Partially Built RTO Completed for Bakery Facility
Kono Kogs completed a partially-built REECO RTO that had never been put into service and delivered a complete, cost-effective turnkey package.
Problem
A food production facility contacted Kono Kogs to provide VOC abatement options for their process. They collected proposals from other suppliers, and came to Kono Kogs with a quote for a new catalytic oxidizer, which was unattractive due to the price. The possibility of a refurbished option drew them to our website, and although a used catalytic oxidizer was not available, KKI elected to propose an unused, partially completed regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) from our inventory with a maximum capacity of 5,000 SCFM. The system was originally built by REECO but had never been put into service. Kono Kogs completed the unit for the customer, which shortened the lead time and resulted in a brand-new piece of equipment upon completion.
Photos: In Progess
Click on a picture to enlarge
Solution
The customer was pleased with the compromise of using an unused, newly completed system from Kono Kogs’ inventory, allowing for cost efficiency without sacrificing system reliability.. Kono Kogs provided a complete turnkey package, including the RTO, HMI, and PLC control systems, as well as all ductwork and dampers, and managed the installation and start-up phases to ensure successful commissioning.
The primary advantage of an RTO versus other oxidizer types (thermal recuperative or catalytic) is the natural gas cost savings that can be realized. A typical RTO will be 95% thermally efficient compared to the 60-80% efficiency usually associated with the other two types.
Another benefit of this RTO is that it was designed with a rotary valve and internally baffled multiple chambers of ceramic media. This gives it two advantages over two-chamber poppet valve RTOs. Bakery ovens are inherently sensitive to pressure variation and the overall bake completeness and/or product color can be negatively affected by any airflow change. A poppet style RTO will induce an additional air draw when the poppets change direction in an RTO, which can cause heat to be pulled out of the oven and cause the previously mentioned issues. The rotary valve simply indexes to the next media sections, never inducing additional flow due to media short circuiting. For more information on rotary versus poppet valves, see our guide to valve switches and airflow reversal in oxidizer systems.
The second advantage is the multichambered design itself. This design eliminated the need for a VOC entrapment chamber used to capture the dirty air or 'puff' inherent in poppet-valve style, two-chamber RTOs. The 'puff' occurs when a chamber in 'inlet mode' is switched to 'outlet mode,' and the process air that just entered the cold face plenum and the lower section of the heat recovery media tower reverses direction and is sent up the stack. When the poppet valves switch direction to change the airflow, there is a split second where the valves are not sealed, allowing a slip stream of non-destroyed process air to escape to the atmosphere. Since this design has no poppets, this phenomenon is avoided. High destruction efficiency is standard with no additional equipment required.
Photos: After
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Equipment & Services Provided
- REECO RL RTO with KKI guarantee and warranty
- Remote operator interface
- Heatless modular desiccant air dryer
- Ductwork and dampers
- Drop-in place installation and start-up services
What helps control quality, timelines, and cost?
Vertical Integration: We are vertically integrated, meaning we are able to design, fabricate, assemble, ship, install, and commission your oxidizer system with our people, and install it anywhere in the USA. No third parties. Just our talented fabrication team forming and assembling the innovatively simple RTO design, controlling quality, and timelines. Our in-house fabrication capability also benefits our customer's bottom line as there are no "middle-man" mark-ups for fabrication work. And throughout the project it is our team communicating seamlessly with our partner's team to accomplish a successful project, on time and on budget. Our on-site crews are our crews, led by our crew leaders, at the direction of our project engineer, working in partnership with your team. All with the high-level safety training and insurance coverage you should expect from your suppliers.
