Systems and methods in accordance with the present invention provide for the efficient distillation of ethanol in an ethanol plant including a beer column. Heat is captured in the distillation process and utilized to drive operations in the ethanol plant.

The invention relates to a system for the regenerative thermal oxidation of crude gas, comprising a combustion chamber (29) and a plurality of regenerators (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 41) which each have a regenerator chamber (42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54) that communicates with the combustion chamber (29) and contains a heat exchanger (56). The system contains a supply line (58) for feeding crude gas into a crude gas line (60) and has a clean gas line (62) for giving off clean gas, wherein a regenerator chamber (42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54) of a regenerator (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 41), in each case independently of the regenerator chambers (42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54) of the rest of the regenerators (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 41), can be optionally connected to the crude gas line (60) and separated from the crude gas line (60) via an adjustable crude gas shut-off device (64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 75), as well as optionally connected to the clean gas line (62) and separated from the clean gas line (62) via an adjustable clean gas shut-off device (76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88). According to the invention, the system comprises a separating device (90) for separating suspended particles in crude gas fed into the crude gas line (60) from the supply line (58).

Apparatus and methods are disclosed to improved block channel geometries and arrangements of thermal oxidizers. One described example apparatus includes a block of a converter having a plurality of channels defining interior walls, which define a cellular pattern in a cross-sectional view of the block. The pattern comprises regular sub-patterns consisting of at least one central channel, which is proximate an interior of the block, and a plurality of surrounding channels.

A fluid reactor device, in particular a fluid purification device, is provided. The fluid reactor device includes a heat-transfer bed including heat storage material. Further, the fluid reactor device includes a first inlet configured to receive a first fluid, and a second inlet configured to receive a second fluid. Additionally, the fluid reactor device includes a first plenum fluidly coupled to a first opening of the heat-transfer bed, and a second plenum fluidly coupled to a second opening of the heat-transfer bed. The first plenum and the second plenum are configured to alternatingly supply both the first fluid and the second fluid to the heat-transfer bed such that the first fluid and the second fluid heat up and react while flowing through the heat storage material. During a time period in which one of the first plenum and the second plenum is configured to supply the first fluid and the second fluid to the heat-transfer bed, the other one of the first plenum and the second plenum is configured to drain the reacted fluid from the heat-transfer bed.

An electrically controlled valve which can be operated using a programable controller. A cooperating pair of the electrically controlled valves can be used in a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO). The electrically controlled valve has two seats, and a blade which can move between a first position contacting the first seat and a second position contacting the second seat. The blade is moved by an actuator which is controlled by a variable frequency drive (VFD). A control computer continuously monitors the operation of both valves and halts operation of the system upon detecting a fault (error). The motion of the blade is programmed such that force of impact on the seat is reduced. Once the blade is seated, a brake is engaged which maintains the stationary position while utilizing relatively low power.

A system and method to prevent an oxidizer overheating using cold side bypass for a volatile organic compounds (VOCs) treatment system with a series rotor are described, which is mainly used in the organic waste air treatment system. The system is equipped with a thermal oxidizer (to), a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, a first cold-side transporting pipeline, a first adsorption rotor, a second adsorption rotor, and a chimney. A cold-side proportional damper is installed between the first desorption-treated air pipeline and the first cold-side transporting pipeline, or it is installed on the first desorption-treated air pipeline. When the VOCs concentration becomes higher, the cold-side proportional damper can regulate the airflow to adjust the heat-recovery amount or concentration, when treating the organic waste air, it can prevent the thermal oxidizer from being overheated due to high oxidizer temperature, and protect from thermal oxidizer shut-down.

The disclosure relates to preventing an oxidizer from overheating using cold side bypass during high input for a VOCs treatment system having a series rotor, which may be used in an organic waste air treatment system. The system includes a thermal oxidizer (TO), a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, a fourth heat exchanger, a first cold-side transporting pipeline, a fourth cold-side transporting pipeline, a first adsorption rotor, a second adsorption rotor, and a chimney. A cold-side proportional damper is installed between the first desorption-treated air pipeline and the first cold-side transporting pipeline, between the first desorption-treated air pipeline and the fourth cold-side transporting pipeline, or between the first cold-side transporting pipeline and the fourth cold-side transporting pipeline, or the damper is installed on the first desorption-treated air pipeline.

A regenerative thermal oxidizer assembly includes a first housing member and a second housing member. The first housing member defines a regenerative portion and a combustion chamber. The second housing member defines an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. A regenerator is disposed within the regenerative portion of the first housing member. A thermal element extends through the first housing member into the combustion chamber for providing heat to the combustion chamber for initiating combustion inside the combustion chamber. The first housing member is rotatable around a central axis relative to the second housing member for rotating the regenerator relative to the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber.

An array includes a plurality of refractory bricks, each having a substantially tubular body including a first end, an opposed second end, a central bore extending from the first end to the second end along the longitudinal length thereof and defining an inner surface of the refractory brick, and an outer surface extending from the first end to the second end along the longitudinal length thereof. The outer surface of each refractory brick has a shape that transitions axially between a plurality of hexagonal portions and non-hexagonal portions along the longitudinal lengths thereof, and the plurality of refractory bricks are arranged and interlocked with one another in a vertical and horizontal manner via mating members provided on the hexagonal portions of the outer surfaces thereof. A continuous plenum space is defined by the non-hexagonal portions of the refractory bricks arranged in the array.

According to an embodiment, a monitoring device, comprising: a sensor for sensing inflow gas information including a component and a concentration of an inflow gas introduced into a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO); and a processor for determining residual gas information including a component and a concentration of a residual gas in the RTO by using the inflow gas information, and updating an inflow amount per unit time of the inflow gas according to a risk level of the RTO determined based on the residual gas information, is provided.