A PORTABLE AIR CURTAIN DESTRUCTOR FOR BURNING TREES AND BRUSH

THE PRACTICAL AND EFFICIENT MEANS OF BURNING TREES AND BRUSH FROM CLEARING OPERATIONS WAS DEVELOPED ON INTERSTATE ROUTE 44 IN THE ST. LOUIS SUBURB OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSORI. THE CONTRACTOR WAS FACED WITH THE OPEN BURNING PROBLEM BECAUSE OF LOCAL AIR POLLUTION CONTROLS AND FIRE REGULATIONS. HE OBTAINED THE PLANS OF A PORTABLE AIR CURTAIN DESTRUCTOR AND CONSTRUCTED ONE TO SEE IF SATISFACTORY RESULTS COULD BE OBTAINED. THE AIR CURTAIN DESTRUCTOR ESTABLISHED A CURTAIN OF HIGH VELOCITY AIR ABOVE THE FIRE BURNING IN A PIT. AIR CURTAIN IS DELIVERED BY NOZZLES INCLINED APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES BELOW THE HORIZONTAL. AS THE AIR CURTAIN STRIKES THE FAR SIDE OF THE PIT AND DEFLECTS DOWNWARD AND HORIZONTALLY INTO THE FIRE, HIGHER TEMPERATURES RESULT TO INSURE COMPLETE COMBUSTION, PARTICLES IN THE AIR ABOVE THE BURNING MATERIAL ARE PICKED UP BY THE AIR CURTAIN AND RETURNED TO THE BURNING PIT, AND ONLY THE GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION PASS THROUGH THE CURTAIN OF HIGH VELOCITY AIR. THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE AIR CURTAIN DESTRUCTOR ARE: AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINE, A CENTRIFUGAL FAN, AND A CYLINDRICAL DRUM OR PLENUM WITH LONGITUDINALLY SLOTTED NOZZLES TO DELIVERING THE CURTAIN OF AIR TO THE BURNING PIT. WHEN THE AIR CURTAIN DESTRUCTOR IS OPERATING AT MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY, THE FIRE IN PIT REACHES TEMPERATURES IN EXCESS OF 2000 DEGRESS F. BY BURNING TRESS AND BRUSH IN THE AIR CURTAIN DESTRUCTOR, THE CONTRACTOR HAS REALIZED A SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS OVER THE COST OF REMOVING THE MATERIAL AND HAULING IT TO A LAND-FILL AREA.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 2, No 1, PP 52-56, 7 PHOT
• Authors:
  • Wofford, J T
• Publication Date: 1970-2

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Highway Focus

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality management; Brush control; Combustion chambers; Construction; Economics; Portable equipment; Trees; Vegetation control; Waste disposal
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Disposal
• Old TRIS Terms: Clearing; Destruction
• Subject Areas: Construction; Economics; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215321
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 13 1970 12:00AM