(421b) Upstream Process Optimization to Reduce the Cost of Air Pollution Control

Air Pollution Control (APC) systems are often thought of as solely end-of-pipe solutions, especially when new APC systems are installed on existing production processes. Frequently, design modifications to the upstream process can significantly reduce the capital and operating costs of the APC system required, but many companies neglect to include a comprehensive process design review as part of an APC project’s scope.

This case study will illustrate the project execution steps followed for a VOC abatement project on a complex batch production process involving multiple production lines where relatively low-cost modifications to the existing upstream process resulted in significant capital and operating cost savings associated with the new APC design. Several design alternatives were modeled to evaluate their impact on the process operations and APC system design.

The time taken to holistically consider the impact that changes to the existing process would have on the process design basis of the APC system ultimately lead to the implementation of specific measures that resulted in a pronounced reduction in the size of the APC system required and identified special features to include in the design to decidedly reduce the utility consumption of the system.