The destruction of hazardous liquid wastes by means of incineration is a viable technique that requires careful monitoring of emissions and combustion efficiency. Modeling efforts in the past have been limited by the absence of fundamental information on the heat, momentum, and mass transfer mechanisms controlling the heating, vaporization, mixing, and combustion of the liquid-waste sprays encountered in real systems. This research effort concentrates on the fundamental processes governing the energy, mass and momentum exchanges between the liquid- and gas-phases, as well as on the chemical reactions involved in the destruction of hazardous liquid wastes. Two distinct geometries are investigated: one consisting of parallel streams of droplets in a channel flow, and another consisting of a swirl-stabilized centerbody reactor. A number of aspects controlling the efficient destruction of hazardous liquid wastes are examined, such as the effects of droplet size distribution, multi-component (fuel-doped) liquid- waste streams, secondary atomization, reactor geometry, efficient flame propagation, and turbulence, among others. The current lack of information has resulted in overly conservative and economically unattractive designs. The results of this program will be useful in the design of more efficient, safer, and economic liquid-waste incinerators.
