Facilities increasingly opt for industrial thermal oil heaters to replace or upgrade their existing equipment. Learn more about thermal oil heaters, including how they work, their potential applications, and their advantages.
What Are Thermal Oil Heaters?
Thermal oil heating systems use a closed-loop design and high temperatures to transfer heat between an original heat source and a heat sink with thermal oil as the transfer medium.
Thermal oil heaters consist of the following key components:
- Heat Source. The heat source in these systems can be an electric heating component, burner, or a waste heat recovery source.
- Thermal Fluid. Thermal oil travels through the heater to transfer heat energy from the source to the intended application.
- Heat Exchanger. A heat exchanger enables the system to transfer heat from the thermal oil to another process medium, such as air or another liquid.
- Pump. The pump manages the flow of thermal fluid, ensuring proper circulation.
- Control System. Contemporary thermal oil heaters include advanced control systems and safety features, including precise temperature regulation.
Applications of Thermal Oil Heaters
Many types of industrial processes rely on thermal oil heating solutions. Chemical and pharmaceutical facilities use these systems for reactor heating and drying. Energy plants can utilize them to generate electricity or to power combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Both plastic and rubber plants rely on heat energy for mold heating, curing, and extrusion processes.
Thermal oil heaters facilitate the production of many materials. Manufacturers can bond plywood layers and dry paper rolls. Textile and printing facilities can use thermal oil heaters for dyeing and printing. Specifically, these heaters may help to control temperature or ink viscosity. Food processing facilities may also thermal heating with industrial baking, sterilization, and frying.
Platform heating systems also use thermal oil with offshore gas and oil platforms. Cargo heating applications include using thermal oil heating systems to regulate cargo temperature when transporting shipments.
Benefits of Thermal Oil Heaters
Thermal oil heaters also offer a few critical advantages over other heat transfer systems, such as:
- Efficiency. Thermal oil heaters offer greater overall efficiency compared to alternative heating methods.
- Installation flexibility. This equipment also allows users to optimize available space when updating or replacing heating systems.
- Reduced maintenance. Thermal oil heaters require less maintenance than steam boilers and other heating solutions.
- Precise temperature control. Thermal fluid systems allow for improved temperature regulation for process heating.
- Wider temperature ranges. Oil has a higher boiling point than water and can thus safely maintain higher temperatures.
Thermal Oil Heaters from Enerquip
If you require a high-quality industrial thermal oil heater for your application, you’ll find some of the best solutions at Enerquip. As one of the leading thermal oil heater manufacturers, we aim to consistently provide our customers with reliable products and custom designs.
Contact us today to speak with one of our experts about your needs or request a quote for custom equipment.
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