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What causes an RTO to lose thermal efficiency?
Some of the reasons why an RTO could suffer thermal efficiency losses include clogging or fouling of the heat recovery ceramic media. This is because dust particles and other contaminants would block the flow of air in the process hence less heat exchange between the exhaust and process air.
Poor sealing of valves as well as damaged seals and valves could be another reason that could lead to efficiency losses of an RTO. Hot air from the oxidation chambers might bypass the heat recovery chambers hence unnecessary loss of heat. This is similar to poor insulation on the combustion chamber and ductwork. The exhaust flow rate, temperature and the amount of contaminant present would affect the heat recovery process as well.
The last thing would be the burner operation. When it is not well controlled and regulated, the fuel consumed would be high since more fuel would be burned just to ensure the combustion temperature is maintained. Valves and airflow settings could also be another cause of poor performance.
A properly maintained thermal oxidizer will help in recovering much of its process heat.
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