Thermal Disposal of Waste Oils

Pollution of the environment by petroleum products is a serious ecological problem. Several methods exist for the disposal of waste oils, including regeneration, burial, and incineration. The incineration of waste oils is widely practiced both in Russia and abroad. However, a significant drawback of this method is the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere. This study presents the results of research aimed at developing a more advanced thermal disposal system for waste oils that ensures complete combustion and reduces harmful emissions. The thermal disposal system consists of a furnace and an emulsion nozzle. The furnace, which includes a combustion chamber and a post-combustion chamber, enables two-zone, two-stage oil combustion. In the combustion chamber, the initial burning of the oil occurs (first combustion zone at t ≈ 600–700°C). The resulting flue gas then enters the post-combustion chamber, where complete combustion is achieved by supplying additional air (second combustion zone at t ≈ 1200–1300°C). At these elevated temperatures, toxic substances in the flue gas undergo full oxidation, converting them into harmless compounds. The emulsion nozzle consists of intersecting grooves that, when supplied with air and heated oil, generate fine oil atomization by forming gas-liquid vortices in the intersecting channels. Using ANSYS software, the spray angle of the emulsion nozzle was calculated. It was found that to adjust the spray range and enable the use of emulsion nozzles in furnaces of different volumes and capacities, the screw angle must be modified. This research contributes to the advancement of waste processing technologies. The proposed solution allows the system to be used in industrial centers, where significant volumes of waste oil accumulate, and in sparsely populated areas. Additionally, it ensures the complete combustion of oil waste and minimizes its negative environmental impact.