Using Hot Oil Instead of Steam Within Utility System?

You are not being clear in what you are asking.

• Multi-utility system, what does this mean?
  
• Heating, Heating what?
• Change this system, Do you want to disconnect the steam system then add a new Hot Oil heating system?
• Change this system, Do you mean that you want to use the existing steam piping but now run oil through it?
• What is the material of the existing system?
• What are the Design Conditions (Pressure/Temperature) of the existing steam system?
• What will the Design Conditions be for the new Hot Oil system?
  
• What kind of oil?
• How will you heat this oil?
• What kind of plant is this?
• Where is this plant?
• ?
  

All of these questions and others have a bearing on the answers you need.

Hi Guest,

Yes, you can use a thermal fluid instead of steam. You will need to consider how best to distribute this energy medium as unlike steam it will need to be pumped and have equal sized flow and return pipes unlike steam and condensate. So it is not just a case of filling up your steam system with oil and ''off you go''.

Typical thermal fluid set-ups are quite compact with the heat source and load in close proximity which is different from the typical steam system. The obvious benefits of the thermal fluid is that the energy transfer is independant of working pressure and temperature can be be set also without reference to working pressure. The heater is therefore a low pressure unit as against the steam boiler but as I said earlier the process requires a pump to drive the fluid around the system.

Hope this helps,

Massey.