Catalytic Products International (CPI) installed a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) at a Midwest metal recycling facility for the control of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and odor emissions.
The pulverizing and shredding of scrap material leads to the liberation of particulate emissions as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and nuisance odors. In addition, ELVs and appliances which are not completely drained of refrigerant fluids can emit chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) leading to acid gas emissions.
Air pollution control in metal shredder facilities has historically been focused on the containment of metal shredder residue (MSR) utilizing cyclones, baghouses, scrubbers, and suppression technologies. While these technologies are effective for containing particulate matter (PM), they are not sufficient to control the harmful VOCs which can pass directly through these systems and into the atmosphere. Specifically, end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) and appliances which are not completely drained of gasoline or refrigerant fluids can emit chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
The metal shredder emissions control system consisted of three (3) main components:
An existing indexing filtration system removed liquid and solid fine particulate emissions prior to the inlet of the RTO.
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO)
The 80,000 SCFM Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) will control VOC emissions from the metal shredder process exhaust with 98% destruction rate efficiency (DRE) and a thermal efficiency of 95% allowing the facility to meet compliance goals and reduce operational costs.
Acid Gas Scrubber (AGS)
At the exit of the RTO, a packed tower acid gas scrubber captures and controls the emission of the acids formed during the combustion process. The scrubber operates at 99% removal efficiency.
CPI worked closely with the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firm as well as the end user customer to define, select, and engineer the equipment best suited to safely and effectively treat emissions from the metal shredder process exhaust. https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/general-iron-auto-shredder-voc-emissions-control/
CPI provided a complete turn-key installation, including engineering, design and supply of the RTO and scrubber. The installation of the RTO and related equipment included concrete pad design, ductwork design and sizing, booster fan, and media loading into the RTO and scrubber. CPI provided on-site supervision to ensure coordination with the EPC and their subcontractors as well as the final customer. This approach guaranteed that entire system was installed correctly, returning the customer to fully operational status with minimal downtime.
UPDATE: Stack Test Performed
VOM destruction efficiency testing was performed pursuant to USEPA Method 25a. The VOM emissions at the RTO inlet and scrubber outlet were adjusted to subtract methane and ethane pursuant to Method 25a. The demonstrated average VOM destruction efficiency was 99.0%.
CPI has been “Enabling Clean Production Since 1969” and continues as a leading supplier of air pollution control equipment. CPI is at the forefront in providing industries including the metal recycling industry with solutions to their air pollution control needs.
Today, CPI partners with its customers as a trusted resource in resolving the most complex air pollution and energy conservation problems. We provide our customers with innovative and cost-conscious solutions to their most complex VOC, NOx, and Odor pollution challenges. Our equipment is also at work meeting energy conservation strategies and minimizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.