Adsorber-Wheel + Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RC-RTO)

VOC Concentrator and Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer

WK’s RC-RTO combines a zeolite concentrator wheel with a regenerative thermal oxidizer to treat very large volumes of low-concentration VOC exhaust efficiently and economically. The VOC concentrator separates the concentration step from the destruction step, allowing the concentrator RTO to be sized for a fraction of the original exhaust volume while achieving full stack emissions compliance for the entire process flow.

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large cylindrical industrial thermal oxidizer unit Adsorber-Wheel + RTO (WK-RC-RTO).

Performance Parameters

  • Concentration ratio: up to 30:1 (desorbed stream volume versus inlet rotor volume)
  • Rotor inlet volume: systems engineered to exceed 700,000 Nm³/h for large paint shop applications
  • RTO oxidizer volume: sized for the concentrated stream, typically 3–5% of rotor inlet volume
  • Destruction efficiency: up to 99%+ achievable for the overall combined system
  • Auxiliary fuel consumption: reduced significantly versus direct treatment of full exhaust volume; self-sustaining RTO operation achievable depending on VOC loading after concentration
  • Heating options: gas-fired RTO (low-NOx burner), electrically heated (E-RTO) variant
  • Wheel desorption temperature: typically 180–200°C

Operating Principle

A Two-Stage Approach

The system operates in two sequential stages that work together as a continuous process. In the first stage, the full volume of VOC-laden exhaust air passes through a slowly rotating zeolite adsorber wheel. As the air moves through the zeolite structure, VOC molecules adsorb onto the surface of the wheel material. Clean air exits the wheel and is discharged to atmosphere. The rotor turns continuously, moving the loaded zeolite section out of the main process air stream and into a dedicated desorption zone. 

In the desorption zone, a much smaller stream of hot air, typically at 180–200°C, is passed through the loaded section of the wheel in the opposite direction. This desorbs the concentrated VOC from the zeolite and carries it away in a volume stream that can be up to 30 times smaller than the original exhaust flow. The zeolite is regenerated and returned to the adsorption zone to continue the cycle.

In the second stage, this small, high-concentration stream is routed to the WK RTO for thermal destruction. Because the stream is now compact and VOC-rich, the RTO operates efficiently, sustains high thermal efficiency and, at sufficient VOC loading, runs in self-sustaining mode without auxiliary fuel. The treated gas exits the RTO to atmosphere.

The result is that the thermal destruction system, which carries the majority of the capital cost and operating energy input, is sized for a fraction of the original exhaust volume, while compliance with stack emission limits is achieved for the full booth or process exhaust flow. 

Electrically Heated RC-RTO 

An electrically heated RC-RTO configuration is also available for applications where gas-fired combustion is to be avoided, consistent with WK’s E-RTO offering for standalone regenerative systems.

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Rendering of Adsorber-Wheel + RTO (WK-RC-RTO).

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