ABSTRACT
Chapter 8 discusses the basics of thermal oxidizers (TOs) including some of the important system build ing blocks. This chapter discusses some of the spe cific equipment used in TOs. Regardless of the specific design, most thermal oxidation systems consist of some or all of the following components:
• A device and method to supply oxygen to the process to initiate and sustain oxidation using burner or catalyst
• A vessel (combustion chamber/TO) to provide the residence time required for oxidation of the hydrocarbons
• A heat recovery (heat exchanger or boiler) and/or flue gas conditioning system
• Emission control equipment (filters, scrubbers, etc.) to treat the flue gas prior to discharge to the atmosphere
• An elevated exhaust point (stack) through which the flue gas can be dispersed into the atmosphere
• Control hardware and logic to automatically maintain and monitor the various process parameters to ensure safe operation
9.2 C o n tro l S y stem s a n d In s t ru m e n ta t io n
All TO systems require some sort of control, if only a flame failure switch to ensure waste and fuel shutoff for safety reasons. Controls can be classified into flame safeguard and process control functions (see Volume 2, Chapter 2 , for a discussion of combustion controls).
