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Table of Contents
Improve Batch Reactor Temperature Control 4
Understand the likely causes and fixes for common problems in reaching set points

Rethink Reactor Temperature Control 9

Cascade strategy offers simplicity and fast response

Keep Cool When Designing Batch Reactors 11

In designing such a unit, focus on effective temperature control to achieve optimum performance

Consider Hot Water for Jacketed Heating 17

Hot water offers significant advantages over traditional steam-heated systems

Innovation in Direct Steam Injection Heaters Since 1945 24

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Improve Batch Reactor Temperature Control
Understand the likely causes and fixes for common problems in reaching set points

By Mark Coughran

Common temperature control strategy

Reactor temperature control typically is very
important to product quality, production rate and operating Jacket (Slave) Reactor (Master)
SP
costs. With continuous reactors, the usual objectives are to: TIC
SP
TIC
SP From operator
limits or batch recipe
OUT OUT
• hold temperature within a certain band PV PV
around the set point, preferably without
oscillation; Cooling TT Reactor temperature
TY
• minimize operator intervention; and Heating
• minimize consumption of utilities.
Batch reactors generally demand some additional
objectives such as:
Heating/Cooling
• fast heatup or cooldown to a new set point without fluid supply
oscillation and with minimal overshoot; and
• stable response to load disturbances, e.g., an exother-
mic reaction.
Achieving these objectives requires paying attention to
many details of the equipment and controller logic. Sys-
tematic testing and optimization of the feedback control Jacket inlet temperature
TT
loops also can speed the startup of a new plant.
Figure 1 shows a common control system for glass-
lined batch reactors where the slave loop operates on the
SP is the controller set point
jacket inlet temperature to protect the lining. The heating/
PV is the measurement process variable
cooling supply can have various split-range (TY) configu-
OUT is the controller output
rations such as control valves to hot/cold headers (which
we’ll call Case 1), control valves to steam and chilled-water Figure 1. Various split-range (TY) configurations can be used to regulate
heat exchangers (Case 2) and control valve on the chilled 50jacketed glass-lined batch reactors.
PV with default PID algorithm

Set point
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e, °C

40
 Cooling TIC limits TT
OUT TY OUT Reactor temperature
or batch recipe 55 Temperature set point Controller output, °C

output,
Heating PV PV 60
50

and˚C
Cooling TT 55 Temperature set point
Reactor temperature Controller output, °C

and output,
TY
Heating 45

Reactor temperature
Heating/Cooling 50
Temperature PV
fluid supply
40
45

Reactor temperature
Heating/Cooling 35 Temperature PV
fluid supply
40
30
35
Jacket inlet temperature 25
TT
30
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,00

Jacket inlet temperature 25

Time, sec
TT
SP is the controller set point
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000
PV is the measurement process variable
Time, sec
OUT is the controller output
SP is the controller set point
Case 1
PV is the measurement process variable
fluid and variable electrical heating (Case
3). Here, we’ll look at some challenges and
50 OUT is the controller output
PV with default PID algorithm opportunities based on real data from three
Set point
such reactors as seen from the operators’ trend
charts. We’ll show symptoms of common
°C

50
40
PV with default PID algorithm
problems and examples of benefits achieved.
Reactor temperature,

Set point
°C

40
30 Case 1
Reactor temperature,

A plant was starting up a new building with

PVs with alternative PID algorithms
all new reactors, instruments and Distrib-
30
20 uted Control System (DCS). A consultant
PVs with alternative PID algorithms applied Lambda tuning (which we’ll discuss
later) to give smooth fast set-point and load
20
10 responses without oscillation. However, as
0 600 1,200 1,800 2,400 3,000 3,600 shown in Figure 2, the default Proportional
Time, sec + Integral + Derivative (PID) algorithm
10
produced temperature overshoot that ex-
0 600 1,200 1,800 2,400 3,000 3,600
Figure 2. Overshoot afflicted set-point steps on an 800-L reactor with the reactor loop in auto ceeded the recipe specifications on set-point
and the jacket loop in cascade. Time, sec steps. The overshoot is due to the presence
of integral action in both the controller and
the process. Dominance of integration (slow
75 100 ramping) in the reactor temperature process
Temperature PV
Case
70 2 Reactor set point 90 may confuse the engineer, technician or
65 80 auto-tuner responsible for finding the best
75 100
output, %output, %
°C

Temperature PV
controller tuning parameters. Integral action
60 70
Reactor temperature,

70 Reactor set point 90 is needed in the controller to correct for load

55
65
Use steam 60
80 disturbances. In a modern control system it’s
°C

Jacket controller

50
60 50
70 easy to choose alternative algorithms (Figure
Reactor temperature,

45 Use
Use chilled
steam water 40 2) to prevent or reduce this overshoot.
55 60
If we waited longer for the set-point
40 30
Jacket controller

50 50
responses to settle, we’d see a slow limit cycle
35
45
Jacket controller output 20
40
Use chilled water of ±0.5°C on the reactor temperature and
30
40 10
30 ±5°C on the jacket temperature. The root
Add final ingredient
25
35 Jacket controller output 0
20 causes are nonlinearity in the jacket loop
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 from selecting inappropriate control valves
30 10
Time, sec
Add final ingredient and excessive dead zones in the split range
25 0 strategy. No tuning of the feedback control-
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 ler will eliminate limit cycles.
Time, sec

