RTO heat recovery system decreases production costs and provides payback
Application of a heat recovery system to an existing regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) was considered, tested, and selected for decreasing production costs at a pressure sensitive tape manufacturing facility. Heat recovery systems on RTO's are less common than those on other thermal oxidizers (e.g., recuperative) because RTO's, by the nature of the technology, usually provide high thermal efficiencies (without the application of external heat recovery systems). In this case, the production processes were integrated with the emission controls by applying an external heat recovery system and by optimizing the design and operation of the existing drying and cure ovens, RTO system, and ductwork collection system. Integration of these systems provides an estimated annual production cost savings of over $400,000 and a simplified capital investment payback of less than 2 years, excluding possible savings from improved dryer operations. These additional process benefits include more consistent and simplified control of seasonal dryer performance and possibly production throughput increases. The production costs savings are realized by substituting excess RTO heat for a portion of the infrared (IR) electrical heat input to the dryers/ovens. This will be accomplished by preheating the supply air to the oven zones with the excess RTO heat (i.e., heat at the RTO exceeding auto-thermal conditions). Several technologies, including direct air-to-air, indirect air-to-air, hot oil-to-air, waste heat boiler (steam-to-air) were evaluated for transferring the excess RTO heat (hot gas) to the ovens. A waste heat boiler was selected to transfer the excess RTO heat to the ovens because this technology provided the most economical, reliable, and feasible operation. Full-scale production test trials on the coating lines were performed and confirmed the IR electrical costs could be reduced up to 70%.
- Research Organization:
- RMT, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20002170
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990608-; TRN: IM200002%%170
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Air and Waste 92nd Annual Meeting and Exhibition, St. Louis, MO (US), 06/20/1999--06/24/1999; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating Systems: Windows 3.1, '95, '98 and NT; Macintosh; and UNIX; PBD: 1999; Related Information: In: Air and Waste 92nd annual meeting and exhibition proceedings, [9500] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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