Last updated on January 5th, 2024 at 09:51 pm

Over-the side immersion heaters have great significance in the petrochemical industry as they are required for electric heating. Since these heaters are available with different specifications and dimensions, there is always an option available. No matter the need of the company. However, companies must evaluate their needs, analyze the type of heater and last but not the least. They all do extensive research to ensure that they make the proper choice.

Over-the-side immersion heaters are capable of meeting all thermal and hydraulic constraints, pressure or temperature conditions, working according to the physical and corrosive properties of fluids. Over-the-side heaters operate on a simple mechanism, where they submerge the heating elements. Their design allows installation over the top part of the tank so as they can hang “over the side.”

For petrochemical companies, there are different series of over-the-side immersion heaters that are used to raise or preheat the temperature of fluids, gases, chemicals and other fluids used in the industry. Their power depends on the heating capacity and design of the controller to prevent them from over or under heating. The controller helps these heaters to transfer required heat to the chemicals and other mediums in question.

Petrochemical Applications

A variety of petrochemical applications use these heaters, and they’re capable of working on varied densities, specific heats and viscosities. Their construction helps prevent corrosive materials from escaping the container. As well as taking care of contamination by considering the nature of contaminants. Over-the-side heaters have heat resistant and watt density features of sheath materials that make them ideal for different purposes. As an example, steel sheath heaters are helpful in heating solvent type oils, degreasing solutions, heat transfer fluids, medium weight oils and different caustic solutions. Stainless steel heaters (304, 316) are ideal for copper sulphate, dip tanks, electro cleaners, alkaline cleaners, detergent sods and other mediums.

The heating components of these heaters are flexible. They have varying dimensions and shapes to help the petrochemical industry derive benefits for their success. The manufacturers of over-the-side heaters can also customize them according to the request for wattage and special size. These specialized heaters work ideally for some uncommon substances, such as paraffin, wax, salt or caustic solutions. Because of paraffin’s use with lamination wax, companies take extra care because it’s difficult to heat wax for lamination. Especially with the use of a conventional heater. However, over-the-side heaters have all the abilities to solve this problem. They help  in laminating wax by allowing it to retain its maximum temperature while maintaining a uniform thickness and constant viscosity.

Their property of solvent degreasing is another huge advantage because solvent’s main use is to degrease metals. The degreasing process is normally done either through immersion or spraying. However, the petrochemical industry prefers the immersion process because of its simplicity. This process helps companies to maintain the level of viscosity thus maximizing degreasing effects on every part of the object.