Efficiency is a priority for any terminal operation, and with so many moving parts, revenue can seep through the cracks.
With extensive experience in industrial heating spanning decades, Enerquip has refined its expertise in enhancing efficiency. Allow us to share some valuable tips with you:
Replace boilers with thermal fluid heaters
Thermal fluid heaters and boilers are essential for daily operations in asphalt and fuel facilities, ensuring products stay warm and pliable for pumping.
Unlike steam boilers, thermal oil heating systems offer superior performance with lower maintenance. Steam boilers necessitate continuous and expensive water treatment, condensate collection and steam-trap maintenance. Water’s corrosiveness also poses a risk, leading to quick system corrosion if the chemistry is off.
By contrast, thermal fluid (hot oil) heaters have significantly lower costs by eliminating the need for a full-time boiler operator and the above-mentioned maintenance requirements. Most importantly, oil is non-corrosive and won’t freeze, making it the optimal choice for heating equipment.
Use advanced hot oil heaters
For enhanced efficiency, operators can opt for serpentine coil thermal fluid heaters with a design that allows for even heat distribution due to increased spacing between coils, surpassing traditional helical coil heaters.
Serpentine coil thermal fluid heaters may also be equipped with a built-in economizer section, which significantly enhances efficiency over helical coil thermal fluid heaters. Efficiencies may be improved by as much as 20%, which can dramatically reduce fuel consumption.
Additionally, the radiant and convective section may be equipped with removable hatches for routine inspection to ensure the heaters run at their intended optimum levels. If a tube leak occurs in either section, it can be quickly identified and repaired by strictly cutting and replacing the section of pipe where the leak occurred. This is not possible with helical coil thermal fluid heaters, where the entire coil would need to be replaced.
Replace tank fire tubes with bottom-mounted tank coils
In older facilities, you may find dated and unsafe direct-fired heaters blasting directly into a tank sidewall. One small leak and you’ve got a major safety situation on your hands. In addition, the single flame creates hot spots and cold spots, reducing efficiency. Replacing fire tubes with tank coils also eliminates an emissions source, reducing your carbon footprint.
A safer and more economical option is tank heating coils mounted to the bottom of a tank. These coils can either be heated with hot oil or steam and can be bare or finned pipes. Unlike longitudinally finned pipes where fins are mounted horizontally, helically wound or vertical fins, reduce the risk of coking as any sediments can fall through the fins.
Repair or replace old equipment and technology
Let’s face it, all equipment has a shelf life. No matter the quality, eventually it will need to be replaced. When heating equipment begins to break down, operations may experience problems like process fluid degradation, tube failures, high stack temperatures, high fuel costs, high maintenance costs and the inability to reach optimal fluid temperatures. By replacing old equipment, you can quickly pay for the equipment itself with the money saved on fuel, water and other resources.
Invest in tank insulation
In colder climates, maintaining the temperature of tank and pipe contents is crucial. Neglecting insulation leads to significant heat energy loss, requiring more fuel for heating.
Proper insulation and surface protection not only safeguard thermal properties but also help increase the product’s lifespan. A properly insulated tank will ensure the product inside won’t freeze due to outside temperature or deteriorate due to heat caused by solar radiation.
The strategic implementation of these tactics is sure to bring substantial benefit to any terminal operation, paving the way for improved performance, sustainability and overall operational excellence.
For more information, visit enerquip.com.
