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In this contribution, a theoretical study of the dynamic behaviour (open- and closedloop)of a Feed-Effluent Heat Exchanger (FEHE) / Reactor system for the catalyticcombustion of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is carried out. An additionalsupply of energy is provided by means of a furnace to achieve the desired reactor inlettemperature. The positive feedback of energy to the reactor inlet is a source ofinstability that leads to pronounced limit cycles in the main state variables. The strongthermal oscillations predicted can damage the catalyst and cause considerable stress onboth the reactor and heat exchanger materials. To prevent this scenario, a controlstructure that considers the manipulation of a bypass flow of the feed stream around theFEHE is selected. A single-loop feedback control system is successfully applied tomaintain the inlet temperature set-point, rejecting the VOC?s concentration disturbancesand enabling a stable operation. The results demonstrate that the controllability of theprocess is ensured with high external heat supplies (low heat recovery in the FEHE)which increases the fuel demand and the operating costs. Additionally, a high FEHEtransfer area enables efficient heat recovery and avoids the controllability loss due to asuitable by-pass valve regulation.