the exit opening 20, so that a liquid flows out of the apparatus to a suitable drain (not shown). The drainage channels 180 also tend to act as air guides for the air delivered into the incinerator 10 by the air curtains at the entrance and

exit openings

18, 20, respectively.

An air control channel I82 also runs the length of the aeration chamber 12 between the tracks 19. This air control channel 182 also aids in guiding the air from the air curtains along the floor 178 of the incineration housing 12. The air control channel also provides a place for positioning an automatic feed means (not shown) for feeding ears through the apparatus. Such an automatic feed means could, for example, comprise a hook which grips the axle of a car as it moves into the apparatus, guides it to the ignition station, and then guides it to the first burning station. Subsequent cars are pushed along by the first car.

In operation, a railroad car, such as a box car designated in FIG. 3 by reference numeral I84 is delivered to the incinerator 10 along the tracks 19. It will be assumed at the beginning of operation that the incineration housing 12 has no railroad cars in it. The box car 184, with both of its doors open, is delivered through the entrance opening until its doors are even with the shield pipe I60 around the oil pipe 154 and the gas pipe 156 (FIGS. 2A and 110). At this point, the car is stopped. For convenience, the position of this car will be referred to herein as the ignition station." The combustible materials in the car, which are primarily wood, are ignited by opening the valve means I59, delivering a spray of flaming oil into the interior of the car. Number 2 fuel oil is sufficient for this purpose, and about 0.5 to 1.0 gallons are ordinarily required. Generally, this oil is sprayed into the interior of the car over a time period of about 1 minute.

After ignition, the car is moved toward the exit opening until its doors are even with the first pair of air injector pipes 56 (i.e., those closest to the inlet opening I8) as shown in FIG.

2A. This position is referred to herein as the first burning sta-.

tion." While a simple apparatus could employ only one burning station, multiple burning stations are required if it is desired to burn more than one car at the same time.

At the first burning station, air is delivered into the interior of the box car through the air injector pipes 56 to feed the fire.

In the event that the fire is not burning with sufficient intensity (when the wood is wet, for example), oxygen may also be delivered to the interior of the car through the oxygen supply pipe I66.

After about 15 minutes have elapsed, a second box car is delivered to the incineration housing 12 by moving it to the ignition station. When this second box car is at the ignition station, it will interrupt the air curtain delivered by the air curtain outlet 30 above the entrance opening 18. Thus, combustion products from the first car, which is already burning, will have a tendency to escape through the entrance opening 18. However, the secondary air curtain outlet pipe I36 and vertical air blower pipes I40 (FIGS. 2A and 4) prevent the escape of combustion products. The second car is ignited by a spray of flaming oil in the same manner as the first.

After ignition, the second car is moved to the first burning station as previously described. At the same time, the first car will be moved to a position where the doors are opposite the second pair of air injector pipes 56, as shown in FIG. 2A. This position is referred to as the second burning station. At the second burning station, incineration of the flammable portions of the box car is continued.

The foregoing process is repeated as a third and a fourth box car is ignited and delivered to the incineration chamber 12 through the entrance opening 18. As this occurs, the first box car will he moved progressively to a third burning station," with its doors opposite the third pair of air injector pipes 56, shown in FIG. 2B, and to a fourth burning station," with its doors adjacent to a fourth pair of air injector pipes 56. At this point, the incinerator I0 is operating at full capacity.

When the next box car is delivered to the incinerator 10, the box car at the fourth burning station will be pushed out through the exit opening 20. As the car is pushed out, the air curtain produced by the air curtain outlet 46 at the exit opening 20 will be interrupted, so that smoke may escape through the exit opening 20. However, the escape of such smoke into the surrounding atmosphere is prevented by the vertical air blower pipes I40 and the secondary air curtain outlet pipe I48, as previously described in connection with the entrance opening 18.

As the railroad car is removed through the exit wind screen I26, a water spray (FIGS. 28 and 9) from the water spray delivery pipe cools the car, so that smoldering will be reduced when the car leaves the incinerator 10 through the wind screen exit 135.

Cars may be delivered to the incinerator by simply pushing them with a locomotive through the entrance opening 18. Similarly, cars pushed through the exit opening 20 may be removed with a second locomotive. As an alternative to the use of locomotives, the apparatus may be provided with automatic car feed and removal means as previously described. The feed means are located in the central air control channel I82 (FIG. 6), while the removal means are located in a similar channel within the exit wind screen 126. These feed and removal means may operate by gripping the axle of a railroad car.