Figure 3. Oscillation occurred during set-point step on a 40,000-L reactor with the reactor loop Case 2
in auto and the jacket loop in cascade; a load disturbance (exothermic reaction) also took At another plant, temperatures of eight
place. reactors were oscillating. Figure 3 shows a

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 Case 3
set-point response and a load response for
60
one reactor temperature loop. With the
reactor set point initially at 30°C, the slow
Reactor temperature and output, ˚C

55 Temperature set point Controller output, °C

oscillation caused the jacket to continuously
and alternately consume significant quanti-
50 ties of steam and chilled water. Later, after
the exothermic reaction, the jacket control-
45 ler output began swinging almost full scale
Temperature PV up and down. Average energy consumption
40
was much greater than that theoretically re-
quired to maintain the reactor temperature.
35
There also was a smaller faster oscillation of
30 the jacket loop.
The main problems identified by the
25 consultant and corrected were:
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 • oscillatory tuning of the reactor tempera-
Time, sec
ture controller;
• oscillatory tuning of the jacket tempera-
Figure 4. Response was far too slow for a set-point step on a 3,600-L reactor with the reactor ture controller;
loop in auto and the jacket loop in cascade. • e xcessive dead zone in the jacket split
range logic; and
Asymmetrical response • control valve setup problems.
52 70 The plant personnel hadn’t been trained
Controller ouput, % in modern loop-tuning methods such as
50 60 Lambda tuning, which gives nonoscilla-
Use heater
tory response at the speed required by the
Jacket controller output, %

48 50 production objectives. The tests required for

Jacket temperature, °C

Jacket set point systematic tuning also revealed the nonlin-

Use chilled fluid
46 40 earities in the split range logic and control
valves. After applying corrections to three
44 30 reactors, energy savings on steam alone paid
for the consulting project in less than three
42 20 months.
Jacket temperature PV
40 10 Case 3
3,600 The as-found auto response was too slow, tak-
38 0
1,550 2,050 2,550 3,050 ing more than two hours to reach the new set
Time, sec point (Figure 4). Note for the reactor (master)
loop the units of the SP, PV and output all
are °C. For integrating processes, fast closed-
Figure 5. Jacket responded faster to cooling than heating as shown with reactor loop in loop response requires driving the output
manual and jacket loop in cascade mode. beyond the PV for some period of time. Due
100
90
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80
t, %
to the slow tuning, the operators preferred to make frequent for reactors controlled by simple cascade strategies (Figure
manual adjustments to the jacket set point until the correct 1), many problems can be prevented by applying the fol-
reactor temperature was achieved. This interfered with lowing five steps to each loop:
the operators’ primary duties such as sampling for quality 1. Make the process dynamics as linear as possible.
control. 2. Minimize dead time.
Due to nonlinearities in the control logic, it wasn’t 3. Measure the process dynamics.
possible to find the best controller tuning parameters by 4. Choose the right controller algorithm to compensate
hand calculation. Instead the consultant built a computer for the process dynamics.
simulation using test data acquired from manual step 5. Tune for the speed required, without oscillation.
responses. This led to much better tuning of the controller Linear means the process temperature PV responds
and allowed the operators to keep the reactor loop in auto consistently regardless of the size, direction or history of
mode — as designed. the controller output changes. In the jacket loop, achiev-
The tests also identified several limitations in the jacket ing linearity requires selecting appropriate control valves
response (Figure 5). The response was much faster to cool- and minimizing nonlinearities in the control strategy, e.g.,
ing than to heating. The cooling response showed initial dead zones in the split range logic. Figure 5 shows another
oscillation followed by a very slow attempt to recover to example of nonlinearity: on the heating step, after the ini-
40° C. The asymmetry in heating versus cooling indicates tial overshoot, recovery to 50° C was extremely slow due to
the need for a gain scheduling controller, which applies the control-valve flow characteristic. Sometimes the limit-
one set of tuning parameters for cooling and another for ing nonlinearity is in the utilities supplying the jacket, e.g.,
heating. Manual step testing of the jacket also showed a steam-header pressure control loop. In the reactor loop,
that inappropriate derivative and filtering values had been linearity means getting symmetrical set-point responses
installed for the jacket controller. Finally, ideal cooling from the jacket. If the cooling and heating responses of the
response would require a different inherent flow character- jacket are asymmetrical (as in Figure 5 or for steam versus
istic in the cooling valve. Fixing all these problems in the cold water), consider a gain scheduling controller to com-
jacket loop would further improve the reactor response. pensate. This doesn’t require any special coding because it
can be easily configured by drag-drop-and-tune in modern
Methods for success control systems.
In the typical chemical plant, there’re several obstacles Dead time is the time measured from an output
to achieving optimal control. Plant design and construc- change before anything happens on the PV. It’s inher-
tion often emphasize chemistry, cost and safety instead ently destabilizing in a feedback control loop. In the
of control. Academic control courses typically leave the jacket, one cause of dead time is transport delay or the
plant engineer ill-prepared due to their emphasis on com- time required for a new f luid mixture to pass from the
plex mathematics or sole focus on continuous processes. control valve to the measuring element. Minimize this
Early tuning methods, still taught in the industry, were dead time by appropriate sensor location and by install-
designed to deliberately make the loop oscillate. The ing a circulating pump as shown in Figure 1. Also, the
jacket and reactor temperature relationship includes inte- effect of filters added in the transmitter or the controller
grating dynamics, making controller tuning less intuitive may look like dead time to the PID algorithm. In the
than for self-regulating (e.g., flow) loops. reactor loop, we minimize dead time by getting the fast-
Complex control systems have been developed to est linear response of the jacket loop, including allowing
handle various reactor hardware, specific types of chemical one overshoot on the jacket set-point response.
reactions and production constraints [1]. For the fastest Process dynamics is a model of the shape and size of
possible set-point response, you may want to consider a the PV response to output changes, which we need to op-
nonlinear control strategy as described in Ref. 2. However, timally tune the controller. For most loops this can’t be

