Design and Analysis of the Combustion Chamber in a Wet Scrubber Incinerator using SolidWorks

Abstract

Inadequate waste management often causes serious and detrimental environmental pollution. Conventional methods like landfilling and open burning are still widely used, even though they release toxic gases, thick smoke, and harmful particulates to public health. Incinerators with emission treatment systems present an efficient thermal processing solution to significantly reduce waste volume. Although highly effective, improper combustion chamber design often leads to incomplete combustion and high pollutant emissions. Literature reviews indicate that modifying the gas flow path within the combustion chamber is crucial for thermal efficiency. This study aims to design an incinerator combustion chamber integrated with a wet scrubber, specifically focused on reducing exhaust CO2 emissions without encompassing the further utilization or storage of the captured pollutants. The applied research methods include three-dimensional geometric design and numerical simulations using SolidWorks software. Airflow simulations were executed under steady-state conditions without combustion reactions to observe fluid turbulence patterns. Meanwhile, thermal simulations were run on the solid domain to comprehensively evaluate the temperature distribution. The results validate that the primary combustion chamber and afterburner designs accurately direct the airflow. The presence of a baffle in the afterburner unit creates a recirculation zone that increases turbulence and prolongs the gas residence time, thereby supporting the oxidation process. Furthermore, thermal simulation results prove that the optimal operating temperature was achieved, with the highest hot spot located in the baffle area. The thermal insulation system utilizing fire bricks and ceramic fiber coating successfully maintained safe exterior temperatures. In conclusion, this combustion chamber design facilitates the required thermal stability and optimally strengthens the emission control mechanisms.