During operation, the air curtain outlets 30, 46 (FIGS. 2A, 2B, 4, and 5) produce a layer of cool air along the floor 21 of the incineration housing 12. This cooling air prevents the trucks and undercarriages of the railroad cars from being affected by high-intensity heat. In fact, in many instances, it has been noted that rubber air hoses associated with the railroad cars have emerged from the apparatus undamaged from the heat. This cooling air is guided along the floor 2I of the incineration chamber 12 by the retaining walls 23, the drainage channels I80, the air control channel 182, and by the underside of the railroad car itself.

As the railroad cars are incinerated, smoke and gaseous products of combustion are produced. These materials are removed from the incineration housing I2 by the combined effects of the air curtains at the entrance and

exit opening

118, 20, respectively, and the fans I05 associated with the combustion

products removal systems

82, 84. Referring to FIGS.

2A, 2B, and 6, these combustion products pass into the smoke collectors 64 through the smoke ports 66 and then pass through the primary smoke delivery pipes 70 to the primary manifolds 72, 74, and through the secondary smoke delivery pipes 80 to the

secondary manifolds

76, 78. The combustion products are then delivered to the afterburners 86 (FIGS. 2A and 2B) which burn a large proportion of the smoke and further oxidize incompletely oxidized gaseous products of combustion. The remaining smoke and gas is then passed to the scrubbers 92, where most of the remaining particulate material and water-soluble gaseous combustion products are removed. The remaining gases, along with a very small amount of particulate materials, is then delivered to the atmosphere through the stack 108. The smoke emerging from the stack is sensed by the photocell 110, generally has a value on the Ringelman scale in the neighborhood of about l.5.

In the foregoing description, the apparatus of the present invention has been described primarily in connection with the incineration of box cars. It will be understood that the description applies equally to all railroad rolling stock of the type which has center door openings. Included are conventional box cars, stock cars, refrigerator cars, automobile cars, and the like. The apparatus of the present invention may also be used to incinerate other types of railroad rolling stock, such as gondolas, hopper cars, and the like. However, most other types of railroad rolling stock do not have large quantities of wood, and therefore do not ordinarily require incineration prior to being scrapped. Furthermore, railroad cars that do not have a central door opening cannot make use ofthe air injector pipes 56, shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 7. However, since such cars generally have a more open design, no problem is encountered in delivering adequate oxygen for complete combustion. Therefore, when delivering a group of cars having central doors to the incinerator 10, they will be often mixed with other types of rolling stock.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit of scope of the invention.

lclaim:

l. A method for incinerating a railroad car in an incineration housing comprising: igniting combustible materials in said car; delivering a stream of air along the underside of said car while burning said car and treating products of combustion produced during the burning of said car.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said railroad car has a central door opening, and further including the step of blowing air into the interior of sad car through said door opening while burning said car.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 further including the step of blowing oxygen into the interior of said car while burning said car.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of cooling said car with a spray of water subsequent to said burning.

5. A method for incinerating a railroad car having a central door opening in an incineration housing comprising: igniting combustible materials in said car; blowing air into the interior of said car through said door opening while burning said car; and treating products of combustion produced during the burning of said car.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 further including the steps of blowing oxygen into the interior of said car through said door opening while burning said car.

7. The method as defined in claim 5 further including the steps of cooling said car with a spray of water subsequent to said burning.

8. A method for incinerating a railroad car having a central door opening in an incineration housing comprising: moving said car to an ignition station; igniting the combustible materials in the interior of said car; moving said car to a burning station; blowing air into the interior of said car through said door opening while burning said car at said burning station; delivering a stream of air along the floor of said incineration housing, whereby to cool the trucks of said car; and treating the products of combustion produced during the burning of said car.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 further including the steps of cooling said car with a spray of water subsequent to said burning.

10. A method for simultaneously incinerating a plurality of railroad cars in an incineration housing comprising: moving a first car to an ignition station; igniting combustible materials in said first car; moving said first car downstream to a first burning station; moving a second car to said ignition station; igniting combustible materials in said second car; moving said second car downstream to said first burning station; simultaneously moving said first and second cars; and delivering a stream of air along the underside of said cars while burning said cars at said burning stations.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 wherein at least one of said cars has a central door opening, and further including the step of blowing air into the interior of said car through said door opening while said car is burning at said burning station.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, further including the step of cooling said cars with a spray of water subsequent to said burning.

13. lmproved apparatus for incinerating railroad cars comprising: an elongated incineration housing having oppositely disposed entrance and exit openings; means for removing products of combustion from an upper portion of said housing; means for removing particulate materials from said products of combustion; and air curtain means for passing a curtain of air downwardly and inwardly at said entrance and exit openings, and for producing a layer of cooling air along the floor of said incineration housing.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 further including means for passing water over the exterior of said housing.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 further including cooling means positioned beyond said exit opening.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said cooling means comprise means for spraying water over said car.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 further including a wind screen adjacent to said entrance opening and a wind screen adjacent to said exit opening.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 further including air blower means within said wind screen for preventing products of combustion from escaping from said housing through said entrance and exit openings.

