Who’s going to service my system now?

In recent years the air pollution control industry has undergone a dramatic change. The major
companies that historically were the original pioneers of the industry and the state-of-the-art
technology we now utilize have vanished. According to EPA databases, this leaves the industrial
equipment owners with 2,000+ air pollution control systems still in operation and no one to call
on for service or repair.

This trend has been complicated with the downsizing of the OEM personnel in order to
economize their operations where most of these companies now rely on outsourcing for the
execution of their projects and servicing of their units.

A majority of the equipment in operation is nearing twenty years of reliable service. Some of
these systems are in desperate need of routine service and maintenance to maximize their
functional life while others are in need of extensive repair or even replacement.

Still others, because of environmental laws, process changes, re-permitting, etc. are in need of
significant technological upgrades or even replacement. Many Title V's are due for a 5-year
update, and some facilities may have to add CAM and MACT rules this time. In fiscal year 2002
the EPA levied over $62mm in criminal fines to companies that were not in compliance with
local or federal pollution emissions levels.

The upgrades or system changes offered vary significantly. Some systems may need a PLC
upgrade to keep up with the technology of the other plant equipment, others need media
changeout of the heat recovery media as in the case of RTO's, while still others may need a
changeout of the catalysts, if applicable.

Some units will need to be upgraded in order to take advantage of utility incentives offered or
imposed by local regulatory agencies. These methods come in the form of retrofitting the units
with materials and or equipment to reduce the energy consumption of the systems either by
mechanical means with new media or the addition of cost savings variable frequency drives and
smarter controls systems.

For the systems that do not and will not require any of these options, regular scheduled
maintenance and inspections may be required to confirm the performance and integrity of their
operation. In some cases maintenance reports are required to be kept as part of their EPA or other
governmental regulatory agency requirements. Other inspections and regular maintenance
reports are required by OEM’s for the conformance of warranty conditions and are generally
suggested for the longevity of the systems.

Maintenance inspections and system tune-ups can save these companies money even in the short
run. For example a system that whose combustion system may be un-tuned could waste up to
$20,000 annually in fuel costs alone. A plant with a 400hp motor operating below maximum
capacity could save over $100,000 annually by installing a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD).

RTO bakeouts or “burnouts” on systems whose process conditions dictate such a feature require
that the systems be baked out regularly to maintain performance and reduce costly energy
consumption. An RTO whose pressure drop increases by 2” w.c. per bed over a year can cost the
company over $40,000 annually in electrical costs as well as reduced destruction efficiency due
to exhaust entrainment of built up condensable organics.
Major system upgrades on RTO’s include
a media changeout with low pressure
drop media to increase the system
capacity by as much as 20% or to reduce
the operating pressure by 40%. In this
upgrade the older random packed media
is completely removed, the system
support structure may need to be rebuilt.
New low pressure drop Heat Recovery
Media (HRM) is installed in the same
recovery chambers. On a system that has
a 400HP motor, a media changeout could
potentially save $140,000 annually.

Another major RTO upgrade is installing catalytic media. In this instance only one foot of
standard media is removed. This is
replaced with one foot of catalytic
coated media especially formulated for
VOC’s. The RTO’s combustion
chamber then only need to bring the
operating temperature of the inlet
gasses to 800 F, not 1500 F. This
results in s substantial fuel savings,
even in a 95% thermally efficient
system. A system review of the inlet gas
constituents is required to investigate
the presence of any catalyst poisoning
or masking compounds. An RTO
retrofitted with catalyst can save
$100,000 annually offering only a three
year Return on Investment.

With systems other than RTO’s such as recuperative or catalytic oxidizers, the requirement for
maintenance is just as important to maintain proper operation. Inspection of recuperative heat
exchangers that undergo such extremes is mandatory to prevent crossflow contamination. Very
small cross flow contamination can result in very low destruction efficiencies potentially leaving
the customer open to environmental penalties or fines.

Catalytic oxidizers need to be tested regularly for operation and compliance. Catalyst samples
should be tested yearly on units with stationary or non-fluidized catalyst beds for activity.
Fluidized bed oxidizers need to maintain proper operating levels of catalyst for proper
destruction efficiency. In addition, both of these types of systems can also benefit from the
proper setup of the combustion and control systems.

So, with some major OEM vendors now out of business, what can an owner of this equipment do
to have his unit maintained or upgraded?

With the aging technology comes increasing historical knowledge of the technologies and a new
breed of service company is growing out of this need manned by experts in their field. With the
demise of the more familiar and larger previous OEM’s a lot of industry professionals were left
to find alternative means of employment. The knowledge and experience that these Service
Engineers have is far too valuable to go unused.

A few companies have recognized these available resources and have hired these individuals as
startup and field service engineers for their own product lines as well as a source for outside
contract work. And a few new companies have sprouted up out of this need specializing in the
aftermarket maintenance and servicing of the 2,000+ oxidation and abatement systems
worldwide.

These people are usually the best of the best, familiar with the established technologies and
systems to service, inspect, upgrade, relocate and solve most problems or challenges that face the
owners of equipment of now defunct OEM’s.

These companies have the experience and innovative technology know-how to review your
needs and recommend the proper course of action that best suits your systems. From engineering
to servicing to maintenance, these professionals can fulfill your requirements safely and
economically.

Some of the many services offered by these companies include the following –
AFTERMARKET SERVICES AFTERMARKET PROJECTS
• Maintenance • Media Replacements
• Inspections • RCO Implementation
• Troubleshooting • Catalyst Replacements
• Training • System Upgrades

The formation of the aftermarket service companies has also sparked a fresh competitive market
whereby the owners can reap the benefits since they are no longer held captive by having to deal
solely with the OEM for service which may have jeopardized any contractual guarantees or
warranties.

The next time you need aftermarket services for your new OR vintage equipment don’t hesitate
to look up one of these new companies that specialize in the aftermarket service of air pollution
control systems. It could be a very rewarding phone call as these companies are staffed with well
qualified personnel that are wholly competent for any engineering, servicing or maintenance
tasks for your system.

Paul Stefanic
Thermal Systems Services, Inc.
920 Thornewood Lane
Algonquin, IL 60102
847-854-9818
tssinc-us@comcast.net www.tssinc-us.com