RENEWABLE ENERGY
Replacing fossil fuel heaters with electric heaters would
lead to a reduction in Scope 1 carbon dioxide emissions
focused on if they should decarbonise, but how. So why aren’t electric process heaters more ubiquitous in the energy sector today? Surprisingly, familiarity might be the main reason. Until now, such heaters have played only very narrow roles in hydrocarbon processing and were usually smaller, operating at lower voltages. Although larger heaters are easily imaginable, engineers recognise that a number of questions arise when it comes to their control and maintenance. Ultimately, no one wants to be first into the water when it comes to running larger medium- voltage thermal systems. The positive news is that modern electric heaters can provide equally good, if not improved, performance on fossil fuel powered heaters.
MAINTAINING CONSISTENT CONTROL Some of the most common questions about larger process heaters have to do with control. What additional elements are needed to ramp up the heater? How is temperature monitored and controlled? And what additional safety precautions are needed? The lack of traditional usage of
larger electric heaters for heating processes in the petrochemical industry does not imply that the technology is unproven. On the other hand, proven power switching devices have been employed for low voltage electric process heaters
impact group Buhler, are the direct result of burning fuels like natural gas or fuel oil for process heating. Scope Two emissions result from the need to import energy, while Scope Three emissions are produced while using a product such as the emissions from vehicles on the road. All three types must be reduced to hit global decarbonisation targets.
THE IMPACT OF ELECTRIC PROCESS HEATERS A survey conducted by Watlow for its customers and prospects revealed that 90 per cent of oil and gas leaders are already actively engaged in decarbonisation efforts. Hydrocarbon processors are no longer
Watlow‘s chief design engineer Dennis Long
and medium voltage motors across various industries and have a well- tested capability to regulate voltage.
POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Programmable logic controllers and similar power management systems bring heaters online to help prevent problems for other devices connected to the same power source. The heater and controller are part of one closed- loop system, which streamlines integration and yields more control over the entire system. ●
For more information visit
https://www.watlow.com/
The Powersafe solution
Watlow’s Powersafe solution is a medium voltage heating solution, that the company describes as a safe, reliable and clean replacement for fossil fuel alternatives in process equipment. The system also comprises as an isolated low voltage enclosure, including a human machine interface (HMI) and PLC. It’s been proven to operate safely and reliably up to 7200 V. Powersafe also offers a flexible combination of a silicon-controlled rectifier and contactor circuits up to 25 megawatts within a single control package, delivering high-efficiency power to reduce the size and weight of the solution. Understanding electric process heating systems now can alleviate
future energy transition challenges. Engineers have come to recognise that first, there are significantly more opportunities for using electric process heating systems with fewer size limitations than previously thought; and second, field applications have demonstrated effective control of these large-scale heating systems, showcasing precise management of process and surface temperatures.
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