1Q. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said means for removing particulate materials include a water scrubber comprising means for spraying a downward stream of water through said products of combustion; means for retaining a pool of water at the base of said water scrubber; and drain means for draining water from the upper level of said pool.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said drain means comprise means projecting upwardly through the floor of said water scrubber and having an opening above the floor of said scrubber.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 further including means for spraying a stream of ignited, flammable material onto said car within said housing.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 further including means within said housing for introducing a stream of air into the interior ofa burning car having a central door opening.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 22 further including means for delivering a stream of oxygen-enriched air into the interior of said car.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said air curtain means include baffle means for adjusting the inward angle at which said curtain of air is delivered.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 further including air pipe means providing communication between said air curtain means at said entrance and exit openings; and valve means on said air pipe means.

i ll

26. Improved apparatus for incinerating railroad cars including cars having a central door opening comprising: an elongated incineration housing having oppositely disposed entrance and exit openings; means within said housing for introducing a stream of air into the interior of said railroad cars through said door openings; means for removing products of combustion from an upper portion of said housing; and means for removing particulate materials from said products of combustion.

27. The apparatus as defined in claim 26 further including means for passing water over the exterior of said housing.

28. The apparatus as defined in claim 26 further including cooling means positioned beyond said exit opening.

29. Improved apparatus for incinerating railroad cars having a central door opening comprising: an elongated incineration housing having oppositely disposed entrance and exit openings; means for removing products of combustion from an upper portion of said housing; means for removing particulate materials from said products of combustion; means for passing a curtain of air downwardly and inwardly at said entrance and exit openings; means for spraying a stream of ignited, flammable material onto combustible portions of said car within said housing; means within said housing for introducing a stream of air into the interior of a burning car through said central door opening; a wind screen adjacent to said entrance opening; and a wind screen adjacent to said exit opening; and air blower means within said wind screens for preventing products of combustion from escaping from said wind screens into the atmosphere.

30. The apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said housing is constructed of metal and is suspended from external A- frame members, and further including means for passing water over the exterior of said housing.

31. The apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said means for removing particulate materials include a water scrubber comprising means for spraying a downward stream of water through said products of combustion and drain pipe means projecting upwardly through the floor of said water scrubber and having an opening above the floor of said scrubber.

32. The apparatus as defined in claim 29 further including means for delivering a stream of oxygen-enriched air into the door of said car within said housing.

33. The apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said air curtain means include baffle means for adjusting the inward angle at which said curtain of air is delivered.

34. The apparatus as defined in claim 29 further including air pipe means communicating between said air curtain means at said entrance and exit openings; and valve means on said pipe means.

35. Improved apparatus for simultaneously incinerating a plurality of railroad cars having a central door opening, comprising: an elongated incineration housing having oppositely disposed entrance and exit openings; means for removing products of combustion from an upper portion of said housing; means for removing particulate materials from said products of combustions; means for passing a curtain of air downwardly and inwardly at said entrance and exit openings; means for spraying a stream of ignited, flammable material into said railroad cars through said central door openings; means within said housing for simultaneously introducing air into the interior of a plurality of burning cars in end-to-end relationship within said housing through said central door openings.

36. The apparatus as defined in claim 35 further including an entrance wind screen adjacent to said entrance opening and an exit wind screen adjacent to said exit opening; and air blower means for preventing products of combustion from escaping from said wind screens into the atmosphere.

37. The apparatus as defined in claim 36 further including cooling means in said exit wind screen for spraying water over said car.

Claims

1. A method for incinerating a railroad car in an incineration housing comprising: igniting combustible materials in said car; delivering a stream of air along the underside of said car while burning said car and treating products of combustion produced during the burning of said car.

13. Improved apparatus for incinerating railroad cars comprising: an elongated incineration housing having oppositely disposed entrance and exit openings; means for removing products of combustion from an upper portion of said housing; means for removing particulate materials from said products of combustion; and air curtain means for passing a curtain of air downwardly and inwardly at said entrance and exit openings, and for producing a layer of cooling air along the floor of said incineration housing.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said means for removing particulate materials include a water scrubber comprising means for spraying a downward stream of water through said products of combustion; means for retaining a pool of water at the base of said water scrubber; and drain means for draining water from the upper level of said pool.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 further including means within said housing for introducing a stream of air into the interior of a burning car having a central door opening.

30. The apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said housing is constructed of metal and is suspended from external A-frame members, and further including means for passing water over the exterior of said housing.