Patent ID: 7332136

Claim:
An air box in a regenerative thermal oxidizer having at least one bed of a heat-storing and heat-transferring material having a gas permeable surface, the air box comprising a gas inlet/outlet and pressure distribution means for flow of gas at only a periphery of the pressure distribution means, said pressure distribution means extending across a center of said air box, dividing the air box into a first compartment and a second compartment, at least one through-flow opening being provided in said pressure distribution means, allowing said flow of gas, said through-flow opening being adjacent to an outer wall of said air box, said through-flow opening having a width much smaller than a width of said pressure distribution means, a plurality of spacer elements being provided in the air box between the permeable surface and an opposed face of the air box, the pressure distribution means being attached to the spacer elements wherein the permeable surface is located in the first compartment and the gas inlet/outlet is connected at the second compartment, the at least one through-flow opening being provided by the pressure distribution means between the first and second compartments.