Heating system for palm oil 3

[srisua]

Dear Seniors,

There are five very big storage tanks like 2500cum-1no, 2000Cum-2nos and 750cum-2nos in which Palm oil being stored. Palm oil at lower temperature is not flowable and hence heating is mandatory. Customer is not having steam facility and hence we suggested electrical immersion heaters. We have calculated and electrical energy is almost 1MW required which is not possible by customer. I have planned to put a auxilary boiler which is very costly and hence customer not accepted for the same. Now you are requested to kindly suggest us other sources to heat palm oil from 18 deg to 50 deg C

Regards

 

[LittleInch]

Well give us some help here.

Are the tanks insulated? If not why not?
What fuel / heat source is available to the client?
How much electrical power is available,
What time span are you trying to achieve to go from 18 to 50?
Is this a common occurrence or only if heating is suspended for a long time?
Why can't you maintain the temperature at 50 all the time?
Can you fit heating coils
At what temp does the oil become pumpable?
Can you use re-circulating heaters?

Does the customer expect miracles?

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[SnTMan]

Well, at least we know the answer to LittleInch's last question

Regards,

Mike

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[EdStainless]

Insulating the tanks is a big undertaking, and the only one that makes sense.
The insulation system (coating tank, insulation, protection over the insulation, ongoing inspection and maintenance) will probably cost more than the tanks did originally. But it will be a lot less money than trying to just pump heat in.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[MintJulep]

Palm oil burns doesn't it?

 

[gruntguru]

Perhaps paint the tanks black to maximize solar heating during the day. Utilise waste heat from any available engine exhaust or cooling system.

If you decide to burn palm oil to heat the tanks, perhaps run a diesel genset on palm oil and use the waste heat to heat the tanks. The electricity can be sold or used to offset your local usage.

je suis charlie

 

[srisua]

Mr. Little inch,

Please find reply below

1. Tanks will be fully insulated to avoid heat loss
2. There is no source available with client, I need to do some thing to create heat source. Initially I thought to put electrical heaters. Now I am thinking to put either auxilary boiler to create steam or thermic fluid heaters.
3. customer will provide us maximum 200KW, but this is required for motors alone
4. Palm oil should not heat instantly due to rancidity problem, and hence minimum 96 hours required to raise temp from 18 to 50
5. once after initial heating to 50 degC, we need to maintain this temperature always
6. Yes we can put heating coil inside tanks
7. flowable temperature for palm oil 50 deg c
8. not planned for recirculating heaters

Regards
srinivas

 

[LittleInch]

Mint Julep - Indeed it does, but if the tank has gelled then you can't get any out to heat to make if flowable again....

The issue faced is one of considerable size, so small amounts of heat from an engine or exhaust won't raise 2,500 cubic metres by even a fraction of a degree.

I think the customer simply has no idea about how much heat energy is needed to raise temperature.

Keeping it at a certain temperature is bad enough, but raising it takes a lot more.

Wait to see if we ever hear from the OP ever again....

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[berkshire]

As I understand it palm oil grows in the tropics, how much solar radiation is present ? Can a solar array be used to provide heat? I do not just mean painting the tanks black, but a solar array driving a hot water immersion heater/ coil- heating system, this would require a small circulation pump, but should not take a large electrical load for the heat obtained.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[EdStainless]

A diesel burning palm oil, driving a generator, and use the exhaust to heat a recerc heater, and electricity to feed internal tank heaters.
If they have allowed a tank to cool after filling it will take 1MW (if your math is correct) to heat it, period. Either electricity, or combustion fuel, or solar, or some source.
Palm oil has slightly lower energy content than diesel, it is slower burning and higher ash also. Engines to burn it need to be modified to allow for complete combustion and to better resist wear.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[MintJulep]

Steam boiler or fluid heater fueled by palm oil.

Small palm oil fuel tank that could be pre-heated by electric heaters or diesel. Or use a burner capable of diesel/palm, start with diesel and switch to palm when it's flowable.

Of course this requires equipment, which is more expensive than wishful thinking.

 

[LittleInch]

If what you want is heat then go for it direct with a palm oil fired heater, either heating water or oil via heating coils in your tank to the maximum efficiency you can get. you should have a small tank for the heater which you can heat electrically to keep it flowable.

Check out the maximum surface temperature you can have without causing rancidity or caking of the heating tubes. It might be quite low, especially if the oil has gelled so you might be able to get away with water, but this will increase the surface area of your tubes.

If the oil is very thick, it might overheat in sections if there is no thermal circulation in the tank.

You're much better trying to keep it at 50C. Why has the oil fallen to 18c?

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[dhengr]

Srisua:
You/your client can’t do something like this for nothing, if you want to heat the palm oil, you’ll have to spend some money. Don’t they have a lot of slash and wood fiber refuse associated with a palm tree plantation. Couldn’t this be collected and burned in a wood fiber burner to generate hot water or steam? You might need some minimal mixing system in the tanks to keep the oil moving over and around any heating coils.

 

[gruntguru]

"A diesel burning palm oil, driving a generator, and use the exhaust to heat a recerc heater, and electricity to feed internal tank heaters."

This will produce the same total heat as a palm oil burner. It will obviously cost a lot more and be more difficult to collect all the heat and put it into the tanks.

The only reason you might use a generator is, electricity is much more valuable than heat.

je suis charlie

 

[EdStainless]

Grunt, Yes, I presumed that the electricity was a lot more valuable. There is also the fact that they will need circulation pumps, and the control you get from electrical heating.
I don't know if a diesel-gen is that much more expensive or difficult to operate than a boiler. Getting high quality feedwater will be an issue.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube