Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Destroying the Combustible Matter and Noxious Gases in Sludge and like Wet Refuse.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1898-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Destroying the
Combustible Matter and Noxious Gases in Sludge and like Wet
Refuse.
I, WILLIAM HORSFALL, of Camp Road Iron Works, in the City of Leeds, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my invention is to arrange furnaces suitable for consuming ashes,
market and like refuse, and combining therewith cells into which sewage sludge
either before or after precipitation or subjection to pressure in sludge or like
presses may be deposited, for the purpose of consuming any combustible matter
contained therein, and destroying the noxious vapors arising therefrom, in a
manner so as not to be injurious to the health or inconvenience to persons residing
in the district in which the apparatus may be erected; also to so arrange the cells
that, when thin sludge or what may be termed liquid sludge and like refuse is
to be dealt with, to be enabled to automatically filter the same and allow the
liquid to escape.
In describing my invention in detail, reference is made to the accompanying
drawings in which Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal sectional elevation through the
line a, b, of a refuse apparatus constructed according to my invention, showing
the conduits from the hopper to the cells and connecting flues in end furnaces.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation shown partly in section.
Fig. 3 is a plan.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section through line c, d, showing the connecting flue
between one side of the battery and the other.
Fig. 5 is a similar section on line e, f, through the centre of two furnaces show-
ing the feed opening into the furnaces.
Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line g, h, showing the hopper and conduits
through which the liquid sludge or like refuse is fed to the cells for filtration and
destruction, and
Fig. 7 is a section on irregular line i, j, showing the furnaces and flues leading
to the chimney stack, with the flue openings to chimney also pulley and chain for
suspending the dampers which is shown by dotted lines.
In all the figures similar letters indicate similar parts where they appear.
In carrying out my invention I form a furnace A, at each end of a series of
cells B, one set of cells running on one side of the hopper and another set on the
other side, the whole of which are connected together by continuous flues C, passing
along the crown of the said cells and furnaces A, at each end of the battery, to
the flues connected to a chimney.
The refuse for combustion in the furnace A, is deposited through the open-
ings D, or in any other convenient manner, and dragged on to the plate floor E,
of each furnace by a rake through the door openings F, through which the clinkers
are drawn from the fire bed in the usual manner. The space G, below each plate
floor E, is enclosed and connected by a pipe G¹, to a fan or blower of the ordinary

page_text: description, and through each plate floor E, there are a number of openings pro-
vided with tuyeres H, similar to those used in a blacksmiths hearth, so that the
fires upon the plate floors E, are blown up and a forced draught created, enabling
the refuse- deposited thereon to be more quickly and effectively consumed, and
the heated gases from the furnaces A, to be hotter, which escape to the chimney
stack along the continuous flues C, in the manner as hereinafter described.
The sludge or like liquid or wet refuse is deposited in the hopper J, extending
the entire distance between the inner walls of the end furnaces A, the bottom of
the hopper is connected to each cell B, by a conduit or sluice K, each provided
with a sliding cover plate or door L, opened and closed in any convenient manner,
such as by a rack and pinion operated by a chain M, and pulley N, shown by
Fig. 6, the rack being at one end of the bar 0, which is connected to the cover
plate or door L.
Division walls P', are built at intervals between the end furnaces A, for dividing
the space into a series of cells B, and each division wall is extended upwards to
near the roof Q, of the continuous flue C. The lower portion of each cell B, is
filled with breeze or other filtering agency R, and below the filtering agency R, of
each cell B, is placed a drain pipe S, for conveying the filtered liquid away.
Above each cell 13, is placed a perforated valve plate T, connected by a flue U, to
the continuous flue C, for admitting air thereto, should any be required for
destroying the floating noxious vapors, arising from the sludge or the like
deposited in the cells B.
The sludge and other refuse of a low carbonaceous nature is deposited in the
hopper J, and drawn through the respective conduits K, by a rake through the
doors V, in front of each cell, the liquid in the refuse to some extent percolating
through the filtering agency K, to the drain pipes S, leaving the more solid portion
to be dried, consumed or disinfected by the heat from the furnaces A, passing
over same in the continuous flue C, in its course to the furnace or furnaces at end
of cells and chimney.
The current of heated gases from the furnaces A, may be made to travel in either
direction by the regulation of dampers in flues W, W, connecting the apparatus.to
a chimney stack, and in describing the system of consuming combustible refuse
and destroying the noxious gases contained in the sludge or like refuse drawn
into the cells B, I will explain same by allowing the heated gases to flow through
the apparatus in the direction as shown by the several arrows.
The heated gases from the first furnace A, at the bottom right hand corner of
Fig. 3 passes through the continuous flue C, over the cells B, on one side of the
battery, then over the two furnaces A, at the opposite end as shown by the curved
arrows, and through the continuous flue C, over the cells B, on the other side of
the battery to the last furnace A, where the gases will be the hottest and allowed
to escape through one of the flues W, direct to a chimney stack, or utilized by
passing the same around a boiler for raising steam.
By passing the heated gases over the sludge and other wet refuse deposited in
the cells B, it is dried and any combustible matter contained therein consumed,
the residue or undestructible matter which in the case of sludge will be
mostly sand, is periodically removed from the tanks or cells B, through
the doors V, and being thoroughly disinfected, may be utilized for mixing with
lime for mortar.
By arranging and regulating a damper in each flue W, the circuit for the heated
gases through the apparatus may be reversed, and the greatest amount of heat
brought to act on that side of the battery of cells B, where most needed for
effectively destroying the refuse within the apparatus.
By arranging the current of heated gases to pass over one of the furnaces A,
before entering one of the chimney flues W, any noxious gases not effectually
destroyed are subjected to the heat of another furnace before finally escaping from
the battery.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion. and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The method of destroying combustible material and noxious gases contained
in sludge or other wet refuse by subjecting it to the action of heated gases generated
in furnaces, all arranged substantially in the manner as hereinbefore described.
2. Cells B, in combination with one or more furnaces A, arranged so that the
heated gases generated in the said furnace or furnaces pass over and destroy the
refuse deposited in the said cells.
3. Cells B, provided with a filtering agency R, and drain combined with heat
producing furnaces A, and flues C, arranged substantially in the manner and for
the purpose as herein.before set forth.
4. Furnaces A, having plate floors E, provided with tuyeres H, combined with
a fan or blower, flue C, and cells B, arranged substantially in the manner and for
the purpose as hereinbefore set forth.
5. An apparatus for destroying the combustible material in sludge and like wet
refuse in which are combined a hopper J, with one or more cells B, each provided
with a filtering agency R, all arranged substantially in the manner as shown and
described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1808