• HEAT MEDIUM SYSTEMS

    Heat Medium Systems

    Heat Medium Systems supply a source of heat to process and utility users via hot oil or a glycol/water mixture. Duty is provided to the heat medium (HM) typically via a direct fired heater, distributed throughout the plant to the various users, and the cooled HM is returned for subsequent heating.

TDE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

Liquid Rates: 100 USGPM to 3,000 USGPM
Heater Duty: 1 MMBTU/hr to 100 MMBTU/hr

Engineering
Procurement
Fabrication
Construction and Installation
Commissioning
Operation, Maintenance and Troubleshooting

TDE evaluates and makes design considerations to determine optimum efficiency and heat medium distribution. TDE's Heat Medium Systems incorporate design aspects to minimize upfront capital costs and operational expenses.

TDE offers either our Standard Pre-Engineered Modular Packages or Fully Customized Designs to meet varying project and schedule requirements.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

The system utilizes a HM fluid to supply duty to process equipment, typically reboilers and heating coils and/or utility users which cool the fluid prior to returning to the package. The returning HM fluid bypasses the expansion tank during normal operation and flows directly to the suction of the HM pumps. The expansion tank accumulates fluid and is provided to account for any fluctuations in flow due to changing process conditions or volumetric expansion due to heating or cooling and is blanketed with nitrogen to prevent air ingress to the system.

The HM pumps circulate the fluid to the HM heater which supplies heat to the HM fluid and is distributed to required plant users.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

System Capacity
• Expansion drum designed to account for overall system volume
• Evaluated to accommodate variance in process conditions and volume expansion

Heat Medium Pumps
• Designed for optimized cooling of seals to withstand circulation of hot HM fluid
• Evaluated to maintain pumpability for operating temperatures that range from startup to normal operation

Safety & Maintenance
• Designed to prevent corrosion and thermal degradation
• Equipment and HM selected are evaluated to optimize safety and system integrity

Heat Medium (HM)
• Fluids are evaluated and selected based on criteria for temperature requirements, pumpability and heat transfer
• Water, glycol/water mixtures, and thermal oils are utilized in specific applications

Water & Glycol/Water
• Excellent HM fluid due to superior thermophysical properties, low cost, and minimal environmental impact
• Ideal for HM systems up to approximately 300F

Thermal Oils
• Suited for high temperature requirements beyond the capacity of glycol/water mixtures
• Allows for system to operate at lower pressures

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