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 References
1. P
 rocess Control and Optimization, Volume VIII in “Instrument Engineers’ Handbook,” p. 1,664, 4th ed., B.G. Liptak,
ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. (2007).
2. Boudreau, M.A. and G.K. McMillan, “New Directions in Bioprocess Modeling and Control,” p. 91, ISA, Research
Triangle Park, N.C. (2007).
3. Bialkowski, W.L., in “The Control Handbook,” p. 1,234, W. Levine, ed., CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. (1996).

calculated before construction and is most conveniently explicitly for tuning by the cascade rule because we can set
determined from step tests with the controller in manual. the response time (λ) of each control loop as:
The process dynamics can be manually calculated from λjacket << λreactor
trend charts or time series data acquired from an OPC More-advanced tools are helpful for some situations.
server or, in some cases, automatically by software run- For instance, if the temperature process response has ele-
ning in the DCS. The two simplest types of process ments of both self-regulating and integrating dynamics,
dynamics are: a different tuning rule is needed. When there’re signifi-
• self-regulating processes (those that eventually settle at a cant nonlinearities in the control logic (for example,
new value during manual step tests); and the SP limiter block in Figure 1), a nonlinear computer
• integrating processes (those that ramp at various simulation can accelerate finding the best controller
slopes during manual step tests). parameters — today’s control systems come with built-in
The tests to measure these process dynamics also will simulation tools. In some cases a Fuzzy Logic Controller
reveal the nonlinearities in the process. (FLC) can give control superior to PID. When there’s
With a PID controller the type of process determines no jacket but only electrical heating of the reactor, the
how to compensate for the process dynamics. For purely FLC can provide the fastest possible heating of the reac-
self-regulating processes we mainly use integral action in tor with no overshoot or oscillation. Again, the modern
the controller. For purely integrating processes we mainly control system makes it easy to install this controller.
use proportional action. Derivative action normally isn’t
needed in the jacket controller but may be appropriate in Achieve better control
the reactor controller. Some plants have experienced oscillatory or sluggish
The Lambda tuning method is one way of choos- response of batch reactor temperature. This can be caused
ing the PID parameters to tune for the speed required, by the integrating process response, limitations in the
without oscillation. For process dynamics that are purely control system and lack of training. With a modern
self-regulating or integrating, simple algebraic tuning control system, a plant can set up the controllers to give
rules developed for continuous processes [3] have proven fast set-point response without overshoot or oscillations.
applicable to batch processes. These rules can be taught This offers the opportunity to maximize product quality,
to engineers, technicians and operators as a time domain minimize batch cycle time and eliminate utilities waste
method — without the need to use Bode plots or transfer — all positive impacts on your plant’s profitability.
functions.
We must observe the rule of cascade by tuning the Mark Coughran is a senior process control consultant for
jacket (slave) control loop first and faster than the reactor Emerson Process Management, Austin, Texas. E-mail him at Mark.
(master) control loop. The Lambda tuning method provides Coughran@Emerson.com.

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Rethink Reactor Temperature Control
Cascade strategy offers simplicity and fast response

By Andrew Sloley

Even minor differences between control schemes B to meet the target temperature. This control scheme
can dramatically affect unit performance, as a recent is simple to understand and straightforward. Simple and
project to improve control of a batch reactor illustrates. easy-to-understand methods tend to have high reliability
Reactant A is preloaded into the vessel and then and get left alone to work correctly.
Reactant B is slowly added. A mixer provides good con- However, this approach poses a problem that may not
tacting for the first-order reaction to create the desired be apparent. It combines two dominant lags in series,
high-value specialty polymer product. making the system respond relatively slowly to distur-
One reason for adding small amounts of Reactant bances. The first large lag is that changes in Reactant
B to a large quantity of Reactant A (or product) is that B must change the composition before reaction changes
both Reactant A and product are much better heat occur. The second lag is that the composition change
sinks than Reactant B. For typical first-order kinetics, then has to change the reaction rate before heat genera-
back mixing reduces the concentration and slows down tion changes take place. Both of these have relatively
temperature rise. The commonly used rule-of-thumb for long time constants in the system. Reactant B feed rate
most first-order reactions is that reaction rate doubles is small compared to the volume in the reactor. Second,
with an approximately 18°F (10°C) temperature rise. the desired product forms at a relatively low tempera-
Tight temperature control is critical to getting the ture — hence at a relatively low reaction rate. Excursions
right polymer properties. The process objective is to take the control system too long to correct.
keep the reaction at as close to a constant temperature as One proposal was to use an advanced predictive con-
possible. Cooling water in the reactor jacket carries away troller to simultaneously change cooling-water and reac-
the reaction heat. The heat sink, back mixing and mixer tor rates. This would require extra instrumentation on
in the vessel all aid smooth temperature control. the cooling-water-supply pressure and temperature and a
The obvious control strategy for greatest throughput much more complicated control system. My experience
is to operate the reactor at maximum cooling levels at is that most advanced control applications get turned off
all times (Figure 1a). Cooling water supply is set to its and abandoned sooner rather than later.
highest rate. The temperature controller varies Reactant We needed a simpler alternative and came up with

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 Reactor temperature control

A B

Figure 1. Cascade SISO logic, diagram b, provides much faster response than more obvious option.

a solution that uses cascade single-input single-output Choosing a reasonably high cooling-water-valve-posi-
(SISO) logic (Figure 1b). Reactor temperature controls tion setting (90%) gives a cooling water rate close to the
cooling water supply. Cooling water valve position then maximum possible. Reactor temperature control is stable;
cascades to Reactant B feed rate control. This provides reactant and utility changes are quickly dampened.
much more rapid response. Position changes in the cool- Development of really good valve positioner technol-
ing water valve occur instantaneously with water f low ogy has created many opportunities to improve plant
rate. The cascade approach acts as fast as any advanced control with straightforward SISO logic. The solution
control system that attempts to simultaneously move here is still simple, just different from the obvious.
both the Reactant-B and water-supply control valves.
And, unlike advanced control methods, the logic is clear andrew sloley, Contributing Editor
and maintenance requirements are minimal. ASloley@putman.net

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Keep Cool When Designing Batch Reactors
In designing such a unit, focus on effective temperature control to achieve optimum performance

By John Edwards

The stirred batch reactor is a workhorse at many fine As Figure 1 shows, water has a higher heat-removal capability.
and specialty chemical plants, frequently serving multiple The liquid viscosity throughout the operating tempera-
purposes. It can handle not just reaction but solvent extrac- ture range is a key parameter. At low temperatures, viscosity
tion, crystallization and distillation. The successful instal- effects can become limiting, resulting in low jacket/coil-side
lation of such a reactor depends to a great degree upon the heat-transfer coefficients and high pressure drops (Figure
proper design of its temperature-control system. 2). Selection of an HTF with reasonable viscosity charac-
The most critical factor is the design operating tempera- teristics and an acceptable freeze point will allow operations
ture range. This, coupled with a site’s practices and the initial down to -90°C (-130°F) [1].
fill cost, drives the selection of a heat transfer fluid (HTF).
An HTF must not be used at temperatures above the Fluid tradeoffs
manufacturer’s recommended maximum. It is considered Organic HTFs offer a number of advantages:
good practice to select a fluid with temperature capabilities at • liquid state throughout the operating temperature range,
least 20°C (36°F) higher than the required process maximum which simplifies the control system, equipment configu-
to safeguard against fluid breakdown. Table 1 summarizes ration and operation;
the temperature capability of some common HTFs. • stable fluid properties over a wide temperature range;
Note that the food industry prefers propylene glycol, due to • less corrosion and erosion of heat-transfer surfaces than
its low oral toxicity, to ethylene glycol. Glycol water-based sys- water;
tems require inhibitors to keep dissolved oxygen from forming • controllable temperature differences, which minimize
organic acids, which can cause corrosion and fouling. thermal shock effects; and
Wherever possible, avoid pressurized systems by selecting • flexibility to handle a variety of services.
a fluid with acceptable vapor pressure at the maximum oper- However, they also pose disadvantages:
ating temperature. This will simplify system design and op- • lower thermal efficiency than water-based systems;
eration. Then, evaluate the suitability of other crucial physical • higher initial equipment and installation costs;
properties over the operating temperature range. The specific • significantly greater cost for initial fluid charge;
heat of water-based and organic HTFs can vary significantly. • propensity to leak;

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 Liquid specific heats
• special commissioning, operational
and maintenance procedures;
• longer downtime on equipment
failure; and
• flammability, toxicity, odor and
good manufacturing practice
(GMP) concerns.
These HTFs will aggressively
search for any leak paths and this
must be considered when selecting
equipment and specifying piping.
Use sealless pumps for f luid circula-
tion. To achieve the f low required
to prevent bearing damage, install a
restriction orifice in a spillback line.
The piping design should specify
ANSI 300 f langes, as a minimum, to
allow for high bolting torques. The
gaskets should consist of an asbestos-
free filler reinforced with a stainless
Figure 1. As this graph shows, water has a higher heat-removal capability. steel spiral.
These systems have to be thor-
Liquid viscosities oughly dried out by heating during
commissioning to prevent operational
problems and equipment damage.
This can take days on large installa-
tions and needs to be done slowly to
avoid equipment damage due to steam
hammering. Manufacturers do not
recommend water for pressure testing,
preferring a suitable dry alternative.
However, this is not usually feasible
during the construction phase.
Water breakthrough, due to contami-
nation or equipment failure, can result in
considerable downtime to identify and
rectify the problem. At low temperatures,
water breakthrough will result in freez-
ing, leading to loss of circulation and
possible equipment damage.

