Road Oil Heating

Situation
Road oils and emulsions can be a difficult product to transport from one large container to another especially in the petrochemical heating industry. In large highway projects such as in Los Angeles California or in Dallas Texas, the viscosity of these liquids are so great, that the primary solution is to heat it up to adequate temperatures that would change the viscosity to a more manageable level.  Another challenge is to heat these sealcoat products to avoid curing before the paving project is completed.

Solution
The 35,000 gal steel storage tanks required an immersion flanged heater with a low density rating.  Wattco suggested linking the tank with high insulating fiber that would prevent significant heat loss. Five 150LBS ANSI 6 inch steel flanged immersion heater with 15 hairpin elements was inserted in the tank to provide the heat necessary. Each hairpin element is extended along the length of the tank to ensure even heat distribution. A thermostat was used for temperature control as well as a thermal cutoff switch.
 
Benefits
Feedback from our customer noted a 15 % increase in efficiency when completing similar jobs using this technique.
Electric heating of this petrochemical was far more efficient than gas heating
Precise controls were used to maintain the temperature
Electric flanged heating provided a healthy alternative to burning fossil fuels for construction workers
The amount of time it takes to maintain the operations and functionality of these heaters is negligible.