ABSTRACT
A thermal oxidation system raises the temperature of a volatile organic compound (VOC) in a waste gas stream to a level where oxidation of the VOC occurs. In the process, air, auxiliary fuel, and occasionally water or steam may be added; but, in all cases, the mass of the input streams must be exactly equivalent to the total mass of the output streams. In many cases, the heat released by combustion of a VOC is insufficient to raise the temperature of the waste stream to the thermal oxidizer operating temperature. The chapter focuses on adiabatic calculations. In real systems, some heat is lost to the shell of the thermal oxidizer, and this must be taken into account in the energy balance. Water can also be used for quenching combustion products when the heat released by the VOCs themselves exceeds the heat required.
