Plant & Works Engineering September 2022 Issue

the firing range when burning natural gas, making it one of the best performing burners on the market. Further efficiencies of 95% have been achieved with the installation of a Babcock Wanson matched economiser at the Real Petfood Company. Thermal fluid heaters Where practically possible, thermal fluid heaters have been rapidly replacing steam generating equipment because they are considerably more energy efficient, have fewer overall emissions, are safer and easier to use, and have a smaller footprint so can be located at point of use. Thermal fluid heating is based on a similar basic principle to a low-pressure hot water system. It consists of a heater connected to carbon steel flow and return pipework which can provide heat to one or more users or systems. Instead of water running through the pipework, a thermal fluid is used as the heat transfer medium. This simple and easily automated closed loop design, allowing for high temperatures (up to 350°C in standard form), means thermal fluid heating systems can use 20-50% less energy overall to transfer the same amount of heat when compared to steam generators. Thermal fluid systems are incredibly versatile, so are used in numerous different industries and applications, with the most common being pressing, curing and moulding; tanks, vessels and cookers; printing, coating, laminating and drying; and heating and cooling systems. For example, Blackburn Chemicals Ltd., a world leader in foam control and antifoaming solutions, uses a Babcock Wanson EPC1000ES Thermal Fluid Heater to heat process vessels. The EPC ES is a fully automatic coil type, multi-pass thermal fluid heater which precisely matches fuel input to plant energy requirements. At Blackburn Chemicals, the heater’s energy efficiency is further enhanced through the addition of a Babcock Wanson in-built exhaust gas to combustion air economiser. Massive gains have been made in making process heating systems more energy efficient and, in doing so, have also reduced emissions. With energy costs continuing to rise and likely to remain high for the foreseeable future, plus net zero on the horizon, reviewing your choice of heat raising systems and opting for modern energy efficient equipment has never seemed more important. Process, Controls & Plant Focus on: Process Heating & Cooling Join us on Facebook Plant &Works Engineering Follow us on LinkedIn Plant &Works Engineering Followus on Twitter @PWEmagazine1 @PlantAssetMgt For the latest news visit the PWE website www.pwemag.co.uk Find out the latest on Plant &Asset Management 202 www.maintenanceuk-expo.com PWE Plant & Works Engineering Plant & Asset Management 202