Reactor parameters
The heat-transfer-area/reactor-volume
Figure 2. At low temperatures, viscosity effects can become limiting, resulting in low jacket/coil-side heat-transfer ratio increases as the reactor size
coefficients and high pressure drops. decreases (Figure 3). This needs to

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 Reactor volume versus heat-transfer gas ets, have inherent thermal lags
due to the heat capacities of
the masses associated with the
reactor, reaction mix, jacket
contents and jacket services
[4]. To minimize these lags,
reduce, wherever possible, jacket
service volumes and thermal
masses associated with external
equipment and also install good
thermal insulation.
A study of the heatup and
cooldown curves or responses to
setpoint step changes can provide
an estimate of time constant. For
instance, the typical overall value
for heating 1,000 kg of toluene in
a 1,600-L Hastelloy C reactor with
Dowtherm J fluid is 21.1 minutes;
breaking down this estimate into
the contributions for the different
Figure 3. The heat-transfer-area/reactor-volume ratio increases as the reactor size decreases. interfaces gives the inside contrib-
uting 15.4 minutes, the wall 3.1
be considered carefully during scaleup and underscores minutes and the outside 2.6 minutes.
the importance of correctly matching reactor size to Endothermic reactions exhibit a marked degree of self-
batch size. Partially filled reactors not only reduce the regulation in regard to thermal stability and do not need
heat-transfer area but can cause mixing problems and further consideration.
exothermic reaction instability. Exothermic reactions, however, require a detailed under-
The thermal conductivity of materials of construction standing of kinetics to obtain rate and heat of reaction. The
significantly impacts reactor wall temperatures and, thus, heat removal capability is a function of the resistances to heat
can limit cycle times. Extreme temperature differences transfer, the temperature difference and the heat-transfer
can result in product quality problems on certain pro- area. Reaction temperature increases lead to a higher rate of
cesses. (The density and specific heat differences among reaction and pose a risk of thermal runaway if heat cannot be
materials aren’t a critical factor in heat transfer.) removed fast enough; any reduction in heat-transfer area due
As vessel size increases, so too does the cross-section- to a decrease in reactor contents adds to the problem. Design
al area for f luid f low, which is determined by the annu- cannot always provide stability where not enough heat-trans-
lus width for jackets and the pipe diameter for coils. Un- fer area is available for the temperature difference. However,
baff led jackets result in laminar f low, which gives poor removing heat by boiling one or more of the components can
thermal performance. Baff ling in the jacket annulus, ensure stability because this tends to create an isothermal
dimple jackets, half coils and inlet agitating nozzles can system.
provide higher velocity. Mechanical design, construction When reactions are carried out with all the reactants
and cost constraints can limit options [2, 3]. charged, carefully consider the implications of cooling failure,
Stirred batch reactors, with coils or external jack- taking into account common mode failures. It is preferable

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 Thermal properties of common heat-transfer fluids
switching to a lower temperature
medium only when necessary.
Excessive evaporator temperature
in the refrigeration loop can result
in compressor shutdown and, ulti-
mately, failure. Any water present
in the system will accumulate and
freeze at the compressor suction.
Boilup and wall temperature
might be excessive with direct
steam and might require pressure
control. Boilup can be limiting
Table 1. This table shows the temperature capability of some common HTFs. with indirect HTF systems and
only can be boosted by raising
to limit the reaction rate by adding the reactant continuously the jacket temperature, which is
at a controlled rate to ensure that the heat generated does not subject to maximum operating-temperature constraints.
exceed the system’s heat-removal capability.
Tempered reactions, i.e., those operating at the boiling External heat exchangers
point, remove heat using the latent heat of vaporization. Batch operation can involve rapid temperature cycling that
This procedure is self-regulating, provided the sizing of the leads to severe thermal stresses. Therefore, use a fully welded
overhead condenser ensures material is not removed from the shell-and-plate heat exchanger rather than a less expensive
reaction (which would decrease the heat-transfer area). In this brazed unit, which might experience stress failure. The ther-
case, the reactor cooling system only needs to remove any mal fluid is usually on the plate side and the service fluid on
excess heat from the reaction. the shell side. For cryogenic applications, opt for a coiled-tube
Gassy systems generate a permanent gas and require the heat exchanger with liquid nitrogen on the tube side [6].
total heat evolved to be absorbed by the jacket/coil cooling Base the heat duty for exchanger sizing on the reactor
system. heat-transfer area available at maximum operating level.
It has been empirically established that a velocity of 1 m/s Inlet and outlet temperature differences are determined
across the service-side heat-transfer surface will provide op- from the services’ supply and return temperatures and by
timal economic heat transfer. Achieving this necessitates the selecting reasonable HTF inlet and exit temperatures at the
use of circulating pumps and jacket-inlet circulating nozzles, approach to the services’ inlet temperatures.
which induce a rotational movement similar to spiral baffles For heating with steam, the inlet and outlet temperature
and significantly reduce the circulation flow required for differences are unlikely to be critical at the approach to maxi-
efficient heat transfer. The combined reactor and nozzle pres- mum HTF temperature.
sure drop determines the number and size of mixing nozzles. For cooling, the inlet and outlet temperature differences
Vendors provide curves to establish the optimal circulation can be critical at the approach to minimum HTF tempera-
rate and pressure drop [5]. ture, particularly for low-temperature applications. Select a
When using HTFs that might have high viscosities within design temperature difference that gives an economic design
the operating temperature range, circulating nozzle pressure while providing a heat-transfer capability that exceeds the
drops might become limiting and half pipe coil constructions reactor’s by a reasonable margin.
might be required. The liquid service flow is established by setting an ac-
Minimize the heat load on the refrigeration system by ceptable temperature difference across the heat exchanger,
first using a higher-temperature cooling service and then typically 10°C (18°F). The type of cooling system and its

