Anguil - Emission Capture - Permanent Total Enclosures (PTE)
Permanent Total Enclosures (PTEs) provide numerous advantages for manufacturers who paint, spray, coat or apply solvent based materials to their product. The primary function is to provide 100% capture of all fugitive over-spray of harmful air pollutants used within the enclosure, maximizing the capture and control efficiency of the facility. This results in fewer uncontrolled emissions being released to the atmosphere and compliance with most government regulations for indoor air quality. The PTE also reduces routine capture efficiency testing costs and provides a cleaner, healthier work environment in the rest of the production facility through better capture and noise containment.
- Automatic, fast-acting doors and conveyor openings can be provided to minimize the volume of PTE exhaust sent to a control device
- Makeup air systems to provide outside fresh air to points where personnel are routinely present to enhance worker comfort
- Automatic controls for the PTE exhaust fan speed or door positions based on production levels
- PTEs can be installed around the process “wet end” where VOCs may be become fugitive or the entire process line could be enclosed within
- Floor sweeps and capture hoods to pickup solvent emissions and deliver them to a dryer, oven or an emission control unit. This enhances the air quality for operating personnel within the PTE
- Inspection windows for ensuring product quality
- 100% capture efficiency providing the highest level of VOC control efficiency
- Once PTE is certified or proven, subsequent capture efficiency testing is generally not required
- Indoor air quality within the rest of the production facility is improved as all VOCs or solvents are captured and sent to an emission control device.
- Noise levels within the rest of the facility can be improved
- Additional production capacity can be provided before emission limits for a given facility are reached
PTEs allow 100% capture efficiency of the process emissions, including all fugitive air pollutants within the PTE, if there is an enclosure or structure that completely surrounds the production device. To qualify as a PTE, the following criteria must be met:
- Any natural draft opening (NDO) shall be at least four equivalent diameters from each Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emitting point.
- The total area of all NDOs shall not exceed five percent of the surface area of the enclosure’s four walls, floor and ceiling.
- The average facial velocity of air through all NDOs shall be at least 3,600 m/h (200 ft/min). The direction of air through all NDOs shall be into the enclosure.
- All access doors and windows should be closed during routine process operation.
- All exhaust gases from the enclosure must be directed to a control device.
- Anguil will work with operating personnel to review the PTE design to ensure there is no production related issues
- Anguil’s experience with cascading floor sweeps and hoods that can contain high concentrations of VOC into dryers – ovens or burners allow for better air quality within the PTE
- Enclosures can be placed around the wet-end of production equipment to keep the PTE small, or large enclosures around the entire production line if required
- Good capture efficiency within the PTE will minimize the exhaust flow from the enclosure to a control device, decreasing the overall cost for compliance