Thermal Oxidizer Experiences at a Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility

摘要

Two thermal oxidizer systems were selected and installed to dispose of volatile organic emissions generated by a waste disposal operation. This paper provides a description of each case study. A Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) system was selected to treat contaminated air from a drum processing operation. Previous treatment was by adsorption on activated carbon. High carbon costs drove the change to combustion, after water scrubbing and other approaches were rejected. Combustible dust entrainment and occasional solvent fume spikes in the air stream resulted in detonations inside the RTO and damage to the heat exchange packing on two separate occasions. Installation of a dust filter and two flammability range analyzers, plus automatic diversion dampers has proven effective in eliminating the problems. A Direct Fired Thermal Oxidizer (DFTO) was selected to treat contaminated air from tank truck and railcar cleaning operations, after an RTO or a flare were judged to be impractical. DFTO operation was successful, but occasional spikes in hydrocarbon load drove the stack out of oxygen[MEG1], resulting in smoke and flame above the stack and flashbacks to the waste gas detonation arrestors on more than one occasion. Installation of waste gas analyzers allowed temporary DFTO bypass during spikes. Improved process gas monitoring enabled quicker response times.