The first Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers (RTO) went online in the 1970s, and some of them are still operating today! While that kind of life span is impressive, many of those units are antiquated and require continual attention to keep them running.
At a certain point it’s no longer economical or practical to keep maintaining outdated technology. For example, the wood industry invested heavily in RTOs in the 1990s, and many facilities are starting to experience the kinds of problems that require extensive and regular repairs to remain functional and efficient.
Older RTOs in the wood industry can be affected by a number of problems including:
- Heat exchange media degradation and fusion
- Cold face media support failures
- Process exhaust condensable PM buildup
When faced with aging technology and decreased performance, total replacement is typically the first option considered. However, in some cases refurbishment is a better and more cost-effective solution.
NESTEC offers a free evaluation of your RTO system to help you understand your options and provides ongoing service regardless of who originally manufactured the equipment.
NESTEC has a wealth of expertise in RTO and RCO projects. Our staff has over three centuries of combined experience with oxidizer technologies, including design, fabrication, installation, and service in VOC control and energy conservation applications. For over 40 years we have been developing simple, rugged, and reliable options that reduce downtime, improve operational profitability, and make for cleaner and more efficient facilities.
The Multi-Combustion Chamber (MCC) RTO upgrades we install have proven to reduce fuel costs on both new and existing units. We can bring your equipment into the modern era with features such as:
- Full process flow with incremental on-line bake out capability
- Additional fuel energy savings with thermal alignment programing design
- Combustion air on ratio control
- Valve cycle timing control
- Resilient and reliable poppet valves
- Premixed natural gas enhancement system that meets FM GLOBAL 6-11 REQUIREMENTS
- Forced draft fans that reduce energy consumption
- Hotter inlet valve surfaces to minimize or eliminate condensable buildup on the valve
- Heat exchange media support with thermal expansion design compensation and uniform airflow distribution
- Modular designs to minimize shipping and installation costs
Fine-tuning the RTO with one or several of the above features can reduce the fuel consumption by 8 percent to 40 percent. On a large wood application, this can total up to $200,000 per year in fuel savings, even at today’s natural gas costs.
NESTEC, Inc., offers and provides a single-point responsibility and service/training for all makes of oxidizer systems, with 24/7 response and cellular online router service. Our secure cloud-based VPN servers provide an immediate connection to the oxidizer control panel for remote assistance and diagnostic support.
Call today for your simple financial payback analysis for optimizing, upgrading, and/or refurbishing your existing RTO equipment.
For assistance from our extensive experience, call or e-mail NESTEC Inc. for a free evaluation of your VOC control equipment needs.
Office: 610.323.7670
Jim Nester, President: jnester@nestecinc.com
Rick Reimlinger, Vice President: rick.reimlinger@nestecinc.com
Rodney Pennington, Vice President of Special Projects: rpennington@nestecinc.com
Jeremy Redcay, Services Manager: jredcay@nestecinc.com
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