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March
2017
HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING
152
HEAT TECHNOLOGY
Q
Why is heat technology so crucial to downstream
process plant operations?
Heat technology is required in many downstream processes to achieve
the desired chemical reaction necessary to refine a rawmaterial into
something more valuable. The ability to achieve and maintain the
optimal temperature is crucial to processing and refining efficiency and
productivity. Temperatures that are too high can result in thermal
degradation of the heated medium or coking on critical heat transfer
surfaces. Temperatures that are too low could prevent the desired
chemical reaction or decrease process yields. Sometimes heat energy
is added simply to offset thermal losses to the environment. Finally,
heat energy is sometimes added to achieve a viscosity suitable for
fluid flow or pumping.
Q
What are the main applications for your company’s
heat technologies or equipment within the
downstream industry?
The main downstream applications for Watlow at the highest level
start with refining of petroleum crude oil and the processing of raw
natural gas. At a level below that, some of the main applications
include continuous catalytic regeneration columns, sulfur recovery
units, amine units, air separation units, knock out drums and
dehydration units. Depending on the specific application, the
company’s equipment typically assists by thermally regenerating both
liquid and solid saturated surfaces, vapourising fluids or raising the
temperature of a fluid to achieve a desired thermal reaction.
Q
What was your company’s first heat related equipment
or technology aimed at the downstream oil and gas
industry?
The first was a direct electric heat exchanger utilising joule heating.
Those first products functioned well and the joule technology is still in
use today. What has changed a lot since then is the control and sensing
technologies. The power control technologies combined with the
temperature controller features and algorithms give the modern user
an extremely flexible menu of options that can reduce both energy
consumption and improve process durability and reliability.
Q
In what ways can heat technology help to improve
energy efficiency and reduce emissions at process plants?
The sensor portion of the thermal system is a critical component to
ensure reliable and accurate communications with process controllers.
Whether the sensor is for pressure, temperature, flow, etc., the ability
to accurately determine the process condition and appropriately
adjust inputs and outputs helps to ensure the process operates as
designed and intended. The intended operational mode is always the
most efficient and lowest emissions scenario.
Q
How have R&D methods evolved over the past 10 years
in relation to downstream heat technology?
The use of computers for modelling and analysis continues to improve
and evolve. Computing ability continues to go up in smaller packages.
Finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
software packages continue to evolve, and when it is paired with the
latest computers, the results can be achieved at a faster rate when
compared to 10 years ago. Laboratory test sensors can be paired up
with small data loggers to help provide quicker and more accurate
correlation with numerical modelling results. The speed of testing
results and improved information is leading to smarter product design
in heat exchangers and other thermal equipment. In addition, the new
knowledge can often be useful to customers through web-based
application software, which can often be linked directly to the
customers equipment. It is the Internet of Things (IoT) age.
Q
Talk us through your company’s design process for
new heat technologies or equipment.
Watlow uses a process called lean product development (LPD). The
manufacturing facilities around the world are all lean practitioners, so
there is some natural synergy gained by practicing LPD. Key resources
for learning about LPD are Michael Kennedy’s 'Product Development
for the Lean Enterprise' (2003) and Allen Ward’s 'Lean Product & Process
Development' (2008). Some of the hallmarks of LPD include
understanding and establishing the true needs of the customer or
market, and set-based concurrent engineering.
Q
Explain how new heat equipment or technology is tested.
Testing is part of the LPD process. In LPD, most testing occurs
during the ‘exploration’ phase, during which multiple alternative
implementations are explored (explored typically means testing or trial
runs within the LPD process). When exploration is completed, the
company moves to ‘lock-in’, during which a single solution is detailed
out for the new equipment or technology that Watlow intends to take
to market and/or turn into intellectual property.
Q
What has been your company’s biggest technological
breakthrough in terms of downstream heat technology?
So far, it has been the OPTIMAX
®
electric heat exchanger technology,
which has resulted in 50% or more smaller equipment sizes. This
footprint and weight reduction has enabled customers to engineer
smaller and lighter modules and packaged assemblies. The improved
CAPEX possibilities associated with the technology are also an
advantage.
Q
How has the recent oil market volatility affected the
heat technology/equipment sector?
Primarily through reduced capital expenditure budgets, which
reduce the market size for new equipment builds. Over time, that
also means reduced budgets for R&D. Consequently, new
technologies will arrive in the market later, which, in turn, could
reduce consumer cost and/or improve workplace safety.
Q
Where do you see the heat technology market in
10 years?
The increasing demand will be for heat technology that improves
process control, asset management and capital expenditures.
Government regulations around emissions will play a role in
determining which heat technologies are most attractive to both
customers and suppliers, particularly in new construction.
Industrial IoT will take hold where there is a good value
proposition for the users. The demand for refined hydrocarbons
continues to grow, and process engineers will continue to seek
ways to engineer out the need for adding heat energy. Ultimately,
Watlow does not foresee anything on the 10 year horizon that will
reduce the need for heat energy or new heat energy technologies.
There will most likely be a more direct application of joule type
resistance heat, rather than indirect through hot oil systems and
similar, for efficiency purposes, and because the control
technologies will be superior.
DENNIS LONG, WATLOW, USA