4 replies to this topic

[go-fish]

What are the some of the factors to consider while evaluating whether to use steam tank heater or electric tank heaters in refineries? What are the pros and cons of each option?

[ankur2061]

go-fish,

Refer the attached table for the pros and cons of various types of tank heating arrangements.

Regards,
Ankur.

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Edited by ankur2061, 12 May 2012 - 03:08 AM.

[Art Montemayor]

Go-Fish:

In a large complex - such as an oil refinery - I consider the use of an electric heater only in the specific case of a very relatively small, and unique application.

I don't consider the use of electrical power for heating fluids as being very efficient and environmentally friendly. When you heat with steam, you are suffering the energy conversion in a boiler; when you apply electric heat, you have to suffer the same basic boiler conversion, a steam turbine conversion into work, followed by an electrical conversion into electricity in a generator and electrical transport losses through the transports wires up to your electrical resistance. As I state, unless the consumption is a small (and unique) one, I would not employ electrical resistance.

I apply the same rationale to the employment of electrical automobiles fed by electrical generating stations supplied with natural gas fired boilers. The people using this type of energy are simply multiplying the so-called effects of CO₂ pollution and hydrocarbon resource scarcity that they complain about. Using the natural energy as directly as possible always eliminates some of the other thermodynamic-related inefficiencies.

[kkala]

To my knowledge (complying with post No 3), local refineries have not installed electrical heaters in (e.g. fuel oil) tanks, since they have plenty of low pressure steam available. This possibility was considered in daily fuel oil tanks for boilers, yet external steam heating (sort of tank steam tracing) was preferred.
Useful threads of the forum on this subject (including safety issues) might be the following (with more details).
http://www.cheresour...oil-tank-design '> http://www.cheresour...oil-tank-design .
http://www.cheresour...oil-tank-sizing '> http://www.cheresour...oil-tank-sizing .
http://www.cheresour...ng-and-handling '> http://www.cheresour...ng-and-handling .
Our preliminary investigation had indicated better temperature control with electrical heaters, although much depends on tank content temperature (input to the controller). In a big (e.g. fuel oil) tank this is not easy to be representative (see web references).

[go-fish]

Thanks all for your responses.

Edited by go-fish, 13 May 2012 - 02:36 AM.