ABSTRACT

This paper describes the modeling approach and example results for a newly introduced computational simulation tool to evaluate waste destruction in thermal incineration systems. The Configured Fireside Simulator (CFS) is a software simulator, originally developed for the Department of Defense to evaluate operations of the chemical demilitarization incinerators processing the chemical warfare agent stockpile of the US. The software was later adapted for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide for the ability to run “what if” scenarios of waste streams contaminated with chemical/biological (CB) threat agents in four specific incinerators, including the EPA’s pilot-scale Rotary Kiln Incinerator Simulator (RKIS) facility, as well as three commercial incinerators based on design criteria for actual operating facilities. These commercial incinerators include a Medical/Pathological Waste Incinerator, a Hazardous Waste Burning Rotary Kiln, and a Waste-to-Energy Stoker-type combustor. The CFS uses three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics coupled with detailed chemical kinetic data for destruction of chemical warfare agents, coupled with kinetic data for biological agent destruction derived from bench- and pilot-scale experiments to predict the way agent-containing materials will behave under full-scale combustion conditions in several different incinerator types. The objective of this paper is to describe the CFS software, how it works, and potential applications of this software to real-world situations. This software could be a valuable tool for researchers, regulators, and industry to evaluate potential operating conditions to help guide testing activities and develop operational scenarios for difficult-to-manage waste streams. Although this software has been under development for several years, this paper represents the software’s first introduction to the scientific community in the peer-reviewed literature.

Implications: Adapting the Configured Fireside Simulator that was originally developed for the Department of Defense to evaluate operations of the chemical demilitarization incinerators processing the chemical warfare agent stockpile of the US to provide for the ability to run “what if” scenarios on civilian waste streams contaminated with CB agents is a useful tool for national preparedness. Such a model could be used in planning and response efforts to provide a better understanding of incineration capacity, development of feed strategies, and assessment of throughput limitations for CB incidents as well as other difficult-to-test waste streams and contaminants.

摘要

本文描述了新引入的计算模拟工具的建模方法和示例结果，该工具用于评估热焚烧系统中的废物破坏。配置炉边模拟器（CFS）是一款软件模拟器，最初是为国防部开发的，用于评估处理美国化学战剂库存的化学非军事化焚烧炉的运行情况。该软件后来被美国环境保护署 (EPA) 使用，能够在四个特定焚烧炉（包括 EPA 的试点）中运行受化学/生物 (CB) 威胁剂污染的废物流的“假设”场景小型回转窑焚烧炉模拟器 (RKIS) 设施，以及三个基于实际运行设施设计标准的商业焚烧炉。这些商业焚烧炉包括医疗/病理废物焚烧炉、危险废物燃烧回转窑和垃圾焚烧炉型燃烧器。CFS使用三维计算流体动力学，结合详细的化学动力学数据来销毁化学战剂，并结合从实验室和中试规模的实验中获得的生物制剂销毁的动力学数据，以预测含制剂材料在以下情况下的行为方式：几种不同类型焚烧炉的全尺寸燃烧条件。本文的目的是描述 CFS 软件、其工作原理以及该软件在实际情况中的潜在应用。该软件可以成为研究人员、监管机构和行业评估潜在操作条件的宝贵工具，以帮助指导测试活动并为难以管理的废物流开发操作场景。尽管该软件已经开发了几年，但本文代表该软件在同行评审文献中首次向科学界介绍。

影响：采用最初为国防部开发的配置炉边模拟器，用于评估处理美国化学战剂库存的化学非军事化焚烧炉的操作，以提供对受污染的民用废物流运行“假设”情景的能力与 CB 代理合作是国家做好准备的有用工具。这样的模型可用于规划和响应工作，以更好地了解焚烧能力、制定供给策略以及评估CB事件以及其他难以测试的废物流和污染物的吞吐量限制。