When considering acquiring an exhaust gas treatment unit for your production plant, such as an RTO (Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer), one of the concerns that may come to your mind is regarding the operation and maintenance costs.
About operation costs
An RTO unit incurs in low operation costs. VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that need to be eliminated release energy into the combustion chamber through the ceramic heat exchanger. With a proper unit design, this energy is used to cover a substantial part of the heat required to sustain the combustion temperature. The RTO unit reaches an autothermic point in which it doesn’t need any further injection of fuel nor gas to work properly. In other words, than means that you’re saving money because the RTO unit can continue working using its own-generated energy.
The natural gas consumption will depend on the concentration of VOCs in the RTO inlet gas. For concentration values around or below that autothermic point, the natural gas burner will be modulating its power to keep the temperature of the combustion chamber at 850ºC, ensuring VOCs oxidation. However, if that concentration surpasses the autothermic point, the burner will remain off, thus resulting in a reduction of fuel consumption of the RTO.
About maintenance costs
An RTO unit does not need much maintenance to work properly – as little as 1 recommended preventive maintenance per year can ensure optimal performance and functioning. The preventive maintenance can consist of inspecting the burner elements, the probes, the pneumatic installation, the measurement instruments, the main fan, the emission performance test , and checking screen monitor interface data as well as examining the electrical installation. With this 1 preventive maintenance per year, the RTO equipment can work perfectly and eliminate up to 99,9% of pollutants, thus reducing the negative impact of human activities on people and the environment.
Now that you know more about the operation and maintenance costs of an RTO, if you need some help with your environmental needs, feel free to contact us at info@tecamgroup.com
