Thermal Fluid Systems Thermal Fluid Heaters and Hot Oil Systems

Since 1994 Thermal Fluid Systems has been a complete system supplier of thermal fluid heaters and hot oil systems, including heating, cooling, pumps, valves, tanks, heat exchangers, economizers, stacks and associated equipment.

Thermal Fluid Systems specialises in the sale and service of thermal fluid (hot oil) heating systems for the process industry. We can supply the heater alone through to complete turnkey installations. We also provide ancillary equipment, including thermal fluid pumps, thermal fluid valves, tanks, filter systems, stacks, economizers and heat exchangers.

Thermal fluid systems for the hydrocarbons industry

A thermal fluid system, also known as a hot oil, thermal liquid (or sometimes Dowtherm) system, is an industrial heating system wherein a special heat transfer liquid is recirculated by a pump through a fired heat exchanger where its temperature is raised for use in heating various processes. Usually in the range from 200°F to 750°F, typical applications include:

• Heating press platens such as OSB and plywood presses, laminating presses, rubber and plastic molding presses and circuit board presses
• Heating calender and drying rolls such as for non-wovens and papermaking felts
• Heating chemical, petrochemical and other process equipment such as reactors, heat exchangers, dryers and evaporators

Electric, natural gas and liquid fuel thermal fluid systems

We can supply systems fired by natural gas (or any liquid fuel) as well as electric thermal fluid systems and, in special cases, thermal fluid systems fired by solid fuels such as wood waste or coal.

Systems range in size from electric thermal fluid systems as small as 100kW to over 1MW, with gas or oil-fired thermal fluid systems from 500,000Btu/hr to over 100 million Btu/hr and solid fuel thermal fluid systems from 10 million Btu/hr to over 150 million Btu/hr.

Thermal fluid system advantages

Thermal fluid systems have many advantages; however, the main one is that they run at a very low pressure, typically just the pressure required to pump the liquid around the system. When designed correctly they reliably and efficiently produce high-temperature heat. They are simple to maintain with only the burner and pump needing regular maintenance. Our experience in system design and crucial component selection ensures low maintenance.

We use high-temperature air-cooled centrifugal pumps with a mechanical seal and bellows-sealed isolation and control valves to ensure this. Other benefits include no danger of damage due to freezing when the plant is shut down, no corrosion, accurate temperature control and high efficiency.

Thermal fluid filter system

We have recently developed a thermal fluid sidestream filter system that uses special high-temperature glass fiber wound depth cartridges, capable of removing particles down to 10µm. Units are available with and without pump and size matched to your system.

Technical service and support for thermal fluid systems

Drawing on our own extensive experience and with the engineering backing of German technology companies who have been building and supplying thermal fluid systems for over 40 years, we can supply a system that exactly meets your process requirements for thermal fluid flow, temperature and capacity.

We service what we sell and can provide on-site technical service and support, replacement parts from our extensive inventory, and system and control upgrades.