Midwest Refinery Emission Control Upgrade

A major Midwest refinery was operating a legacy direct-fired thermal oxidizer that struggled to maintain the required 99.9% Destruction Rate Efficiency (DRE) for high-concentration VOC streams under 40 CFR Part 60. The aging system was also a significant source of fuel inefficiency, consuming excessive natural gas to maintain operating temperatures above 1,400°F. Increasing regulatory scrutiny under EPA's NSPS OOOOb rule threatened the facility's operating permit.

We engineered and installed a custom high-capacity thermal oxidizer system integrated with advanced PLC controls and a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) compliant with 40 CFR Part 75. The system was designed to handle fluctuating flow rates from 8,000 to 45,000 SCFM and variable VOC concentrations. A recuperative shell-and-tube heat exchanger was integrated to pre-heat incoming process air, recovering over 60% of combustion heat. All work was performed during scheduled turnaround windows to minimize production impact.

• Achieved 99.95% VOC Destruction Rate Efficiency (DRE), exceeding EPA 40 CFR Part 60 requirements.
• Reduced annual natural gas consumption by 40% through improved thermal recovery.
• Integrated automated safety shutdown protocols to prevent incidents during process concentration spikes.
• Full compliance with NSPS OOOOb and state Title V operating permit conditions.