Heating system for palm oil
Heating system for palm oil
(OP)
Dear Seniors,
There are five very big storage tanks like 2500cum-1no, 2000Cum-2nos and 750cum-2nos in which Palm oil being stored. Palm oil at lower temperature is not flowable and hence heating is mandatory. Customer is not having steam facility and hence we suggested electrical immersion heaters. We have calculated and electrical energy is almost 1MW required which is not possible by customer. I have planned to put a auxilary boiler which is very costly and hence customer not accepted for the same. Now you are requested to kindly suggest us other sources to heat palm oil from 18 deg to 50 deg C
Regards
There are five very big storage tanks like 2500cum-1no, 2000Cum-2nos and 750cum-2nos in which Palm oil being stored. Palm oil at lower temperature is not flowable and hence heating is mandatory. Customer is not having steam facility and hence we suggested electrical immersion heaters. We have calculated and electrical energy is almost 1MW required which is not possible by customer. I have planned to put a auxilary boiler which is very costly and hence customer not accepted for the same. Now you are requested to kindly suggest us other sources to heat palm oil from 18 deg to 50 deg C
Regards





RE: Heating system for palm oil
Are the tanks insulated? If not why not?
What fuel / heat source is available to the client?
How much electrical power is available,
What time span are you trying to achieve to go from 18 to 50?
Is this a common occurrence or only if heating is suspended for a long time?
Why can't you maintain the temperature at 50 all the time?
Can you fit heating coils
At what temp does the oil become pumpable?
Can you use re-circulating heaters?
Does the customer expect miracles?
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Heating system for palm oil
Regards,
Mike
The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand
RE: Heating system for palm oil
The insulation system (coating tank, insulation, protection over the insulation, ongoing inspection and maintenance) will probably cost more than the tanks did originally. But it will be a lot less money than trying to just pump heat in.
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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: Heating system for palm oil
RE: Heating system for palm oil
If you decide to burn palm oil to heat the tanks, perhaps run a diesel genset on palm oil and use the waste heat to heat the tanks. The electricity can be sold or used to offset your local usage.
je suis charlie
RE: Heating system for palm oil
Please find reply below
1. Tanks will be fully insulated to avoid heat loss
2. There is no source available with client, I need to do some thing to create heat source. Initially I thought to put electrical heaters. Now I am thinking to put either auxilary boiler to create steam or thermic fluid heaters.
3. customer will provide us maximum 200KW, but this is required for motors alone
4. Palm oil should not heat instantly due to rancidity problem, and hence minimum 96 hours required to raise temp from 18 to 50
5. once after initial heating to 50 degC, we need to maintain this temperature always
6. Yes we can put heating coil inside tanks
7. flowable temperature for palm oil 50 deg c
8. not planned for recirculating heaters
Regards
srinivas
RE: Heating system for palm oil
The issue faced is one of considerable size, so small amounts of heat from an engine or exhaust won't raise 2,500 cubic metres by even a fraction of a degree.
I think the customer simply has no idea about how much heat energy is needed to raise temperature.
Keeping it at a certain temperature is bad enough, but raising it takes a lot more.
Wait to see if we ever hear from the OP ever again....
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Heating system for palm oil
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
RE: Heating system for palm oil
If they have allowed a tank to cool after filling it will take 1MW (if your math is correct) to heat it, period. Either electricity, or combustion fuel, or solar, or some source.
Palm oil has slightly lower energy content than diesel, it is slower burning and higher ash also. Engines to burn it need to be modified to allow for complete combustion and to better resist wear.
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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: Heating system for palm oil
Small palm oil fuel tank that could be pre-heated by electric heaters or diesel. Or use a burner capable of diesel/palm, start with diesel and switch to palm when it's flowable.
Of course this requires equipment, which is more expensive than wishful thinking.
RE: Heating system for palm oil
Check out the maximum surface temperature you can have without causing rancidity or caking of the heating tubes. It might be quite low, especially if the oil has gelled so you might be able to get away with water, but this will increase the surface area of your tubes.
If the oil is very thick, it might overheat in sections if there is no thermal circulation in the tank.
You're much better trying to keep it at 50C. Why has the oil fallen to 18c?
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Heating system for palm oil
You/your client can’t do something like this for nothing, if you want to heat the palm oil, you’ll have to spend some money. Don’t they have a lot of slash and wood fiber refuse associated with a palm tree plantation. Couldn’t this be collected and burned in a wood fiber burner to generate hot water or steam? You might need some minimal mixing system in the tanks to keep the oil moving over and around any heating coils.
RE: Heating system for palm oil
This will produce the same total heat as a palm oil burner. It will obviously cost a lot more and be more difficult to collect all the heat and put it into the tanks.
The only reason you might use a generator is, electricity is much more valuable than heat.
je suis charlie
RE: Heating system for palm oil
I don't know if a diesel-gen is that much more expensive or difficult to operate than a boiler. Getting high quality feedwater will be an issue.
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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube