Abstract
Thermal desorption systems are designed to remove organic compounds from solid matrices such as soils, sludges and filter cakes without thermally destroying them. It is a separation technology, not a destruction technology. Since it is a thermal process, there is a common belief that temperature is the only significant parameter to be monitored. While it is true that better removal efficiencies are usually achieved at higher temperatures, other factors must be considered. Since the process is governed by mass transfer, heating time and the amount of mixing are also key parameters in optimizing removal efficiency. Thermal desorption have been successfully used for just about every organic contaminant found to date. It has also been used to remove mercury. In the present study, the numerical simulation has been performed to investigate the characteristics of heat transfer of LTTD(low temperature thermal desorption). The commercial software, AMESIM was applied for analyzing the heat transfer process in the LTTD.