RESUMO
This paper investigates the performance of two commercially available sanitary napkin incinerators. On detailed preliminary investigations both the incinerators were found to have shortcomings to meet emission norms as per Indian standards for MSW incinerators. Parameters for the comparison were combustion efficiency and emissions, basically CO and CO2, to assess the quality of combustion. Carefully designed experiments, to improve the performance, revealed the need to evaluate the stochiometric air flow requirement and a need to modify. To enable better combustion inside the combustion chamber, it was established that airflow distribution, and mixing was necessary. The paper analyses the performance of the incinerators towards optimizing the air flow location and the air flow rate in the combustion chamber. Based on these studies it was evident that the commercially available designs are not suitable for five-napkin batches, as claimed by the manufacturers. A higher starting temperature (>600 °C) is essential for quick heating, and optimum an air supply (~10 LPM) is necessary for reducing environmentally sensitive emissions. Results indicated higher combustion efficiency, and a need for meeting the emissions norms as per Indian standards for MSW incinerators. Based on the performance of the devices and arriving at an optimal specification for the design, an alternative method of incineration using LPG gas torch retrofitted over the grate, was tested. The paper also discusses the preliminary results from the new design. The conducive environment in the combustion chamber resulted in higher combustion efficiencies and emissions which conform to Indian emission standards.