SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TREATING AIR CONTAINING VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCs)

A system for treating air containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the system comprising:

• a concentrator configured to remove VOCs from the air to form treated air and concentrated VOC air;
• a thermal incinerator connected to the concentrator to receive the concentrated VOC air, the thermal incinerator being configured to mix the concentrated VOC air with fuel to form a fuel/air mixture and to combust the fuel/air mixture to form incinerator exhaust air containing at least one of nitrogen oxide or nitrogen dioxide (NOX);
• a mixer connected to the thermal incinerator to receive the incinerator exhaust air and connected to the concentrator to receive a portion of the treated air, the mixer being configured to mix the portion of the treated air with the incinerator exhaust air to cool the incinerator exhaust air to form cooled incinerator exhaust air;
• and
• a catalytic filtration system connected to the mixer to receive the cooled incinerator exhaust air, the catalytic filtration system being configured to remove particulate matter from the cooled incinerator exhaust air and to reduce NOx in the cooled incinerator exhaust air, wherein the concentrator comprises:
• a rotary wheel containing adsorbent material, the rotary wheel being rotatable to move the adsorbent material through a sequence comprising an adsorption zone, then a desorption zone, and then a cooling zone;
• wherein the concentrator is configured such that when the adsorbent material is in the adsorption zone, the air is passed through the adsorbent material, thereby causing VOCs to be captured by the adsorbent material and the treated air to exit the adsorbent material;
• wherein the concentrator is configured such that when the adsorbent material is in the desorption zone, heated air is passed through the adsorbent material, thereby heating the adsorbent material and causing captured VOCs from the adsorbent material to be desorbed into the heated air, thereby forming the concentrated VOC air;
• and
• wherein the concentrator is configured such that when the adsorbent material is in the cooling zone, the air is passed through the adsorbent material, thereby cooling the adsorbent material and forming feed air.

A method for treating air containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the method comprising:

• removing VOCs from the air to form treated air and concentrated VOC air;
• mixing the concentrated VOC air with fuel to form a fuel/air mixture;
• combusting the fuel/air mixture to form incinerator exhaust air containing at least one of nitrogen oxide or nitrogen dioxide (NOx);
• cooling the incinerator exhaust air to form cooled incinerator exhaust air;
• generating at least one of ozone or reactive oxygen species (ROS) for injection into the cooled incinerator exhaust air to generate reacted cooled incinerator exhaust air;
• removing particulate matter from the reacted cooled incinerator exhaust air;
• and
• converting NOx in the reacted cooled incinerator exhaust air into nitrogen oxides of the formula NxOy, where x and y are each 2 or greater.