Direct Fired Thermal Oxidizers with Multistage Heat Recovery for Resin Application
Direct Fired Thermal Oxidizers with Multistage Heat Recovery for Resin Application
The Challenge
A Major Engineering Company approached Epcon for a large Oxidizer System with 25,000 – 35,000 SCFM Afterburner for their Continuous Cord Resin-Impregnating manufacturing plant. The engineering company had no idea about the operating costs and they were primarily concerned with working through a lawyer that was representing this company with the State Agency. This particular company was in violation of EPA rules and was about to be shut down.
Their goal was to contain the total capture from several sources: the mixing area, the storage area, the coating area and the curing ovens. All of the exhaust, from everywhere, was to be taken from every source and introduced into an Afterburner. The gas consumption for this undertaking would have been approximately $180 – $240 per hour.
The Solution
Epcon was contacted by the engineering company for a bid. Epcon studied the overall problem and came up with a solution by offering a thermal oxidizer with approximately 6,000 CFM. This Oxidizer utilized the heat by capturing all of the affected areas, and used the captured fugitive-emission air as supply air to the secondary heat exchanger. This heated fugitive emission-laden air (low concentration) was supplied to the (3) Process Ovens. In addition to this, a Primary Heat Exchanger was also installed to preheat the incoming exhaust from the Process Ovens; this was double-whammy savings in fuel.
The Results
Beyond EPA compliance and being able to stay in business, the system had several additional benefits :
- Much smaller system than anticipated
- Next to nothing fuel cost to operate the Oxidizer
- No Burners or ignition source in the Process Ovens – Safe Environment
In addition to that, the System was very safe, because the Ovens, which have very high LFL (Lower Flammable Limit), used only fresh air, generated from outside, away from the building and the method that they are ducted to the Process Ovens. The Preheat Exchanger saved an enormous amount of money in preheating the exhaust coming from three Ovens.
This system is one of the most important parts of Epcon’s business. Later on, Epcon built new Industrial Ovens to replace the old ones at this site.
