A Tempco customer in the power generation industry had a large fuel tank reservoir that needed to be heated. The tank is 84 inches in diameter and 92 inches tall with a manhole cover at the top to insert the heater. The process heater the customer needed is used in turbine fuel tank reservoirs and in diesel generator fuel tanks. In the case of the diesel generators, in an emergency they need to turn on immediately following a loss of power. Heating up the diesel fuel makes startup of the generators easier.

The heater requirements included:

• 30 kw power
• Maximum watt density of elements: 27
• NEMA 4 terminal housing for outdoor installation
• Process thermocouple to properly monitor the oil temperature
• High Limit thermocouple that ensures elements do not exceed a specific temperature to avoid fluid damage

Tempco designed a 24-element flanged immersion heater that has a total depth of 91 inches for this application. It was designed with an 8 inch, 150 lb flange for mounting and was also equipped with 4-inch sludge legs that support the heater within the reservoir.