Reduce RTO/RCO Operating Costs with an Annual NESTEC Inspection

It is not only possible to minimize operating costs for all industrial air emission control equipment while maximizing productivity, uptime, and annual savings, but in many cases those savings will more than cover the cost of a NESTEC annual RTO/RCO and/or WESP inspection.

Too often air emission control equipment is forgotten until it becomes a problem. Many systems are located in remote areas, out of the daily production view. If basic lubrication and equipment site walks are the extent of the attention given to these systems, less obvious issues can develop and go unchecked.

Even when processes are optimized and running smoothly, there is another dimension to achieving the perfect system design that must take into account the complicated relationship between the process and RTO/RCO device and/or WESP.

A thorough annual inspection can provide substantial energy savings and a decreased risk of lost production time.

Several aspects will affect the performance and operating costs of the RTO/RCO and/or WESP system, which include:

• A thorough understanding of the relationship between connected production lines and the original air emission control technology design, such as changes in:
  • Exhaust flow, temperature, and moisture
  • Hydrocarbon concentration and composition
  • Operating schedules
• A comprehensive understanding of each variable component within the production line and the connected RTO/RCO and/or WESP
• The desire to improve overall process operations by adhering to strict system design criteria
• Knowledge of the latest RTO/RCO and/or WESP upgrade features

A thorough annual inspection can provide substantial energy savings and a decreased risk of lost production time. NESTEC offers a comprehensive and detailed annual inspection that features:

• RTO/RCO and/or WESP operational history (including an on-site pre-inspection meeting with the customer) that reviews:
  • Potential safety hazards
  • Both past and planned process and equipment changes
  • Maintenance logs for any repairs in the past year
  • Equipment settings
  • Programing and electrical systems
  • Past problems and maintenance issues
• Ensuring that all associated personnel are aware of lock out/tag out (LOTO) points and hazards, including:
  • Use of LOTO procedures prior to entry of any unit or area in which hazards can be eliminated
  • Discussing LOTO with customer representatives
  • Lock out of all energy sources
• Completion of a detailed internal/external inspection check list that includes:
  • Examination of the internal burner/combustion chambers to ensure that all refractory modules are in good shape and that the ceramic media shows no signs of degradation
  • Removal of the main fan access hatch and examination of the wheel for signs of particulate deposition or corrosion
  • Inspecting the main fan coupling to ensure proper alignment is being maintained
  • Checkup of the combustion blower internals
  • Verification of all instrumentation calibration
  • Sampling and testing the RCO catalyst (if included) on activity and content of contaminants
  • All other items as required
• Testing all safety components
• Testing all PLC sequences (startup, purge, etc.)
• Providing an operating and maintenance training refresher course

NESTEC’s Service and Compliance with the NFPA Codes and Standards

In the interest of safety, NESTEC joins the NFPA and insurance underwriters in recommending that you maintain and, if necessary, upgrade your combustion systems to be in compliance with the current applicable NFPA codes and standards. The decision to do so rests solely with the user, the user’s insurance underwriter, and/or the authority having jurisdiction.

Potential upgrade features:

• NESTEC Auto Thermal Alignment Control
  • Potentially reduce the RTO differential temperature by 10 percent.
    • • At 100°F differential = ((10 degrees) (1000 wSCFM) (1.08))/0.84 at $4/mmBTU and 8760 hr/yr = $450/1000 wSCFM of RTO flow

    wSCFM Flow	Savings/yr
    10,000	$4,500
    50,000	$22,500
    100,000	$45,000

• Natural Gas Enhancement System (NGE)
  • NGE is a standalone system that incorporates enhanced or intrinsic safety features which meet FM 6-11 requirements and still provides a potential 15 to 25 percent fuel savings over a standard RTO burner operation.
• Several other potential features may be available and identified with the annual inspection

Aftermarket Services:

• Energy-saving modifications and features
• System upgrades
• Preventive maintenance programs
• Spare parts and spare manuals
• Maintenance and operator staff training courses
• Performance/compliance testing
• Remote diagnostic capability
• Troubleshooting, including programmable logic controller (PLC) access via modem
• 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service

Find additional information on our aftermarket service offerings here.

For assistance from our extensive experience, call or e-mail NESTEC Inc. for a free evaluation of your air emission control equipment needs.  

Office: 610.323.7670

Jim Nester, CEO jnester@nestecinc.com

Rick Reimlinger, Vice President: rick.reimlinger@nestecinc.com

Rodney L Pennington, PE, Vice President of Key Accounts: rpennington@nestecinc.com

William Holden, Aftermarket & Services Manager: wholden@nestecinc.com