Hydrocarbons (VOCs) accumulate continuously in manufacturing processes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries while regulations continue to increase. Based on the OFC enforcement recommendation made on March 26, 2015, TA-Luft will soon reduce the VOC limit value from 20 mg/m3 to 5 mg/m3.
The latest generation of the Ecopure® RTO achieves this low value reliably and economically: The air pollution control system, which works on the principle of regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO), will be equipped with some improvements. Leakage flow is avoided through high tolerance, tight sealing dampers. In addition, the residence time is increased and the purging cycle is optimized. New heat ex-changer materials allow a lower autothermal point, resulting in a very high degree of destruction efficiency (DRE). Thus the exhaust air is treated to a level of 99.8 percent DRE.
If legal limit values are tightened, existing air pollution control systems must be inspected to see whether they meet the new requirements or not. This requires an exact analysis of the current operating situation, because in the majority of cases the conditions change over time, for example due to increased production capacity or new emission sources. As a result, the retention time of the exhaust air in the RTO is reduced and thereby the requested clean gas value can no longer be achieved.
Dürr and LTB have focused on air pollution control systems for decades and are world market leaders with more than 4,000 systems installed. This experience is used by the service teams for feasibility studies, targeted measures, and to upgrade existing plants by installing sealed valve systems or modified purging cycles. Such optimizations do not only improve the clean gas values, but also significantly reduce the energy consumption of an air pollution control system.
