Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers for Animal Rendering
Scrubbers have long been the standard answer to rendering odor, and they still handle part of the job well. But a regenerative thermal oxidizer for animal rendering reaches a level of destruction efficiency scrubbing alone was never designed to hit. TANN builds RTOs for facilities that need to go further than scrubbing can take them.
From Scrubbing Alone to Scrubbing Plus RTO
Rendering exhaust is a genuinely difficult environment for equipment, and it takes real experience to know what holds up and what doesn't. For decades, wet and chemical scrubbers were the primary tool facilities used to manage rendering odor, and they earned that role honestly. Scrubbers are effective at capturing ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, two of the most persistent odor compounds this industry produces, and they remain a normal part of many rendering operations today.
What scrubbers alone don't do as well is destroy the broader range of VOCs and organic odor compounds that also come off a rendering process. That's where a regenerative thermal oxidizer for animal rendering comes in. RTOs use high-temperature oxidation to break these compounds down directly, commonly reaching destruction efficiencies of 99% or better. That level of performance is a meaningful step up from scrubbing alone, which is why RTOs have become the more effective, increasingly standard approach for facilities that need to go beyond odor management and into full VOC destruction.
In practice, most rendering facilities today don't choose one technology over the other. They use scrubbers for what scrubbers are good at, and an RTO for what only high-temperature oxidation can really do.
What Each Piece of Equipment Does
A rendering odor and VOC control setup typically includes a few distinct pieces of equipment:
- A quench tower, which cools the exhaust before it reaches other equipment
- Scrubbers, which capture ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and moisture from the exhaust
- A regenerative thermal oxidizer, which destroys the VOCs and odor compounds scrubbing alone leaves behind
- Onsite wastewater treatment, which scrubber blowdown is typically routed to
What Each Piece of Equipment Does
Here's a straightforward look at the equipment commonly found in a rendering odor and VOC control setup, and what each piece is actually responsible for.
Quench Tower
Cools the exhaust stream down to a temperature range where scrubbing equipment can actually perform effectively.
Scrubbers
Capture moisture and specific compounds like ammonia and hydrogen sulfide out of the exhaust stream. Scrubbers have long been the industry standard for this part of rendering odor control, and they're still good at it. Many facilities use them both ahead of and after the RTO.
Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer
Destroys VOCs and remaining odor compounds through high-temperature oxidation, typically reaching destruction efficiencies of 99% or better, well beyond what scrubbing alone can achieve.
Scrubbers are genuinely good at capturing ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, and that's not going away. But for the VOCs and organic odor compounds scrubbing alone doesn't fully eliminate, RTOs offer a level of destruction efficiency that's made them the newer, more effective standard in this industry.
Built for What This Application Demands
TANN engineers and fabricates RTO systems in-house at our Kaukauna, Wisconsin facility, and has built equipment for animal rendering applications before.
Fan Equipment Built for This Environment
This is an application where equipment choices matter more than they might look on paper. TANN has the field experience to know which components need to be built differently here, and we're glad to walk through the specifics directly with your team.
What Scrubbers Are Good At
Scrubbers excel at capturing ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, two of the toughest odor compounds rendering produces. That's why they've been the traditional standard for this part of odor control, and why many facilities still rely on them today.
Why RTOs Are the More Effective Standard
RTOs destroy VOCs and odor compounds directly through high-temperature oxidation, commonly reaching 99% or better destruction efficiency. That level of performance is why RTOs have become the go-to technology where scrubbing alone isn't enough.
What Animal Rendering RTOs Are Up Against
Understanding what stresses each piece of equipment in a rendering application helps facilities set realistic maintenance expectations and get more life out of what they've already installed.
Corrosion of Standard Components
Exhaust conditions here can shorten the working life of fan components, ductwork, and hardware that weren't specified with this environment in mind. Facilities running older or generic-spec equipment often see this show up as an early repair or replacement issue.
Scrubber Media and Chemistry Upkeep
Scrubbers need their chemistry and packing media maintained to keep capturing ammonia and hydrogen sulfide at the rate they're rated for. Let that maintenance slide, and capture rates drop before anyone notices a problem.
RTO Media Fouling
Ceramic heat exchange media in the RTO can foul over time from particulate and residue that make it through upstream scrubbing. Fouled media raises pressure drop and lowers thermal efficiency.
Wastewater Interface Complexity
Scrubbing liquid carrying absorbed contaminants, known as blowdown, is routed to onsite wastewater treatment. That interface needs proper coordination with the facility's wastewater system, separate from the exhaust gas itself, which continues through the stack.
Fan and Bearing Wear
If particulate reaches the fan section, it causes imbalance and faster bearing wear. That's exactly why TANN's fan design keeps particulate exposure to a minimum.
Combustion System Drift
As with any continuously operating oxidizer, combustion components and control parameters can drift over time. Temperature deviations affect destruction efficiency, fuel consumption, and compliance reporting regardless of the process being served.
TANN Supports Your System for the Long Term
A regenerative thermal oxidizer for animal rendering needs regular attention to keep performing at the destruction efficiency it's rated for. TANN stays involved from initial engineering through the full operating life of the RTO.
Engineering and Fabrication
Every TANN RTO is engineered and fabricated in-house at our Kaukauna, Wisconsin facility, built for the demands of this application from the ground up.
Installation and Startup
TANN provides installation support, commissioning, and operator training to get the RTO running at its rated performance from day one.
Annual Inspections
Scheduled inspections evaluate the fan, ductwork, media, and combustion components, catching wear before it turns into a bigger repair.
RTO Maintenance Support
TANN supports maintenance and troubleshooting on the RTO itself, keeping destruction efficiency where it needs to be over the life of the equipment.
Media Replacement
TANN supplies ceramic heat exchange media and provides field crews experienced with replacement work in rendering and other high-fouling applications.
24/7 Emergency Response
TANN's service team is available around the clock. When an unplanned issue affects your emissions control system, our team can troubleshoot remotely and mobilize qualified technicians to your facility when you need them most.
Warning Signs an Animal Rendering RTO Needs Attention
Watch for these signs in the RTO itself, separate from whatever else is happening with scrubbing or other equipment upstream.
Performance Indicators
- Rising pressure drop across the RTO media beds
- Increasing fuel consumption without a corresponding change in production volume
- Reduced destruction efficiency or approaching permit compliance thresholds
- Fan noise, vibration, or current draw outside of normal operating parameters
Operational Observations
- Visible corrosion on fan components, ductwork, or hardware not specified for this environment
- Increased frequency of alarms or combustion system trips
- Odor complaints returning even though scrubbers appear to be operating normally
- Any system that has not had a documented inspection in more than 12 months
Ready to discuss your animal rendering facility's emissions control requirements?
Whether you're evaluating a regenerative thermal oxidizer for animal rendering to go beyond what scrubbing alone can achieve, or working through maintenance on an existing RTO, TANN is ready to help. Our engineering team designs equipment built for what this application actually demands.