A bakery in the eastern United States installed a 7,000 scfm regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) for the abatement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from its conveyorized bread-baking ovens.

The oven produces VOCs and carbon dioxide during the yeast fermentation process, and the main VOC emitted from the bakery operations is ethanol. Bakeries also can generate air pollution emissions from other processes such as gas combustion.

The oxidizer will destroy VOCs in the exhaust gases emitted from a single conveyorized bakery oven. The RTO, designed and supplied by Catalytic Products International, offers 95 percent destruction rate efficiency at a thermal rate efficiency of 97 percent.

According to CPI, the high moisture content, high levels of condensables, and the acidic conditions of the baking oven exhaust requires special materials of construction. To address the high moisture content of the exhaust streams and potential for corrosion, all wetted surfaces – including the exhaust stack, inlet ducting, dampers and booster fan – were constructed of stainless steel.