Last updated on January 12th, 2024 at 05:16 pm

Industries such as petrochemical industry, process-heating industry and chemical industry have industrial procedures that require liquids to be maintained at proper temperature at all times. The aqueous solutions, which are stored in large tanks and reservoir, needs to be protected from freezing chilly whether they are located in places like Akron, Ohio or Montreal, Quebec. In case proper temperature is not maintained during cold winter weather, the liquid solutions stored within the tank would freeze resulting in wastage of a large amount of these costly liquids. Using industrial immersion heater, the problem of freezing of the liquids can be solved.

Overview of Industrial Immersion Heaters

Immersion heaters have various industrial heat applications. They are used as a direct contact heating of process solutions, viscous materials, oils, solvents, and gasses. Immersion heaters generate heat entirely within the liquid or process. This results in 100% energy efficiency in heat applications. Immersion heaters come in variety of size, design, and functionality. Over-the-side design of the immersion heaters in addition to basic mounting options like screw plug connections and flanges facilitate installation of immersion heater. A number of temperature control options are available to allow tight temperature process control. These heaters can heat any type of liquid, from highly viscous oils to plain water, and have various specialized applications in hazardous and high pressure areas. Some of the manufacturers offer customer engineered designs to suit the product according to industrial requirements and settings.

Types of Immersion Heater

1. Oil Immersion Heaters

Oil immersion heaters are permanently installed in the liquid tank or reservoir. Once installed, these heaters cannot be detached from the tank. The robust and strong body of the immersion heaters allows them to withstand tough environment condition. The control mechanism of the heating device, also called pocket tube, is located outside the tank.

2. Screw Plug

Screw plug immersion heater is another type of industrial immersion heater used for tanks in cold weather. The heater consists of tubular elements that are threaded in hex plug. Some screw plug immersion heaters are also provided with thermowell for installation of temperature control sensors. The screw immersion heater connects directly with threaded opening in tank walls to heat viscous fluids, liquids, and gasses. Finally, a patented 360^o patented rotatable housing assist in easy conduit connection.

3. Flanged Immersion Heaters

Flanged immersion heaters are ideal for heating liquids and gasses in tanks and pressure vessels. These immersion heaters have hairpin-bent tubular elements that are welded into a flange with wiring box for electrical connection. The actual heating device of the flanged immersion heaters is immersed in the tank or reservoir, while the control box is fixed at the exterior wall. The heat is provided directly to the content and is divided evenly to prevent corrosion.  

4. Over-the-side Immersion Heaters

Over-the-side heater are especially designed for vessel tanks. The heating device is immersed in the liquid along the side or at the bottom and take up very little space allowing sufficient working space inside the tank. The hallmark of these immersion heaters is easy maintenance as the device can easily be removed for service. Depending on the model of the immersion heater, it can be used to heat solvent salts, water, oils, salts, plating baths, acidic medium, and other substances. To sum up, immersion heaters have revolutionized the way liquids (and gases) are heated in industrial establishments. These heaters prevent liquid from freezing during cold winter season. Industrial concerns can use different types of industrial heaters depending on their requirements. Apart from that low maintenance cost and high energy efficiency of these heaters make them a viable choice for many industrial concerns.