As part of a study, my team is investigating some options for VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) destruction. A regenerative thermal oxidizer is the facility’s main means of VOC destruction and we’re exploring some back-up options right now (in use <10% of the time, for example). My first thought is to use a flare…though I don’t have much direct experience with them.
A bit of an open-ended request here, but any insight or experience anyone can relate utilizing flares for VOC control would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
I have almost no experience with flares, but I thought they were for emergency relief and/or blow down discharge destruction.
What are the VOC’s? Can they be captured/reactively combined with something in a scrubber solution then disposed.
For example, we use a catalytic oxidizer for acrylic monomers. Our back-up is a TETA or caustic scrubber.
The VOCs are collected at various steps of the process of the facility and routed to a single destruction point. There are some hydrocarbons, monomers, and polymers - about six different types in total. The application we’re looking at would be an “emergency” type situation in case the primary destruction device is forced to shut down or trips offline - and the one week a year it comes down for maintenance.
I hadn’t considered a scrubber solution given the different VOCs we’re dealing with; I’ll give it some thought. We are considering some various oxidizers, but the operating costs would be high as it would need to be kept up to (or close to) operating temperature in order for a quick switchover if needed.