The advantages of the thermal fluid are notable in economic terms and maintenance

From the manufacturing and installation of the first sources of thermal fluid in Spain into the seventies, the application of boiler using this technology has not stopped develop. Today, thermal oil is the technological alternative most appropriate any kind of industry that needs of indirect heating.

Carles Ferrer. Commercial Director of Pirobloc.

Currently, thermal oil is the technology most appropriate for all types of industry is required where indirect heat, because that does not require a high level of maintenance as with steam boilers. He is teams that work without pressure and without water, avoiding much of the problem of steam: leaks, corrosion, treatment of water, etc., and that they entail, therefore, a high level of maintenance. In addition, the durability of the equipment and installations is practically unlimited, and can be applied in all kinds of sectors: chemical, petrochemical, food, hotel, hospital, automotive, plastics, farmacéutico…

Early processes using thermal oil were originally those requiring high temperatures from global warming. Put another way, those processes where the application of the steam did not represent an alternative comfortable. In this way, were gained ground, thermal oil boilers representing at that level of temperatures - because it is equipment without pressure (or with the pressure of the recirculation pump, but in general to a 3 bar) - a simpler and cheaper option.

From that time until today, designs, manufacturing techniques, yields, equipment of combustion, bombs, etc. have not stopped to evolve and have given new fields of application in sectors where the maximum safety and reliability are imperative.

Thus, while we mentioned that originally these teams were used mainly in those cases in which high temperatures represented a barrier to the steam, now modern industry use these teams even in cases in which the temperatures are relatively low (approximately 100 ° C). The reason is that while the steam remains a traditional and valid option, the advantages of the thermal fluid are notable especially economically and maintenance. The absence of water, and consequently, corrosion or oxidation, on the one hand prevents all processes related to water treatment: decalcification, demineralization, correction of pH, etc. But on the other hand and this is even more important, avoiding all the maintenance work related to the inevitable shortcomings of dealing with steam: repair and replacement of purgadores, leaks of steam in the installation, corrosion in valves, consumers and devices, etc.

It's teams which work without pressure and without water, avoiding much of the problem of steam

Another factor contributing to the emergence of thermal oil boilers is fuel economy. Obviously, both the design and manufacturing techniques were have been optimizing and yields are already very hardly improved. In this sense, the returns in a thermal oil boiler are very similar to those that are available in a steam boiler. This is between 87 and 90% regularly and according to the working temperatures. However, the fundamental difference is largely the same for both heating systems thermodynamics. On the one hand, the thermal fluid is a closed circuit and the above-mentioned values of performance should be considered as net for the circuit. I.e. every 100 parts consumed fuel some 89 take full advantage to heat the process. We should only add 0.1% approximate losses to the environment through the thermal insulation of boiler and pipes.

Thermal oil boiler

However, in an installation of steam involuntary energy losses are significantly higher. On the one hand, on own steam generator you will find two types of mandatory purge: purge of salts and mud purge. On the other hand, consumers will meet the purgadores. Even in the case where there is a recovery of condensed perfectly installed and maintained, i.e., the overall performance of the installation will be away from the values obtained in the same installation if you are using thermal oil.

In addition to this purely in terms of fuel saving, usually is given another much more significant in terms of maintenance. Once installed, thermal oil circuits require minimum care, and while it is true that the longevity of the fluid is not eternal and that recommended their replacement after about 10 or 12 years, the cost of oil affected during this period is much lower than the simple cost of a boiler-feed water of steam in that space of time.

Caldera automotive sector

Legal issues are one of the factors that have undoubtedly contributed to the development of the facilities of thermal oil in industrial sectors. All existing legislation at European level classified facilities of steam and, in particular, the pressure vessels, finding among them obviously boilers, according to different stages (category C, B and A) depending on their service and their average level of water pressure. By the fact that the boilers of thermal fluid work without pressure, or only with the pressure of the recirculation pump, these teams almost always occupy the less restrictive category regarding classification of boilers. This also occurs in the vast majority of cases and regardless of the power of the boiler.

Therefore, this fact has represented another point favour the proliferation of this type of installation, given that it is almost never necessary to build a boiler with its corresponding walls of containment room, respecting distances from walls, ceilings, etc. All this affects no doubt cost and a problem at the legal level often is embarrassing for companies little habituadas in these tasks.

Another factor contributing to the emergence of thermal oil boilers is fuel economy

In summary, the advantages of thermal oil technology is contributing at this time to all types of industries, the most recent auxiliary sector of food and the automotive industry (roofs of car manufacturing) are:

• Security for the absence of circulating currents in the dishes typical of the electrical resistance.
• Economy by an average of 20% in terms of fuel, due to recirculation of thermal oil are obtained details of temperature of + - 1 ° C over the entire surface warming.
• Extremely low because it is a centralized system of heating maintenance.
• Quality of the final product, mainly due to the uniformity of temperatures across the surface of heating.