tank heating coil
tank heating coil
(OP)
Does anyone have experience with heating fuel oil in bulk storage tanks?
I have an application where steam coils are used to heat fuel oils (#2 to #6), so they do not gel at low temperatures. I need to calculate the maximum steam temperature to which I can deliver to the heating coils such that the temperature of the coils will not scortch the oil or make it go boom. I don't want the oil to get above 250 deg. F or so. My steam available is 1246.8 Btu/lb (260 psia @ 470 deg. F). I'm sure there will be some condensate in the line acting as an insulator.
ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS TO ASSURE THE SAFETY OF THE SYSTEM??
Thanks
I have an application where steam coils are used to heat fuel oils (#2 to #6), so they do not gel at low temperatures. I need to calculate the maximum steam temperature to which I can deliver to the heating coils such that the temperature of the coils will not scortch the oil or make it go boom. I don't want the oil to get above 250 deg. F or so. My steam available is 1246.8 Btu/lb (260 psia @ 470 deg. F). I'm sure there will be some condensate in the line acting as an insulator.
ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS TO ASSURE THE SAFETY OF THE SYSTEM??
Thanks





RE: tank heating coil
All you need in order to do what you propose, is a simple temperature transmitter that sends a signal to a main steam valve feeding the steam to the steam coil. When the oil temperature in the tank reaches your set value (approx. 245 oF, the valve closes. When the oil cools to 240 oF, the valve opens. It's an on/off control because of the large capacitance in the tank.
RE: tank heating coil
This course this depends on the circulation around your heating. The more the circulation the higher this temperature can be especially when you need a high heat flux.
Our large fuel oil tank(9 million gallons) was controlled this way and it worked very well for many year until the dock boys pumped a barge of asphalt onto about 3+ million gals of fuel oil. I don't recall the type but it acted like asphalt by itself and had a tremendous amount of Vanadium that screwed up the boilers royally.
RE: tank heating coil
RE: tank heating coil
You have touch on just what I am looking for. Montemayor, your suggestion is exactly what I have seen in the past also, and look to do with this app. However, I have quite a distance from my three sources of steam (HP, IP, & LP) The LP steam will never make it, only 15 psia. IP steam is 260 psia @ 470 deg. F. I can reduce the pressure, but without desuperheating, the temp remains near 420 deg. F at around 50 psia or so.
Therefore, I need a warm and fuzzy that when I heat a coil with that temp. steam, I'm not going to blow something up.
Thanks
RE: tank heating coil
Best regards
Morten
RE: tank heating coil
I've seen heat-sensitive wax tanks using bottom coils that switched from steam- to hot condensate-heating to reduce heat flux and avoid scorching of the wax.
RE: tank heating coil
RE: tank heating coil
Larry