Methods and systems are provided for two-stage treatment of contaminated particulate material, such as soil, sediment, and/or sludge. The methods and systems utilize a thermal desorption process combined with a smoldering combustion process. The contaminated particulate material is first exposed to thermal desorption at high temperatures (e.g., greater than 150° C.) to form a heated contaminated particulate material. Next, a smoldering combustion process is initiated by introducing a combustion-supporting gas. The combined process can take place in the same or different treatment units. Treating the particulate material with a thermal desorption process prior to a smoldering combustion process enhances the completeness and throughput compared to operating these processes separately.

Various implementations include an apparatus for thermal processing of medical waste. The apparatus includes a body, a conductive heater, and an air flow device. The body portion defines a chamber for receiving two or more containers of medical waste. The chamber is in fluid communication with a gas processing device for biological materials. The conductive heater is thermally coupled to the chamber to provide heat to the two or more containers. The air flow device is configured to direct discharge gases from the two or more containers to the gas processing device.

Disclosed are methods and systems for producing a gas from a combustible material. In particular, disclosed are methods and systems for batch-type production of a gas from a combustible material. The methods and systems include igniting at least a portion of the combustible material loaded in the sealed containment structure to form a thermally affected layer, wherein the step of feeding the oxidant into the sealed containment structure is carried out so that conversion of the combustible material to a gas at one point in the sequence is initiated prior to complete conversion of the combustible material at a previous point in the sequence.

A pyrolysis waste-to-energy conversion system has a muffle furnace housing a rotating retort drum within the furnace and having an inlet sleeve and an outlet sleeve extending through inlet and outlet ends of the muffle furnace. A rotating retort drum drive applies rotary drive to the inlet rotating retort drum sleeves and an in-feed auger is within a tube within the inlet sleeve. An out-feed auger is within a tube within the outlet sleeve and arranged to deliver char and pyrolysis syngas to a char processing system and a syngas processing system. The inlet sleeve and said outlet sleeve are arranged to provide a gas seal to prevent air ingress or syngas egress to and from the rotating retort drum. A gas cleaning system has a cracking tower arranged to retain inlet gas at an elevated temperature for a residence time, and a gas quench and scrubber system.

A waste treatment incinerator includes a furnace and a microwave transmitting module. The furnace includes a housing defining a treatment space. The furnace includes an activated charcoal layer located in the treatment space. An exhaust pipe is connected to the activated charcoal layer. The microwave transmitting module aligned with the activated charcoal layer. Treatment equipment includes the waste treatment incinerator, a heat exchange system, and a purification module. The heat exchange system includes a first heat exchange module connected to the exhaust pipe of the furnace and a reservoir connected to the first heat exchange module. The purification module includes a gas inlet and a gas outlet. The gas inlet intercommunicates with the first heat exchange module. A sprinkling area is disposed between the gas inlet and the gas outlet.

The invention relates to an apparatus for treating waste material including organic components and radioactive agents. In the apparatus the waste material including organic components and radioactive agents are gasified at temperature between 600-950° C. in a fluidized bed reactor to form a gaseous material. The gaseous material is than cooled in a water quenching device so that temperature is between 300-500° C. after the cooling. The solid fraction including radioactive agents is removed from the gaseous material in a in at least one filtration device. A gas scrubbing device then removes sulphur by scrubbing the treated gaseous material after the filtration in order to form a treated gaseous material.

A pyrolysis reactor system includes a reactor and a contactor mounted above the reactor. The reactor has a shell, an inlet and an outlet. A central shaft runs along its axis and supports agitation blades in a counter-helical arrangement, and an auger. Rotation of the auger in one direction feeds feedstock into the vessel, and in the opposite direction removes char at the end of a batch. The contactor includes four elements with a frusto-conical part supported on vertical support arms, and being connected to a disc by legs. The contactor elements allow short chains to pass through apertures while long chains condense on their surfaces or on the vessel wall surface. There is dynamic tuning of carbon number of gases flowing downstream by active temperature and pressure control at the contactor.

A waste treatment incinerator includes a furnace and a microwave transmitting module. The furnace includes a housing defining a treatment space. The furnace includes an activated charcoal layer located in the treatment space. An exhaust pipe is connected to the activated charcoal layer. The microwave transmitting module aligned with the activated charcoal layer. Treatment equipment includes the waste treatment incinerator, a heat exchange system, and a purification module. The heat exchange system includes a first heat exchange module connected to the exhaust pipe of the furnace and a reservoir connected to the first heat exchange module. The purification module includes a gas inlet and a gas outlet. The gas inlet intercommunicates with the first heat exchange module. A sprinkling area is disposed between the gas inlet and the gas outlet.

A continuous reflux reactor and controlled condenser system for thermochemical treatment of plastic and/or elastomeric waste has five zones with different complements. The zones comprises the bottom zone, pyrolysis zone, meeting zone, reflux zone and extraction zone. The reactor uses a reflux zone to increase the production of a light oil in the process. The reflux zone is equipped with some studded tubes that enhances the contact area. Cold molten salt is used as the cooling element of this step. The pyrolysis zone, where the material will be pyrolyzed, has the differential of being equipped with molten salt coils using hot molten salt as the heating element. After the material passes to all zones, the material goes to a cyclone that will condense heavier hydrocarbons present in this step and send the light hydrocarbons to the condensers.

A continuous reflux reactor and controlled condenser system for thermochemical treatment of plastic and/or elastomeric waste has five zones with different complements. The zones comprises the bottom zone, pyrolysis zone, meeting zone, reflux zone and extraction zone. The reactor uses a reflux zone to increase the production of a light oil in the process. The reflux zone is equipped with some studded tubes that enhances the contact area. Cold molten salt is used as the cooling element of this step. The pyrolysis zone, where the material will be pyrolyzed, has the differential of being equipped with molten salt coils using hot molten salt as the heating element. After the material passes to all zones, the material goes to a cyclone that will condense heavier hydrocarbons present in this step and send the light hydrocarbons to the condensers.