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 Figure 4. Indirect heating and cooling
proportional band; it should be set
conservatively, ensuring that en-
ergy is not driven into the process
at a rate faster than the process can
accept it, to prevent oscillation.
The secondary control mode
normally is a P-only controller,
with P set <less than equal to><
25%, as the I mode slows down the
response.
Distillation boilup is deter-
mined by the temperature differ-
ence between jacket/coil and reac-
tor contents. Boilup is controlled
Figure 4. A three-way valve at the steam heat exchanger provides fast-response bypass control by eliminating the by the jacket/coil inlet tempera-
thermal lag associated with the heat exchangers. ture; the secondary controller will
require I mode to be activated to
operation determine the allowable return temperature. eliminate offset.
A characteristic of plate heat exchangers is that the For high-accuracy temperature measurements, use a re-
cross-sectional area for flow is small and the pressure drop, sistance sensor with a Smart transmitter to provide flexibility
particularly at low temperatures, usually sets the number of when setting ranges. The thermal lag associated with the sen-
plates and their geometric arrangement. sor is minimal. However, there can be a significant thermal
The heat-transfer area is estimated thermally, and the lag associated with the thermowell if it is incorrectly designed
configuration then is adjusted to give an acceptable pressure or installed, and this can lead to an uncontrollable system.
drop. The plate area determined by pressure drop, usually on Fast response designs are available and should be used.
the circulating heat-transfer-fluid side, normally results in an Satisfactory performance depends upon the selecting a
increased design margin for heat-transfer area. control valve with the appropriate operating characteristics. A
valve has an inherent characteristic (relationship between flow
Control strategy and stroke at constant ΔP) and an operational characteristic
As reactor size increases, the thermal lag from reactor contents where the inherent characteristic is modified by the process
to reactor wall increases and the heat-transfer area per reactor pressure conditions. An equal-percentage operating charac-
volume decreases. Temperature control is characterized by sus- teristic tends toward a linear characteristic as ΔPmax/ΔPmin
tained errors between setpoint and measurement during heatup increases. A linear operating characteristic tends toward a
and cooldown and by varying thermal responses. quick opening characteristic as ΔPmax/ΔPmin increases.
A typical control system has the reactor contents’ tem- An equal-percentage valve characteristic normally is
perature primary controller output being cascaded to the used for temperature control, although situations might
jacket/coil temperature secondary controller setpoint. arise where a linear characteristic provides better control.
The primary control modes normally are proportional The operational characteristic of a valve can be modified by
(P) plus integral (I) plus derivative (D), with P typically set controller output-signal characterization.
in the range 35% to 50%, the I mode set slower than the Use pneumatic control-valve actuators with positioners.
overall time constant and the D mode set at I/4. The I mode The calibration for split-range operation of the valves should
should only be activated when the measurement is within the be achieved at the positioners, not with scaled multiple con-

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 References
1. Lines, J., “How Low Can You Go?” <itals>Chemical Processing<end itals>, Vol. 66 (1), p. 35 (Jan. 2003).
2. Shinskey, F. G., “Process Control Systems,” McGraw Hill, New York (1967).
3. Bondy, F. and S. Lippa, “Heat Transfer in Agitated Vessels,” <itals>Chem. Eng.<end itals>, Vol. 90 (7), p. 62 (Apr.
1983).
4. E dwards, J.E.E., “Process Modelling and Control of Batch Reactors in the Fine Chemicals Industry,” presented at U.K.
CHEMCAD Seminar, Teesside, England (Nov. 2000). Downloadable at www.pidesign.co.uk.
5. “
 Agitating Nozzles for Jacketed Reactors” Data Sheet DS65-700-1 and Bulletin 235-2e, Pfaudler Balfour, Leven, Scot-
land (Feb. 1989).
6. Athey, R.E and L.M. Saupe, “Convective Flow in Coiled Tubes,” Graham Manufacturing, Batavia, N.Y. (May 1995).
Downloadable at www.graham-mfg.com

