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Thermal Oxidizers and Pollution Control Equipment: Why
You Need to Be Aware of More than Just the Pollution Control
Device
Thermal Oxidizers. Baghouses.
Precipitators. Scrubbers. All of these pieces of air pollution
control equipment perform very important processes within the
manufacturing industry. But when you are making a choice on
which piece of equipment to install, concentrating solely on the
pollution control device itself could cause major problems down
the road. You need to be aware of the purpose, quality, and
maintenance of the channeling that brings the contaminated air
to the device, and just as importantly, if not more so, the
channeling that brings the contaminated particles away from the
device. This includes the ductwork and the expansion joints.
When making a decision on how to best reduce emissions from your
manufacturing plant, it’s all too easy to get caught up in which
piece of air pollution control equipment will be the centerpiece
of the project. Will it be a recuperative thermal oxidizer or a
regenerative thermal oxidizer? Perhaps a newer technology like a
dry precipitator? Whatever the decision on the air pollution
control equipment ends up being, the discussion must not end
there. It is now time to look at what the ductwork attached to
the machine will look like.
The ductwork design that is optimal for your situation will be
unique depending on the design of your factory and what you are
looking to clean from the air. That is why you need to spend
time with the vendor discussing the set-up of the air pollution
control equipment. The good ones will want to know as much as
they can about the plant they are installing equipment in, the
industry your company is in, and any future plans you may have
for the plant. It is with the answers to these questions that
they will be able to provide a blueprint for a complete
pollution control solution that will meet your needs.
Critical components of this blueprint are the expansion joints.
Expansion joints are an important part of the
ductwork since they prevent strain on the structure when it
expands (as a result of heat or some other method) by yielding
or providing a coupling for parts of the structure. If they are
not installed properly, or incorrect joints are used, major
problems are sure to develop with the structure, such as leaks
and complete structural failures. Quality expansion joint
manufacturers like ourselves, Flexible Compensators, Inc., work
side-by-side with the manufacturers of air pollution control
equipment to ensure that the entire package you are purchasing
will perform appropriately.
The prevention of a disaster is a primary reason to make sure
that you plan out the requirements for your complete air
pollution control systems well before it is time to make a
purchasing decision, and definitely before construction and
installation begin. As you see, it doesn’t take too much to
ensure that you are well-prepared, but failure to do so can be
devastating.
