What to do before you nuke your multiple hearth furnace: Practical tips and techniques for improving operation, reducing emissions and meeting the regulations

The paper emphasizes several approaches for improving the operation of multiple hearth sludge incinerators. First, it is highly recommended that auxiliary fuel be added above the combustion hearth, to the maximum practical extent. Secondly, means should be provided to increase gas-phase mixing and turbulence within each hearth, to minimize the formation of localized oxygen-starved regions (pyrolysis pathways) and reduce the kinetic limitations on the destruction of volatile organics and products of incomplete combustion. One should also consider means to improve wet scrubbing system performance, as it complements the combustion process in controlling a variety of related emissions.