A Heater With A Thousand Names - Part One

A HEATER WITH A THOUSAND NAMES

If you’ve been in this industry for more than a week, chances are you’ve heard one of these items:

• Bath Heater
• Water Bath Heater
• Line Heater
• Indirect Heater
• Indirect Line Heater
• Indirect Fired Heater
• Firetube Heater
• Process Bath Heater
• Industrial Bath Heater 
• Water Bath Heater
• Natural Gas & Crude Heating
• Dew Point Heater
• Fuel Gas Heater (Pre-Heater)
• Glycol Heater
• Vaporizer
• Superheater

Whatever name you use or have heard for this item of equipment, turn to Tulsa Heaters Midstream.

THM INTRODUCES HYDROFLUX HEATERS

The THM HydroFlux heater line is the high quality solution for customers that desire more than an “off the shelf” product. Before we continue, let’s start with the definition of indirect heater.

INDIRECT HEATER: Equipment commonly used in the oil and gas, power generation, and other industries to elevate the temperature of an isolated, closed-loop process stream (gas or liquid) by heating a bath fluid in a tank by means of firing a burner in a submerged firetube. 

Combining some of the most popular descriptions of indirect heaters over the years one ends up with: Indirect Fired Water Bath Firetube Process Heater. The description nor the acronym IFWBFPH rolls off the tongue. 

THE MEANING BEHIND THE NAME

Being too specific is a mouthful and proves difficult to remember, thus our conclusion why the name has gone various directions throughout the years. Some names are more popular in different regions and industries and become common lingo.

THE MOST POPULAR NAMES

Each of the names above generally refer to the same type of indirect heater equipment. The API 12K specification was created for oilfield atmospheric heaters filled with water solutions with a removable firetube and process coil. This specification also provides recommended fabrication and design guidelines including heat transfer and structural information.

Other bath fluids are used including TEG, Amine, hot oil, molten salt, but are not covered by API 12K.

Photo: HydroFlux Indirect Fired Heater

APPLICATIONS FOR INDIRECT HEATERS

• Natural gas hydrate control (Joule-Thompson)
• Wellhead gas preheating prior to cutting pressure
• Pipeline gas heating prior to pressure reduction
• Gas storage facilities gas extraction from domes or tanks
• Crude oil viscosity and paraffin control
• Crude oil tank heating for RVP control
• Crude oil preheat
• Prior to separators or desalters
• Between head and pipeline
• Dew Point Control / Fuel gas heating 
• Heating fuel gas to protect sulfur (H₂S) removal beds
• Meet turbine specifications
• Heating gas upstream of dehydration system at compressor stations 
• Heating liquid LPG/LNG for vaporization

To add to the confusion, the heaters are also often used for direct heating. 

APPLICATIONS FOR DIRECT HEATERS

• TEG reboiler for a gas dehydration system
• Amine reboiler for a gas sweetening system

THE HEATER THAT COVERS IT ALL

HydroFlux is THM’s product line that covers both indirect and direct systems.

Whatever you call them, give us a call today to discuss your unique application.