troller outputs, to ensure loop integrity is maintained under reactors. This could result in an extended shutdown of
all failure modes. the total facility in the event of water breakthrough due
to a single heat exchanger failure.
Heating/cooling configurations Indirect jacket heat/indirect cool. This is probably the
Three options are available: most common arrangement. As shown in Figure 4, a three-
Direct heat/direct cool. The appropriate supply and way valve at the steam heat exchanger provides fast-response
return services are connected directly to the reactor bypass control by eliminating the thermal lag associated
jacket/coils. Temperature ranges from -20°C to +180°C with the heat exchangers [4]. Steam can be applied continu-
(-4°F to 356°F) with water, steam or ethylene glycol/wa- ously to the heat exchanger shell at full pressure, eliminat-
ter are possible with pressurized systems. Arrangements ing problems associated with condensate lift and return,
vary from totally manual to fully automatic and include preventing freezing when operating below 0°C (32°F) and
forced circulation with steam/water mixing facilities. providing excellent linear control characteristics. Thermal
Combined heating/cooling facilities require automatic response on cool is slower than direct injection due to
valve sequencing and jacket/coil blowdown routines the added thermal lag of the cooling heat exchanger. This
when changing services. This configuration exhibits exchanger allows for a less expensive fluid for the cooling
good thermal response. Potential operational problems service, which might provide cost benefits over a centralized
include cross-contamination of services, jacket fouling, refrigeration facility involving the use of significant volumes
corrosion, thermal shock of glass-lined equipment and of an HTF. In such a system, take care to allow for thermal
product degradation from high wall temperatures. expansion throughout the loop.
Indirect jacket heat/direct cool. This uses a single This system also allows for segregation of the reactor
HTF, with the coolant being injected into the reac- service system from other reactors, which enables rapid
tor circulating loop. Heating is provided by a heat identification of water breakthrough problems at a facil-
exchanger with steam on the service side. Changeover ity with several reactors.
between heating and cooling mode is seamless using
control valves in split range. However, in a multiple- John Edwards is a Senior Consultant for P & I Design Ltd., Thornaby,
reactor facility, this system does not provide complete England, where he is responsible for process modelling and engineering.
segregation of the reactor service system from the other E-mail him at jee@pidesign.co.uk.

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Consider Hot Water for Jacketed Heating
Hot water offers significant advantages over traditional steam-heated systems

By Philip Sutter, Pick Heaters, Inc.

Many process plants currently use steam or hot water In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the advan-
to heat jacketed devices such as tanks, kettles, dryers, reac- tages and disadvantages of steam and hot water for jacketed
tors, glass lined vessels, or similar adaptations such as coiled heating, and compare indirect and direct steam injection
tubing placed inside or outside tanks or vessels. systems for making hot water.
In heating applications where pro-
cesses require operating temperature up
to 350°F (177°C) steam is often the first
Steam Air heating medium considered because it
Inlet Vent is readily available. However, hot water
should be given equal consideration.

ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES OF STEAM
Figure 1 illustrates a typical jacketed
Hot Spots heating system using steam. Because it is
readily available and easy to apply, steam
is often used for jacketed vessel heating.
Steam provides quick heat-up and it is
predictable e.g. 100 PSIG (7 BARG) satu-
Steam rated steam is always 338°F (170°C) with
Trap 1,189 BTU/lb total heat content.
Condensate
Discharge
Despite its advantages, steam has several
shortcomings. It does not offer precise
Figure 1. In a typical steam heated jacketed vessel, internal hot spots can cause uneven temperature control, and energy transfer is
product heating. not uniform. Due to uneven distribution,

