What is a Thermal Recuperative Oxidizer?
A thermal recuperative oxidizer (TRO) is a type of pollution control equipment that is used to treat industrial exhaust streams that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulates. It takes VOCs and HAPs, and converts them into harmless carbon dioxide. This is accomplished through the pollution treatment method known as thermal oxidation. A TRO is essentially a direct fired thermal oxidizer, with a primary and/or secondary heat recovery source. The most commonly used heat exchanger for a TRO is a tube and shell heat exchanger. The addition of this heat recovery source makes the TRO a more cost-effective option, because it uses significantly less natural gas to operate. This is because the heat collected in the primary heat recovery is used to pre-heat the chambers, instead of using natural gas to heat them.
How does a Thermal Recuperative Oxidizer work?
The VOC and HAP laden exhaust stream is pushed into the system inlet by a high-pressure fan system, where it is then directed into the tube side of the high efficiency cold tube and shell heat exchanger. The contaminated air passes through the combustion chamber, where it is thoroughly cycled for even heating. The stream is heated to an extremely high temperature, which causes an exothermic reaction, which breaks down the particles in the stream; this process converts the dangerous VOCs and HAPs into Carbon Dioxide. After this process is completed in the combustion chamber, the hot clean stream passes back through the now hot tube and shell side of the heat exchanger. The heat recuperated from this last step is then used to heat the combustion chamber. Finally, the cooled, clean exhaust stream is released into the atmosphere. It Is important to recognize that the DRE capabilities of the TRO are substantially greater than a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer.
What is the Value of a Heat Exchanger?
A heat exchanger is a type of equipment used to transfer heat from one fluid to another, in thermal oxidizers. A tube and shell exchanger is generally the most widely used for a TRO. A tube and shell heat exchanger consists of a bundle of tubes, inside of a shell casing. One fluid runs through the tubes, while another runs over them, in the shell, transferring the heat from one fluid to another. The heat can then be used as energy to run the TRO, or for other plant energy needs. Multiple heat exchangers can be used, to achieve even higher levels of thermal efficiency, and sustainability.
Why Choose a Recuperative Thermal Oxidizer?
- Similar initial investment when compared to similarly sized RTO
- Solid, in-house design and construction, for long equipment life
- 99+% DRE capabilities
- Up to 80% combustion heat recovery
- Can maintain a continuous DRE of 99+%, without interruption, for an extremely prolonged period of time
- A TRO has fewer components and moving parts than other TO options, which makes maintenance requirements significantly lower than other options with natural gas or propane
- Multiple heat exchange options
- Lower running costs
- Minimal heat, and noise pollution
- Multiple in-design safety shut-offs and features
- Automatic and continuous operation
- Fully enclosed heating system, which makes it safer to operate
- Solid, stainless steel construction
- Weatherproof, high-density steel enclosure, allowing the processing of highly concentrated exhaust streams
- Gas trains are all designed to meet international certifications such as CSA, ATEX, KOSHA, TSSA, EN, etc.
Options:
- Custom built, turnkey systems
- Additional heat exchangers
- Ceramic lined reactor
- Adjustable stacks, and multi-bed configurations
- High density insulation
- Option of force, or induced, draft fan arrangements
- Designs available, for smaller or restricted spaces
- Primary and secondary heat recovery systems
- Our In-house produced control panels set us apart!
- UL Rated
- Remote access for monitoring and controls
- Remote service support
Gulf Coast Environmental Systems continues to be one of the most trusted customized pollution control solutions providers in the world. Please reach out to one of our experts today, to discuss your abatement options! Call us at 1.832.476.9024, or email us at sales@gcesystems.com