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VESSEL SEWAGE DISPOSAL USING EXHAUST GAS WASTE HEAT

Towboat operators should be interested in a sewage disposal system developed by the Crounse Corporation and operating since July 1, 1971 on board their towboat ELEANOR. There is no overboard discharge to the river so there can be no problem with water quality standards, whatever they may be in future. The basic idea is to use the very large amount of waste heat in the main engine exhaust gas to incinerate the comparatively small amounts of water and solids which must be disposed of. The equipment now used on the ELEANOR consists of: A. A 275 gallon holding tank which has a cone shaped bottom. B. A conventional pump-macerator located in the bottom of the tank. C. A by-pass line and valve which allows recirculation through the holding tank or discharge to the exhaust pipe. D. 1/2 in. copper tubing from the pump to inside the exhaust pipe from the main engine below the muffler. The end of the tube is flattened. E. An automatic switch to stop the pump if the main engine is slowed down. The pump must be restarted by hand. The amount of heat is so great that the water instantly flashes into very hot, invisible steam, the small particles of solids are burned, and any bacteria which happens to be present has zero life expectancy. There is no difference in the appearance of the exhaust and there is no smell. Nothing can be found on a fine mesh screen held over the stack. The material pumped into the stack simply vanishes. The ELEANOR has a 1200 horsepower GM 12-567C engine and a crew of seven. The daily accumulation in the holding tank is averaging about 210 gallons, or 30 gallons per man. The normal exhaust temperature coming out of the engine and out of the stack is 650 degrees to 700 degrees. A pumping rate of about 1.5 gpm lowers the temperature at the top of the stack to 530 degrees. The temperature of the exhaust coming out of the engine is not affected. Obviously, the higher the pumping rate in relation to the size of the engine, the more the exhaust will be cooled. The minimum temperature at which the exhaust gas must come to the atmosphere to accomplish the desired results under all weather conditions is not yet known, but it is probably about 400 degrees. The size of the holding tank is subject to any variation desired according to the size of the crew and the intervals expected between opportunities to pump the tank. It has not yet been determined what will be the best pump-macerator combination, however, it will probably be better to have all machinery outside the tank. Some recirculation through the tank seems necessary for mixing. The Crounse Corporation would like to hear from anyone else using this method as the basic idea seems sound for any towboat which operates at full load for reasonable lengths of time. This is a method, not a product, and the Crounse Corporation has made the information available in case other operators or shipyards may wish to experiment with it.

  • Corporate Authors:

    Crounse Corporation

    2626 Broadway
    Paducah, KY  United States  42001
  • Publication Date: 0

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00019551
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Crounse Corporation
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Nov 25 1972 12:00AM