Tesla

Integrated Heating and Emissions Abatement System for Industrial Ovens

Automotive paint, e-coat, and powder coat ovens typically rely on standalone Regenerative Thermal Oxidizers to abate Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions, adding significant capital cost and factory space requirements. This project developed a conceptual integrated Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) approach within oven heater boxes to reduce system complexity, cost, and footprint while supporting applicable NFPA, air district, and building code requirements. The concept used regenerative thermal oxidation as the basis of design, with targets for VOC destruction, thermal efficiency, cold-start readiness, and modular airflow capacity across different oven applications. The work defined the proposed system through engineering calculations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, conceptual layouts, P&IDs, functional diagrams, a parametric 3D design, and a cost comparison against a traditional standalone abatement system.