Critical Components in Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers: High-Cycle Valves

When designing a regenerative thermal oxidizer, engineers should not overlook the high-cycle valves that control process air and help maintain efficiency Regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) are regularly utilized in the chemical process industries (CPI) to collect and control air-pollution emissions generated from industrial manufacturing operations. RTOs are specially designed for controlling emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a broad spectrum of industries. An RTO uses ceramic media as the heat-exchanger medium, providing high heat recoveries. For the last decade, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the selection of the ceramic media and burners for RTOs, while some of the most critical components of RTO operation — high-cycle valves — have been overlooked. The purpose of high-cycle valves in an RTO is to provide tight shutoff of the process air to maintain destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) and proper heat-exchanger operation for thermal energy recovery. High-cycle valves serve to regulate the flow of air and to isolate ducting and equipment for maintenance without interrupting other connected units. Without this valve, the regenerative process is unattainable. High-cycle valve designs should…