Heating Fuel Oil Through Processing
Opportunity:
The customer needed to keep the fuel oil heated during long periods of cold weather.
Problem:
The customer had a 10,000 gallon underground storage tank used for storing #4 fuel oil. During long periods of cold weather, the temperature of the fuel oil drops to a point that makes it difficult to pump fuel oil from the tank.
The customer was using this fuel oil to fire a large boiler. In the past the storage was not being heated, which created the problem.
Solution:
The heater chosen was a specially manufactured over-the-side heater. This heater was chosen since it could be installed through a manhole in the top of the tank. The elements were conformed in such a manner that allowed the heat to be concentrated around the pick-up tube.
This special over-the-side design allowed the heater to be installed in the large tank without having to empty the tank or cut any additional holes. The heater was constructed of steel using 8 W/in² with a moisture and explosion resistant housing.