Catalytic reactors in forced nonstationary operation enable autothermal VOC (volatile organic compounds) oxidation even when the adiabatic temperature rise of the combustible mixtures is extremely low. The simulated moving bed (or ring reactor). realized with a network of two or three reactors. has been suggested as an alternative to the well-investigated reverse-flow reactor. The behavior of these configurations has been compared, showing that the reactor network has a narrower stability range than the reverse-flow reactor; the stability range is decreased if we increase the number of reactors. The maximum temperature of the catalyst is higher in the network than in the reverse-flow reactor and in both configurations it is increased if part of the catalyst is substituted by inert material.