Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer Asphalt Roofing/Shingle

Regenerative  Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) preceded by a Coalescing Fiberbed Filter Mist Collector.  This particular Air Pollution Control System is operating on an Asphalt Roofing & Shingle Manufacturing Plant production line. Typically, Coalescing Fiberbed Filter Mist Collector Systems are stand alone systems designed to capture and collect liquid mists and submicron particles from industrial process exhaust. In this case to combat asphalt plant pollution, the Coalescing Fiberbed Filter Mist Collector was installed preceding the Regenerative (RTO) Thermal Oxidizer to prevent solid & sticky particulate from masking the RTOs ceramic media. Masking of the ceramic media can become very costly in relation to lose of production time and capital cost.
How the Coalescing Fiberbed Filter Mist Collector Works:
The dirty, sticky, oily asphalt process exhaust enters the filter system by means of an induced draft blower.  The process exhaust flows through the main fiberbed filters, where the submicron particles are removed.  The captured liquids drain from the filters and leave the system through a drain in the vessel sump.  The process exhaust then enters the RTO.
Regenerative (RTO) Thermal Oxidizer
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers or commonly referred to as RTO’s are the most energy efficient, cost effective solutions for the reduction of VOCs and odorous air emission… here’s why:
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) eliminates Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and odorous emissions that are discharged from industrial processes. The RTO achieves process emission destruction through the means of high temperature thermal oxidation, converting the pollutants to carbon dioxide and water vapor while recovering the thermal energy generated to reduce operating costs.
Due to RTO’s high thermal energy recovery, they are well suited to applications with low VOC concentrations, yet high waste stream flow rates. The typically operating temperature range for a RTO is from 815°C (1,500°F) to 980°C (1,800°F).
How the Air-Clear RTO Works:
VOC and HAP laden process gas enters the RTO (Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer) through an inlet manifold where valves (butterfly or poppet) direct this gas into energy recovery chambers where the process gas and contaminants are heated in the ceramic media beds as the gas moves toward the combustion chamber.
Types of Ceramic Media:
Once oxidized in the combustion chamber, the hot purified air releases thermal energy as the organics is oxidized, also reducing fuel use. The hot ‘cleaned’ gas passes through the outlet media bed. The outlet bed is heated and the gas is cooled so that the outlet gas temperature is only slightly higher than the process inlet temperature. Valves alternate the airflow direction into the media beds to maximize energy recovery within the oxidizer. The high energy recovery within these oxidizers reduces the auxiliary fuel requirement and saves on operating cost. The RTO achieves high destruction efficiency and self-sustaining operation with no auxiliary fuel usage at low concentrations.

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