Thermal Combustor System

The Thermal Combustor System is a market driven answer to a unique set of vapor combustion air pollution control questions. Highly concentrated vent gas emissions are common within the natural gas processing and production, petro-chemical, and chemical processing, industries. These emissions are commonly low in volume but very high in concentration. Historically answers to these emissions challenges have included inefficient and dangerous flare technology. Open flares have historically been used as safety relief devices.  Over time, these safety relief flares have been applied as process vent control devices.  Recent EPA challenges are disqualifying open flares as allowable control devices while the visible flame creates safety issues for many plants and may create objection from neighbors.  For these reasons, enclosed flares have been developed to provide a means to combust high BTU (usually >300 BTU/scf).

 Thermal Combustor System

Catalytic Products International is continuing our 43 year history of providing innovative air pollution control solutions with a line of highly flexible, economical EPA qualified,vapor combustion systems. CPI’s Thermal Combustor Systems (TCS) routinely exceed all worldwide regulatory requirements while providing a level of sophistication that is unmatched in our industry. In today’s ever tightening regulatory climate, traditional technologies such as open flares and pit flares cannot achieve consistent high VOC destruction at an economical installed cost.  Low cost - High Performance - Long Life are the key advantages of CPI’s Thermal Combustor Systems.

Thermal Combustor Systems are designed to safely burn or combust hydrocarbon vapor mixtures that have varying energy content where enclosed flares may fail.  The TCS combines the simplicity of an enclosed flare with the robustness and proven performance of a thermal oxidizer. The TCS are widely flexible and can confidently handle the vent gas which may or may not be within the flammable range.  The TCS provides an extraordinary level of safety when compared to traditional flaring systems.  Our 43 year history of emissions abatement system design and manufacturing, assure you a safe and reliable system.  Thermal Combustor Systems are custom designed for your specific process and can include forced draft or a normally drafted system along with a full complement of auxiliary devices to aid in performance and safety.

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  • TCS Operation
    The TCS operation sequence begins by purging the entire system on fresh air.  After purge, the TCS pilot and main burners are ignited and held in place until appropriate flame scanning safeties are met.  Once flame safety requirements are met, process gas may be introduced to the TCS.  The TCS system will automatically adjust to different volumes, concentrations, and heat values of the process gas.  If the process gas does not have the energy to support combustion, natural gas may be added as a support fuel.

    The introduction of process gas will increase the internal temperature within the combustion chamber.  To control the temperature and facilitate combustion fresh air is added to the system.  The fresh air can be naturally aspirated or forced into the system.  The combustion air brought into the system ensures mixing, sufficient oxygen, and controlled temperature combustion providing the optimum VOC destruction efficiency.

     

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    Sensors in the combustion zone constantly monitor temperature, allowing the PLC to control the heat release from the process gas.   For example, as the process gas is introduced and the combustion temperatures rise, the PLC first reduces support fuel, allowing the process stream to be the main fuel source for the TCS.  Once the support fuel is removed it starts to increase the amount of combustion air being used to help maintain temperature.  The same also happens in reverse:  If the temperature begins to fall, the additional air supplied will be removed and eventually the support fuel will be used to maintain the TCS temperature and process ready status.  In either scenario hydrocarbon vapor destruction rates are achieved through a reliable, consistent combustion process.