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Fluidized Bed Concentrator

Environmental C&C’s fluid bed VOC (volatile organic compound) control and solvent recovery systems provide proven, cost effective technology for industrial applications with high volume, low concentration flows of VOC's. This system can easily achieve flow volume reduction ratios of 1000:1 to as high as 10,000:1, allowing for several highly economical final treatment options. The high volume reduction translates into low capital and operating costs compared with standard concentrator systems, or direct treatment.

A proven technology, Environmental C&C’s fluid bed systems are currently treating exhaust streams at facilities for semiconductor manufacturing, painting/finishing, and printing.

Systems range in size from 200 cfm to over 100,000 cfm with final treatment being either condensation for solvent recovery, or thermal oxidation for VOC destruction. Removal or recovery rates of 95% - 99% are achievable. Because of the high turn-down ratio, these "back end" systems are significantly smaller than stand-alone systems, saving on capital expenditures.

Systems

200 CFM System
Inlet Stream: 200 CFM
   System Info.
  • Inlet Stream: 200 CFM
  • Industry: Semiconductor
  • Location: California
  • VOCs: Chlorofluorocarbon Solvent
  • Performance Achieved: > 95%
  • Notes: Customer directly used the high value an very expensive material
5,000 CFM System
Inlet Stream: 5,000 CFM
   System Info.
  • Inlet Stream: 5,000 CFM
  • Industry: Billboard cover painting
  • Location: California
  • VOCs: Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)
  • Performance Achieved: > 95%
  • Notes: Recovered VOCs reformulated into print ink
50,000 CFM System
Inlet Stream: 50,000 CFM
   System Info.
  • Inlet Stream: 50,000 CFM
  • Industry: Furniture
  • Location: California
  • VOCs: Paint Solvents
  • Performance Achieved: > 95%
  • Notes: Recovered Solvent Reused

Technology

How it Works

The adsorber section of the fluid bed system includes a series of perforated plate adsorption trays. Contaminated process exhaust enters from the bottom, passing upward through the adsorption trays, fluidizing the adsorbent and adsorbing the VOCs. VOC saturated adsorbent flows to the bottom of the adsorber vessel, from which it is removed at a slow, steady rate and transferred to the desorber. Meanwhile, regenerated adsorbent is continuously fed into the top of the adsorber vessel, providing counter-current VOC removal.

In the desorber, the temperature of the adsorbent material is increased, causing it to release the VOC contaminants into a low volume, inert carrier gas stream. The cleaned adsorbent material is then returned to the top of the adsorber vessel for reuse.

The concentrated contaminant stream is so small that it can often be easily treated with a simple afterburner or recovered for reuse or disposal through condensation. The condensation process is shown below.

How it Works Schema

One key to achieving high performance levels is the beaded activated carbon adsorbent material. The small, spherical "beads" have a high surface area for adsorption and are ideal for treating a wide range of solvents at high or high concentrations. With an attrition rate of less than 1% per year, operating and maintenance costs are extremely low.

Technology Evolution

The world's first practical commercial fluidized bed system was introduced to the market in the 1970's. This was made possible by the invention of beaded activated carbon (BAC), which is a petroleum pitch based, highly attrition resistant spherical material. There are currently over 1,000 fluidized bed systems installed worldwide for VOC control in a variety of industries. EC&C has had the benefit of having a continual close working relationship with the original developer of the technology.

EC&C has continued independently to modify and improve upon the design of the fluidized bed technology. Recent developments include the commercialization of a new desorption technique using ultra efficient energy methods. The new desorber will also have the capability to perform periodic in-place high temperature carbon reactivation, if required.

Our Technology at Work

Fluidized Bed Concentrators
Industry: Fiber Reinforced Plastic
Location: Missouri
Inlet Stream: 25,000 CFM
VOC Contaminants: Styrene
Performance Achieved: > 95%
Note: Complete removal of odor, with no degradation of carbon performance over the long term.
Industry: Military
Location: Michigan
Inlet Stream: 160,000 CFM
VOC Contaminants: Paint Solvents
Performance Achieved: > 95%
Note: Concentrator system with oxidizer and heat recovery for multi-source process air streams.
Industry: Semiconductor Chip Manufacturing
Location: Israel
Inlet Stream: 20,000 CFM
VOC Contaminants: Semiconductor solvents, 50 ppmv
Performance Achieved: > 95%
Note: System located in populated area of a major city and has eliminated nuisance odor.
Industry: Semiconductor Chip Manufacturing
Location: Arizona
Inlet Stream: 36,000 CFM
VOC Contaminants: Semiconductor solvents, 25-100 ppmv
Performance Achieved: > 95%
Note: System met strict local compliance requirements while achieving ZUD (Zero Unscheduled Downtime)
Industry: Teflon Tubing Manufacturing
Location: Massachusetts
Inlet Stream: 1,800 CFM
VOC Contaminants: Perchlorethylene, 1500 ppmv
Performance Achieved: 98% DRE
Note: Recovered solvent re-used in process, system payback in 1 year.
Industry: Furniture Painting
Location: California
Inlet Stream: 50,000 CFM
VOC Contaminants: Paint solvents, 25-50 ppmv
Performance Achieved: > 95%
Note: Recovered solvent reformulated with paint.

