Environmental and Energy Benefits of Microprocessor Control of Oven Airflows for a Coil Coating Operation: A Case Study

摘要

In most industrial operations the percentage of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of VOC emissions typically remain at below 5 to 10 percent LEL at most metal coating operations. Although monitors are available to determine solvent concentration in the oven, the oven requires manual corrective action to the process when potentially explosive oven atmosphere are generated. In 1982 a project was completed that developed and demonstrated the viability of using microprocessor technology to make VOC control of paint curing ovens less expensive than present operations. This would be accomplished by lowering oven ventilation air flow and safely increasing LEL concentration to a maximum 50 percent. However, the demonstration system was not operated at maximum LEL concentration, thus the versatility of the system to operate at high LEL concentration was not determined. This project evaluates the system at a commercial facility while operating at a concentration approaching 50 percent LEL. Included in the report is a description of the oven modification at the Prior Coated Metals Coil Coating facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania and the oven operating conditions before and after the modifications. Also included is the operating economics of the oven and VOC control system.