Last updated on February 8th, 2024 at 04:59 pm

There are many uses and applications for electric heating elements, such as immersion and circulation process heaters, within the processing and industrial manufacturing industries. One of the largest industries to use these heating elements is the oil and gas sector, which has turned to electric heating elements to reduce exhaust emissions and overall costs. 

Electric heating elements, such as industrial inline heaters, aid processing and manufacturing processes by maintaining substances at the correct temperature. While the oil and gas industry may be one of the largest to implement electric heating elements, many other industrial applications exist. Inline heaters (also known as circulation heaters) play a large part in these applications since this particular electric heating element is ideal for processing fluids that not only need to be heated but also must maintain its flow rate.

Heating methods of industrial inline heaters

There are two main methods when using electric heating elements – these are direct immersion and indirect immersion. Direct immersion heaters immerse the main heating element directly into the liquid, while indirect immersion heaters conduct heat through radiation or convection. 

Therefore, inline circulation heaters are considered direct immersion heaters. Industrial inline heaters are some of the most efficient methods for immersion heating simply because the circulation heater transfers electric power into heating the substance or element. This is much more efficient than pulling the heat from another source and losing out on that potential energy.

Additionally, the design of industrial inline heaters makes them simple to install, straightforward to maintain, and transferable between pipes, pressure vessels, and applications. Therefore, the major benefits of using an inline circulation heater are efficiency, ease of installation and maintenance, and the near universality of compatibility among industrial piping units and applications.

Heating capacity of industrial inline heaters  

Inline heaters can be used with many substances, including water and steam to waste oil. The major advantage of using inline immersion heaters with substances like oil is their combined ability to control the temperature and regulate the substance’s viscosity. The heating element achieves this by pumping the fluid through a piping circuit surrounding the encased inline heater.

The desired temperature is achieved quickly because the substance is in constant contact with the heating element, but fluid viscosity is maintained because the substance is in constant motion. Substances can be heated up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit by inline heaters, mainly because the actual heating element is insulated by anti-corrosion material. Once the substance reaches its determined temperature, the fluid is automatically released through the outlet nozzle at a predetermined rate.

Practical applications of industrial inline heaters

As stated above, many industries and industrial applications benefit from the industrial-level power that immersion heating elements like inline heater offers. These applications include heating oils and other liquids, processing corrosive solutions, maintaining the correct temperature in water-cooled engines, superheating steam, controlling the heat in oil sumps, and achieving preheating in various substances. Because the size, installation, and heating capability of inline heaters are relatively flexible, the processing abilities of inline heaters can benefit nearly any processing and manufacturing industry.

Get a quote on an industrial inline heater today. WATTCO also manufactures other industrial heating products such as infrared heaters, control panels, circulation heaters and more. Click here to view all of our products.