Recuperative thermal oxidation (TNV)
Recuperative thermal oxidation is a technology for cleaning organic emissions by direct thermal combustion of VOCs at high temperature, with the released heat being recovered using an integrated exchanger. This technology is recommended for higher VOC concentrations and where the generated heat can be used, for example, for heating or technological processes.
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
The basis is a steel combustion chamber with a gas burner, which is integrated into the flue gas heat exchanger. The polluted air first passes through the heat exchanger and is preheated. It then enters the combustion chamber, where the burner heats the air to a reaction temperature of approximately 700–800 °C. The chamber is dimensioned so that the gas remains at this temperature for at least 1 second, during which the VOCs are completely burned to CO₂ and H₂O. The hot flue gases then pass through the exchanger again, where they transfer heat to the incoming polluted air, thereby significantly reducing fuel consumption. Thanks to this arrangement, the recuperative thermal unit can normally remove >99.9% of organic pollutants. On the other hand, at lower concentrations, the burner ensures stable temperature maintenance.
Key benefits:
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Extreme cleaning efficiency It burns VOCs with an efficiency of typically 99% or more, so that the output emissions meet even the strictest limits.
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Heat recovery: The integrated heat exchanger captures and returns >70% of the thermal energy back to the process, significantly reducing fuel consumption compared to direct combustion without an exchanger. The heat generated can also be used to heat process media or heating the plant.
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Reliability and robustness: The simple design with one combustion chamber and tubular exchanger guarantees long service life and stable operation even in demanding conditions (high temperatures, corrosive environments).
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Flexibility and scalability: The device handles a wide range of VOC concentrations (from units to tens of g/m³) and can be dimensioned for different air volumes (units to tens of thousands of m³/h). It is therefore suitable for both small and large emission sources.
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Low costs at higher loads: When operating above around (~3 g/m³), the unit operates virtually without the need for external fuel, reducing operating costs.
Typical use:
Recuperative thermal oxidation is mainly used for higher VOC concentrations (approx. 3–10 g/m³) and medium air volumes (in the order of thousands to tens of thousands of m³/h). It is suitable for operations where a larger amount of heat is generated during the combustion of VOCs and this heat can be further used – for example in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, in pulping lines for basalt insulation materials, in surface treatment of materials, in printers or in other sectors with concentrated solvent emissions. It is often used where the heat generated can be used for other purposes (heating air, water, etc.). For lower VOC concentrations, catalytic oxidation or regenerative systems are a more economical option, however, for higher organic content and the need for heat recovery, TNV is the optimal solution.
