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BOILERS, PUMPS & VALVES
hermal fluid systems have revolutionised process heating, making large, energy hungry and heavily manned plant rooms a thing of the past for the majority of industries. Thermal Fluid Heating systems are compact, easy to use and offer an overall saving in energy that is hard to beat. Unlike a steam system, there is no change of state of the fluid in thermal fluid systems, so no condensate and therefore no flash steam losses, no blow down losses or make up water and no effluent discharge. Thermal fluid systems operate completely corrosion and frost free without the need for expensive chemical treatment. Furthermore, users are not confronted with the well-known problems of high pressure to reach high temperatures. It all adds up to substantial savings for the operator. Thermal fluids typically operate at up to 350°C at atmospheric pressure and can remain pumpable down to -20°C and lower with special fluids, which makes it a solution suitable for a wide range of applications.
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HOW DO THERMAL FLUID HEATERS WORK?
Thermal Fluid Heating is based on a similar principle to a simple hot water system. It consists of a heater connected to carbon steel flow and return pipework which can simultaneously provide heat to one or more users or systems. Instead of water running through the closed loop pipework, a thermal fluid - which remains liquid throughout the operation - is used as the heat transfer medium. The heat is transferred by turbulent liquid flow at the heat transfer surface. The fluid then passes in a closed circuit back to the Thermal Fluid Heater for reheating without further loss of energy. Different fluids – typically mineral and synthetic based fluids – can be used to meet specific process heating requirements, making it a very flexible system.
Thermal Fluid Heaters have outpaced steam generation in the majority of new process
THERMAL FLUID HEATING SYSTEMS: VERSATILE SOLUTIONS
By Etienne Fourie, technical sales manager, Babcock Wanson
heating applications. There are numerous applications for Thermal Fluid Heating, but here we look at some of the most common solutions.
PRESSING, CURING AND MOULDING Many processes involve changing the shape or form of material using heat; these include press heating and cooling, moulding processes, extruder heating and cooling, laminating, autoclave heating, drying and forming, furniture manufacture, automotive manufacturing and composite materials. Where steam, electricity or direct fuel firing have been traditionally used, thermal fluid systems can offer greater control, higher quality, lower cost and repeatability. Design of the system flow characteristics to suit the process ensures even heat distribution across the face of multi daylight presses without the risk of condensate logging often associated with steam systems. Simple and accurate temperature control is readily achieved using a variety of techniques that have been developed and proven over many years. Steam, when required for direct contact with the process, can be easily and safely generated as part of a thermal fluid system using Unfired Steam Boilers.
A cross section of the TPC-B. 20
TANKS, VESSELS AND COOKERS Storage of product which must be maintained at any given temperature is achieved at the lowest practicable cost when Thermal Fluid Heating is used. Individual tanks or multi tank
systems, such as can be found on continuous metal treatment plants, demonstrate the flexible nature of these systems with each tank controlled at the required temperature using the simplest automated techniques. Reactor and blending vessels for food, chemical and pharmaceutical applications with and without differential temperature control are a key application. Flour millers Whitworth Bros. has several Babcock Wanson TPC Thermal Fluid
Summer 2023 UKManufacturing
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