System for Removing Pollutants From Incinerator Exhaust

A system for removing pollutants — primarily sulfur dioxide and mixed oxides of nitrogen (NOx) — from incinerator exhaust has been demonstrated. The system is also designed secondarily to remove particles, hydrocarbons, and CO. The system is intended for use in an enclosed environment, for which a prior NOx-and-SO2-removal system designed for industrial settings would not be suitable. The incinerator exhaust first encounters a cyclone separator, a primary heat exchanger, and a fabric filter that, together, remove particles and reduce the temperature to 500 °C. The exhaust then passes through a porous bed, maintained at ≈ 450 °C, that contains Na2CO3, which absorbs SO2.