Projects
Personnel Exposure Limits
The Challenge
- A boat manufacturer is exceeding the personnel exposure limits (PEL) for styrene in their manufacturing facility.
- Traditional HVAC ventilation approaches (i.e. air changes per hour) were not meeting the 50 ppmv 8 hour weighted average limit.
The Solution
- PI Elements, Inc. utilizes computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling to determine design requirements for the ventilation system.
- The modeling indicated that the styrene was flowing out of the boats and on to the floor.
- Modeling also indicated areas of heaviest styrene concentrations within the facility.
- Modeling dictated bringing in fresh air from the top and exhausting at floor level.
- PI Elements, Inc. installed the system turn-key. The system utilized an automatic control system that maintained balance between inlet and outlet flows.
- The design was able to achieve an average PEL of 35 ppmv.
- The design was installed successfully in two of the company’s locations.
Thermal Oxidizer & Dry Scubber
The Challenge
- A glass company purchased a thermal oxidizer and dry scrubber to control siloxane and chlorine emissions from a glass coating operation
- The supplier of the control system built an up-fired oxidizer utilizing an in line burner design.
- Combustion of the siloxane produced particulate (SiO2) that fell back into the burner plugging it and blinding the UV scanner used for the flame safety system.
- The system would only run for 4 to 5 hours before shutting down on flame failure.
The Solution
- PI Elements, Inc. redesigned the burner and waste gas injection system.
- A nozzle mix gas burner was mounted tangentially on the bottom of the combustion chamber.
- Two UV scanners were installed operating in parallel. One was mounted on the burner back plate and one was mounted in the combustion chamber opposite the burner flame.
- A waste gas injector was designed to mix the waste gas with natural gas and combustion air at the point of entry into the combustion chamber. The design also provided for a particulate clean out.
- The waste gas injector was mounted axially in the combustion chamber.
- This design allowed for continuous burner operation without particulate impact. Particulate fell into the clean-out of the waste gas injector assembly and was able to be cleaned “on the fly”.
Air Permit Requirements
The Challenge
- Increased market demand required a Georgia foundry to increase production by 50% within two months time.
- Air Permit requirements limited carbon monoxide emissions
- A production increase would exceed permit limits causing a violation.
- Could the facility buy and install a pollution control device in two months to meet the customers supply demands?
The Solution
- PI Elements, Inc. was able to locate a used regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) system with the required flow capacity.
- The RTO was shipped from the Northeast and refurbished on site.
- PI Elements, Inc. designed and built a baghouse for installation in front of the RTO to prevent the particulate generated in the sand molding process from plugging the RTO ceramic bed.
- PI Elements, Inc. worked with the facility to permit the “new” RTO.
- PI Elements, Inc. utilized an alliance contractor to pour the foundations, install the RTO and baghouse, and run ductwork from the process.
- Installation was completed within 35 days from notice to proceed.
Emissions Control
The Challenge
- A nationally know forest products company is exceeding particulate emission limits in the causticizing area of the mill.
- The existing cartridge filter house has failed due to overheating and particulate blinding.
- PI Elements, Inc. proposes a hot cyclone prior to the bag filter to eliminate large particles of hot lime from entering the baghouse.
- The new baghouse must be installed in the same location as the existing cartridge filter.
- The installation must be done during a 10 day shutdown.
The Solution
- PI Elements, Inc. designs a hot cyclone/baghouse system for the application.
- PI Elements, Inc. reviews all sources of particulate and designs a capture system to ensure all particulate is collected.
- PI Elements, Inc. evaluates how to install the new cyclone/baghouse system to meet the installation schedule of the mill.
- PI Elements, Inc. designs baghouse so that all the bags can be removed and replaced in one action, minimizing downtime.
- PI Elements, Inc. installs the cyclone/baghouse system in cooperation with the mill.
Emission System
The Challenge
- A glass company was installing a coating line that would produce a vent gas containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and siloxane compounds.
- Air permitting of the process required control of the VOC and siloxane emissions.
- Combustion of the siloxane would produce particulate (SiO2) matter, which also needed to be controlled.
The Solution
- PI Elements, Inc. designed and installed an oxidizer/baghouse system to meet the requirements of the permit.
- The combustion chamber was designed to fire vertically downward so that the particulate generated in the combustion process would not interfere with the burner operation.
- For reliability, two UV scanners were installed operating in parallel. One was mounted on the burner back plate and one was mounted in the combustion chamber opposite the burner flame.
- A unique gas injector was designed to mix the waste gas with combustion air and deliver the mixture into the burner flame.
- At the end of the combustion chamber, ambient air is automatically mixed with the 1,500°F flue gas to reduce the gas temperature to 300°F.
- The cooled gases enter a pulse jet cleaned baghouse where the particulate is removed.