Problem
Anguil was contacted by a rubber curing company to provide an
affordable solution to treat their blue haze and low level volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) in order to meet regulatory requirements.
The large electrostatic precipitator (ESP) in use was extremely
expensive to maintain. The company needed effective opacity control
that could also reduce operating costs.
In this case, two of Anguil's strengths were important keys: the
ability to engineer the optimum solution and the product breadth
necessary to apply the correct technology.
Action
After thorough technical evaluation, the plant selected Anguil
Environmental Systems, Inc. , to solve their VOC emission problem
and put them in compliance. Anguil installed its patented
Self-Cleaning Ceramic Filter (SCCF) to eliminate the blue haze and
the VOCs.
Solution
In order to alleviate the maintenance headaches of the ESP the
owner inquired about a thermal oxidizer. However, the fuel costs of
a thermal system are almost equal to the maintenance cost of an
ESP. Because of its fuel efficiency and lower operating costs, an
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) was a possible option, but
Anguil found that the footprint and the weight of the unit could
not provide the flexibility the customer desired. Anguil's
engineers concluded that an SCCF was the most effective
solution.
One of the major considerations in designing a
treatment system for a rubber curing process is that the ducts must
be kept clean from any particulate buildup. Large treatment
systems, like an ESP or RTO, also involve long duct runs. This
combination makes many treatment solutions both costly and
dangerous, since particulate buildup can cause duct fires.
Anguil worked with the customer and their process engineers to
design a system that greatly reduced duct maintenance cost and
provided effective opacity and VOC control. The small footprint of
the Anguil SCCF allowed Anguil to roof-mount the units and treat
1500 CFM oven "zones" with direct duct runs. By making shorter and
more direct duct runs, Anguil engineers reduced the risk and cost
of particulate buildup.
Roof Mounted SCCFs
Added benefits of the Anguil SCCF include a 40% effective shell
and tube heat exchanger, providing even greater cost savings
through heat recovery. Anguil's flexibility also provides options
for future adjustments in pollution control. Because the plant was
located in an area that may come under more stringent environmental
regulations, Anguil's SCCF can be equipped with catalyst to achieve
95% VOC destruction.
After a successful SCCF pilot, Anguil's engineers worked with
the customer to provide the most effective and lowest-cost
operating system. Anguil's flexibility, experience and constant
pursuit of better design resulted in another satisfied Anguil
customer.