Who Is Maintaining Your Rto

Who’s going to service my system now? In recent years the air pollution control industry has undergone a dramatic change. The major companies that historically were the original pioneers of the industry and the state-of-the-art technology we now utilize have vanished. According to EPA databases, this leaves the industrial equipment owners with 2,000+ air pollution control systems still in operation and no one to call on for service or repair. This trend has been complicated with the downsizing of the OEM personnel in order to economize their operations where most of these companies now rely on outsourcing for the execution of their projects and servicing of their units. A majority of the equipment in operation is nearing twenty years of reliable service. Some of these systems are in desperate need of routine service and maintenance to maximize their functional life while others are in need of extensive repair or even replacement. Still others, because of environmental laws, process changes, re-permitting, etc. are in need of significant technological upgrades or even replacement. Many Title V's are due for a 5-year update, and some facilities may have to add CAM and MACT rules this time. In fiscal year 2002 the EPA levied over $62mm in criminal fines to companies that were not in compliance with local or federal pollution emissions levels. The upgrades or system changes offered vary significantly. Some systems may need a PLC upgrade to keep up with the technology of the other plant equipment, others need media changeout of the heat recovery media as in the case of RTO's, while still others may need a changeout of the catalysts, if applicable. Some units will need to be upgraded in order to take advantage of utility incentives offered or imposed by local regulatory agencies. These methods come in the form of retrofitting the units with materials and or equipment to reduce the energy consumption of the systems either by mechanical means with new media or the addition of cost savings variable frequency drives and smarter controls systems. For the systems that do not and will not require any of these options, regular scheduled maintenance and inspections may be required to confirm the performance and integrity of their operation. In some cases maintenance reports are required to be kept as part of their EPA or other governmental regulatory agency requirements. Other inspections and regular maintenance reports are required by OEM’s for the conformance of warranty conditions and are generally suggested for the longevity of the systems. Maintenance inspections and system tune-ups can save these companies money even in the short run. For example a system that whose combustion system may be un-tuned could waste up to $20,000 annually in fuel costs alone. A plant with a 400hp motor operating below maximum capacity could save over $100,000 annually by installing a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD). RTO bakeouts or “burnouts” on systems whose process conditions dictate such a feature require that the systems be baked out regularly to maintain performance and reduce costly energy consumption. An RTO whose pressure drop increases by 2” w.c. per bed over a year can cost the company over $40,000 annually in electrical costs as well as reduced destruction efficiency due to exhaust entrainment of built up condensable organics.

Major system upgrades on RTO’s include a media changeout with low pressure drop media to increase the system capacity by as much as 20% or to reduce the operating pressure by 40%. In this upgrade the older random packed media is completely removed, the system support structure may need to be rebuilt. New low pressure drop Heat Recovery Media (HRM) is installed in the same recovery chambers. On a system that has a 400HP motor, a media changeout could potentially save $140,000 annually. Another major RTO upgrade is installing catalytic media. In this instance only one foot of standard media is removed. This is replaced with one foot of catalytic coated media especially formulated for VOC’s. The RTO’s combustion chamber then only need to bring the operating temperature of the inlet gasses to 800 F, not 1500 F. This results in s substantial fuel savings, even in a 95% thermally efficient system. A system review of the inlet gas constituents is required to investigate the presence of any catalyst poisoning or masking compounds. An RTO retrofitted with catalyst can save $100,000 annually offering only a three year Return on Investment. With systems other than RTO’s such as recuperative or catalytic oxidizers, the requirement for maintenance is just as important to maintain proper operation. Inspection of recuperative heat exchangers that undergo such extremes is mandatory to prevent crossflow contamination. Very small cross flow contamination can result in very low destruction efficiencies potentially leaving the customer open to environmental penalties or fines. Catalytic oxidizers need to be tested regularly for operation and compliance. Catalyst samples should be tested yearly on units with stationary or non-fluidized catalyst beds for activity. Fluidized bed oxidizers need to maintain proper operating levels of catalyst for proper destruction efficiency. In addition, both of these types of systems can also benefit from the proper setup of the combustion and control systems. So, with some major OEM vendors now out of business, what can an owner of this equipment do to have his unit maintained or upgraded? With the aging technology comes increasing historical knowledge of the technologies and a new breed of service company is growing out of this need manned by experts in their field. With the

demise of the more familiar and larger previous OEM’s a lot of industry professionals were left to find alternative means of employment. The knowledge and experience that these Service Engineers have is far too valuable to go unused. A few companies have recognized these available resources and have hired these individuals as startup and field service engineers for their own product lines as well as a source for outside contract work. And a few new companies have sprouted up out of this need specializing in the aftermarket maintenance and servicing of the 2,000+ oxidation and abatement systems worldwide. These people are usually the best of the best, familiar with the established technologies and systems to service, inspect, upgrade, relocate and solve most problems or challenges that face the owners of equipment of now defunct OEM’s. These companies have the experience and innovative technology know-how to review your needs and recommend the proper course of action that best suits your systems. From engineering to servicing to maintenance, these professionals can fulfill your requirements safely and economically. Some of the many services offered by these companies include the following – AFTERMARKET SERVICES • Maintenance • Inspections • Troubleshooting • Training

AFTERMARKET PROJECTS • Media Replacements • RCO Implementation • Catalyst Replacements • System Upgrades

The formation of the aftermarket service companies has also sparked a fresh competitive market whereby the owners can reap the benefits since they are no longer held captive by having to deal solely with the OEM for service which may have jeopardized any contractual guarantees or warranties. The next time you need aftermarket services for your new OR vintage equipment don’t hesitate to look up one of these new companies that specialize in the aftermarket service of air pollution control systems. It could be a very rewarding phone call as these companies are staffed with well qualified personnel that are wholly competent for any engineering, servicing or maintenance tasks for your system. Paul Stefanic Thermal Systems Services, Inc. 920 Thornewood Lane Algonquin, IL 60102 847-854-9818 [email protected] www.tssinc-us.com