Regenerative
Catalytic Oxidizer
Regenerative catalytic oxidizers (RCO)
combine positive characteristics from
regenerative thermal oxidizers with
catalytic oxidizers that operate at low temperatures. This juxtaposition
provides the lowest operating cost for any VOC
oxidation technology, and is especially suited for
applications with low VOC
concentrations.
As the process gas and VOC contaminants
enter the twin bed RCO through the inlet
manifold, a flow control valve directs
the gas into an energy recovery chamber,
thus preheating the process stream.
Moving towards the catalyst bed, the temperature of both the
process gas and contaminants increases as heat is transferred from the
stoneware
bed.
The VOCs undergo a chemical reaction as
they are oxidized, and the output is
heat, which is transferred to a second stoneware
bed. This eliminates the requirement of
auxiliary fuel sources. The
stoneware bed is heated, and the gas is
cooled so that the outlet gas
temperature is only slightly higher than
the inlet temperature. The switching of the flow valve
alternates between the inlet and outlet phases. If
the process gas contains a sufficient
amount of VOCs, then the energy released from
the combustion process is self-sustaining.
For example: a RCO with 95% thermal
energy recovery may have an outlet
temperature of 77° F, 25° F higher than
the inlet, process gas temperature.
In an effort to minimize the dependency
of an operator regenerative catalyst
oxidizers’ use PLCs, which are digital
computers that are automated
electromechanical controls.
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