Patent ID: 8591823

Claim:
A system for treating an air stream exhausted from a firing kiln utilized to heat a ceramic substrate comprising: an outlet assembly comprising: a plurality of exhaust housing units in fluid communication with a firing kiln for heating ceramic substrates, wherein one or more exhaust housing units of the plurality of exhaust housing units are coupled to the firing kiln at a location to receive an exhaust gas stream, one or more exhaust housing units of the plurality of exhaust housing units are coupled to the firing kiln at a location to receive a waste heat stream such that a temperature of the waste heat stream is greater than the exhaust gas stream; an exhaust header in fluid communication with the plurality of exhaust housing units, wherein the plurality of exhaust housing units are positioned with respect to the exhaust header such that a temperature of an air stream comprising the waste heat stream and the exhaust gas stream within the exhaust header is greater than the exhaust gas stream; a thermal oxidizer in fluid communication with the outlet assembly to receive the air stream and remove pollutants from the air stream; a hydrofluoric scrubber in fluid communication with the exhaust header and the thermal oxidizer; an atmospheric exhaust stack in fluid communication with the thermal oxidizer and the hydrofluoric scrubber; a plurality of damper assemblies positioned between the exhaust header, the hydrofluoric scrubber, the thermal oxidizer, and the exhaust; and a controller communicatively coupled to individual ones of the plurality of damper assemblies, wherein individual ones of the plurality of damper assemblies are opened or closed to selectively route the air stream through the thermal oxidizer, the hydrofluoric scrubber, and the atmospheric exhaust stack.