System and method for active cooling of a grate bar for an incinerator of a waste-to-energy plant

1. A cooling system for a grate bar of an incinerator of solid materials, comprising:

a feed grate having a plurality of grate bars, at least one of the grate bars including a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end and a second end, a first aperture in the body and a second aperture in the body, and an internal passageway defined within the body and fluidly connecting the first aperture to the second aperture, the first aperture arranged to receive a gas therethrough into the body, and the second aperture arranged to provide an egress for the gas out of the body;

a manifold duct fluidly coupled to the second aperture for receiving the gas from the second aperture;

wherein the gas is independent of the primary combustion air of the incinerator.

2. The cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one of a flue gas recirculation system, a secondary air system and a tertiary air system fluidly connected to the manifold duct;

wherein the gas within the manifold duct is used to preheat a flue gas of the flue gas recirculation system, a secondary air of the secondary air system or a tertiary air of the tertiary air system; and

wherein the secondary air and tertiary air are independent of the primary combustion air.

3. The cooling system of claim 2 , wherein:

the flue gas recirculation system is configured to reinject recycled flue gases into hot combustion gases above the feed grate;

the secondary air system is configured to inject the secondary air into the hot combustion gases above the feed grate; and

the tertiary air system is configured to inject the tertiary air into the hot combustion gases above the feed grate.

4. The cooling system of claim 3 , wherein:

the gas is draught air.

5. The cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the manifold duct and forming a closed loop with the internal passageway in the body of the grate bar.

6. The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein:

the heat exchanger is further configured to transfer heat from the gas to another fluid.

7. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein:

the gas is steam.

8. A grate bar for an incinerator, comprising:

a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

an first aperture formed in the body;

a second aperture formed in the body; and

an internal passageway defined within the body and fluidly connecting the first aperture to the second aperture;

wherein the first aperture is configured to receive a gas for circulation through the internal passageway to the second aperture; and

wherein the gas is independent from of primary combustion air for the incinerator.

9. The grate bar of claim 8 , wherein:

the first aperture and the second aperture are arranged adjacent to the rearward end of the body.

10. The grate bar of claim 8 , wherein:

the second end of the grate bar defines a nose and a foot; and

the internal passageway extends through the nose and the foot.

11. The grate bar of claim 10 , wherein:

the internal passageway extends from the first aperture towards an adjacent sidewall, turns ninety-degrees and extends forward to the foot, extends laterally across the second end, turns ninety-degrees upward to the nose, extends rearward towards the first end, at an approximate midpoint of the body turns approximately ninety-degrees inward and makes a plurality of spiral loops within the body, and extends rearward to the second aperture.

12. The grate bar of claim 8 , wherein:

the second aperture is configured for connection to a manifold duct for providing the gas to the manifold duct for preheating at least one of a secondary air stream for injection into a furnace above the grate bar, a tertiary air stream for injection into the furnace of the grate bar, and a recycled flue gas stream.

13. The grate bar of claim 8 , wherein:

the gas is draught air.

14. The grate bar of claim 8 , wherein:

the gas is one of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and steam.

15. A method for cooling a grate bar of an incinerator, comprising the steps of:

passing a gas to a first aperture in a body of a grate bar;

circulating the gas through an internal passageway of the grate bar; and

receiving, in a manifold duct connected to a second aperture in the body of the grate bar, the gas;

wherein the gas is independent of primary combustion air of the incinerator.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

preheating at least one of recycled flue gas, secondary air and tertiary air utilizing heat extracted from the body of the grate bar by the gas.

17. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

transferring the heat extracted form the body of the grate bar to a heat recovery system.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein:

the internal passageway forms part of a closed-loop heat transfer system; and

the heat recovery system is configured to provide for at least one of condenser preheating and heating for a district heating network.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein:

the gas is one of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and steam.

20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein:

the gas is draught air.