Awards

Air Cconservation Award Bagde
This award recognized the company’s efforts to significantly reduce emissions. The new Fluidized Bed Concentrator adsorption (FBC) system captured and destroyed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from certain painting processes. Read more...
Clean Air Excellence Award
This award recognized the use of the Fluidized Bed Concentrator to treat airborne solvent emissions created during automotive painting operations. The process captured solvent-laden air and striped the solvent from the air. The fuel reformer used the concentrate to generate fuel, which was directed into a fuel cell to generate electricity. Read more...
Click to Download Brochure Fluidized Bed ECC

Download Brochure Fluidized Bed ECC

Leadership Team

Environmental C&C (EC&C) and its affiliates have been supplying fluidized bed VOC control and odor abatement systems for over 30 years. The technology was made possible by the invention of Bead Activated Carbon, which is a petroleum pitch based, highly attrition resistant material. There are currently over 500 Fluidized Bed Concentrator (FBC) systems installed worldwide for odor control and VOC abatement, in a variety of industries. Throughout Environmental C&C's history, we have had the benefit of a close working relationship with the original developer of the Bead Activated Carbon.

Hal Cowles

Hal Cowles

Founder & President

Hal commercialized, researched, & developed the FBC technology for numerous applications over 35 years. His FBC work started in 1987, working in R&D as a research fellow at Custom Engineered Materials, Inc. Successfully completed 63 FBC installations worldwide. Siena College, Loudonville, NY BS Pre-med Biology & Chemistry. Advanced Analytical Chemistry & Electrical Engineering.

John Berger

John Berger, P.E.

Director, Business Development

John has > 10 years experience in the Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) industry and subsequently > 10 years experience in business and engineering support of FBC in numerous applications. Missouri Science & Technology. BS Mechanical Engineering Manufacturing and Energy Conservation. Purdue, Indiana. MS of Industrial Operations, Engineering & Business.

Jim Starek

Jim Starek

Director, Engineering and Operations

Director of Engineering and Operations in environmental air pollution industry for >20 years. Extensive experience in controls, instrumentation, electrical systems. Provided engineering support for FBC design, fabrication, installation, operations, and compliance testing. University of Maryland. Air Force. Electronic Systems Technology Degree.

Our Partners


California Carbon Co., Inc.

California Carbon Co., Inc.
California Carbon Co., Inc. performs custom activated carbon reactivation. The reactivation process is a heat-and-steam process similar to that of the activation process. In the reactivation process, California Carbon warrants that the carbon will be reactivated to 95% of Virgin Activity per ASTM D 3467.

Kureha Chemical Industries

Kureha Corporation
Kureha is a leading diversified chemical products manufacturer. Over 70 years, we have applied our technological expertise to create numerous original products in fields including advanced products, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and packaging materials.

Our Customers


DENSO Corporation

Denso Automotive manufacturer DENSO Corporation is a global automotive components manufacturer headquartered in the city of Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. After becoming independent from Toyota Motor, the company was founded as Nippon Denso Co. Ltd. in 1949. About 25% of the company is owned by Toyota.

General Electric

The mission of The General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational company. For more than 125 years, GE has invented the future of industry. Today, GE is best known for its work in the Power, Renewable Energy, Aviation and Healthcare industries.

Demmer Corporation

The mission of Demmer Corporation is to create a competitive advantage for our customers by creating and executing world class engineering and manufacturing solutions. Our flawless launch focus and rigorous process improvement environment drives our ability to acquire new business opportunities and grow customer relationships.

Ford Motor Company

The mission of Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand, and luxury cars under its Lincoln luxury brand.

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC

Honda Manufacturing of Alabama is an automobile factory located in Lincoln, Alabama. It builds vehicles for Honda sales in North America. Production began on November 14, 2001, with the plant producing its two millionth vehicle on September 3, 2010.

Steelcase, Inc.

Steelcase, originally named Metal Office Furniture Company, is an office furniture company started in 1912 by Peter M. Wege in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Wege was well experienced in the sheet metal and fireproofing industries and had filed approximately 25 patents prior to starting the company.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturing company founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling and based in Akron, Ohio.

Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 million vehicles per year.

More Customers:

Komag, Western Digital (formerly Hitachi), Taiwan Semiconductor, Akzo Nobel, Lucent, Everflex, AVX (US and Ireland), Chungwa, Nanya, Kelco, Logan Aluminum, Fresco, Brook and Whittle, Legere Restorations, SONY Music, SONY Picture tube, Bayla, Dubai Maritime City Project, Graham Magnetics, UVEX, General Motors/Toyota Joint Venture, Quick Roll Leaf, Americhem Engineering and Many more...
Automotive Industry System
Honda Motors System

Contact Us


Corporate Headquarters & Product Development Center:

Environmental C&C, Inc.
P.O. Box 2800-177
Carefree, AZ 85377
Phone: (518) 225-0315
Attention: Hal Cowles

Eastern Sales & Marketing Office:

Environmental C&C, Inc.
15106 Betton Place
Fishers, In 46037-5535
Phone: (317) 863-7468
Attention: John Berger