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higher temperature steam typically collects in the upper portion system, the temperature of the process can be adjusted at
of the jacket, with cooler condensate collecting near the bottom. any predetermined rate on any desired time cycle.
Internal hot spots also develop around hot steam inlet • A steam injection hot water system can be pro-
nozzles, adding to the problem of uneven product heating. grammed to heat then cool a process by stopping the
This increases the likelihood for product burn-on and local heating cycle and introducing cooling or tempered wa-
overheating. ter into the jacket at any desired rate and temperature.
Furthermore, a steam trap is a necessary component of • In this system the condensate (from the steam that was
a steam-heated jacketed vessel. It allows condensed steam injected) leaves the circulating loop through a back pres-
to exit the jacket, making room for more steam. If improp- sure relief valve at the lowest temperature after all the
erly sized or poorly maintained, energy will be wasted and possible heat has been extracted. In a steam system, on
temperature control will be compromised, which frequent- the other hand, condensate at a much higher temperature
ly results in damaged product or lower product yields. must be returned to the boiler in a condensate return line
Reactions requiring both heating and cooling are cumber- with its inherent heat losses.
some for the steam-heated system because of the dramatic
temperature difference between the steam and the cooling ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HOT WATER
water. At the conclusion of the heating cycle all steam and The use of hot water to heat reactor vessels solves many of
condensate must first be driven out of the jacket prior to the problems associated with steam. The jacket temperature
introducing cooling water. This is a time-consuming process can be controlled more accurately with hot water because hot
that is often not done completely. The problem is most severe water distributes heat more evenly over the wetted surface of the
with glass-lined reactors, which may be damaged by thermal vessel. This eliminates hot spots, which can cause the product to
shock and steam hammer if cooling water contacts residual burn onto the walls of the vessel and potentially ruin the entire
steam in the jacket. batch. By eliminating burn-on, product quality is protected and
Currently, an increasing number of process engineers are product filtering and costly clean up time are minimized.
switching from steam to hot water for jacketed heating. There Hot water offers a wide range of operating temperatures
are several basic reasons for this trend: because when pressurized, water will remain in the liquid
• The temperature in the jacket can be controlled much state and not flash into steam. For example 72 PSIG (5
more accurately with hot water than with steam. This BARG) water can be heated in a pressurized circulating loop
higher degree of control protects against damage to or to 310°F (154°C) without boiling. The process can be gradu-
loss of product through overheating. ally ramped up or down to desired temperatures, eliminating
• Hot water distributes heat more evenly than steam. the potential of thermal shock.
This eliminates hot spots which often cause product to For processes requiring both heating and cooling, hot
bake onto the walls of the vessel, and at worst, ruin the water can be adjusted at a predetermined rate on a desired
entire batch. time cycle through the use of cascade or heat/cool tem-
• Hot water ensures a better quality end product. This perature control loops, or an in-plant PLC or DCS. A hot
is particularly important in processes requiring very water system can be programmed to heat, hold, then cool
precise product temperature control. a process by introducing cooling or tempered water into the
• In critical processes utilizing glass-lined reactors, steam jacket at a controlled rate and temperature without having to
can shock and damage the lining. Hot water allows stop the process as when using steam.
smooth transitions from heating to cooling with no In addition to offering precise temperature control, water is
thermal shock. readily available, easy to handle, non-flammable, safe to the en-
In addition, many are switching to direct steam injection vironment, and inexpensive as compared to heat transfer fluids.
(DSI) systems to create the hot water for several basic reasons: What is the downside of using hot water in jacketed ves-
• With an advanced-design steam injection heating sels? The product heat-up time using hot water will not be as

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 Air
rapid as it is with steam. However, once up to Vent
Expansion Tank
temperature the steam heated system may be
difficult to keep from overheating. Product
Another limitation is that the jacket Temperature
water temperature cannot equal or exceed Recorder
the saturated temperature of the steam
supplied to the system. For example, when
operating the system with 150 PSIG (10.3
BARG) steam, the jacket water tempera-
ture cannot exceed 352°F (177°C) at 130 Steam
PSIG (9 BARG), because of the 20 PSIG Inlet
(1.4 BARG) pressure differential require-
ment for DSI, and above that temperature
the water will f lash back into steam.
Steam
Trap
MAKING HOT WATER WITH INDIRECT
Make-Up
HEAT EXCHANGERS Water
Where steam is available, indirect heat
exchangers are commonly used to heat Figure 2: Where steam is available, indirect heat exchangers are commonly used to heat
water for jacketed vessels (see Figure 2). In water for jacketed vessels.
these systems, steam does not come in direct
contact with the water which is being heated. Heat energy tube bundle or plate surface. System start up times will
is transferred across a membrane such as a tube bundle or be longer as all the metal mass in the heat exchanger
series of plates. As energy is transferred, steam condenses must be heated up, and additional components such
and is discharged through a steam trap and routed back to as an expansion tank is required to balance the system
the boiler. pressure.
Indirect heat exchangers are designed to use only the Finally, a steam trap is still required in an indirect system
latent heat from the steam or approximately 83% of the total with all of its inherent costs, maintenance, energy loss, and
heat energy, while the sensible heat (or approximately 17% reduced productivity problems.
of the total BTU’s) is discharged from the exchanger in the
form of condensate. ENERGY COMPARISON -
Much of the remaining BTU’s are lost en route back to DIRECT vs. INDIRECT HEATING OF WATER
the boiler making the indirect heat exchanger an inefficient Direct steam injection (DSI) heaters inject steam directly
method of heating a reactor vessel. into the circulating water loop.
Another problem inherent in indirect exchangers is For processes which return the jacket water below
poor temperature control due to the lag time between 212°F (100°C), they achieve 100% heat transfer by using
the adjustment of control equipment and the time it both the sensible and the latent heat of the steam. Above
takes to transfer heat energy from the steam through the this temperature there is a minimal drop in efficiency.

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 Let us compare the efficiency of an indirect (shell and 3. 195°F water discharged from the system using the DSI
tube type) heat exchanger to a DSI heater. The applica- heater is not returned to the boiler. Instead, 65°F boiler
tion chosen demonstrates the annual energy consumption make-up water is used.
for heating a jacketed blender which mixes powders with
liquids and then dries the mixture. Assume the process Please Note:
operating conditions are as follows: The 195°F water discharged from the closed loop as a result of
DSI may be returned as boiler make-up water which would
Product volume: 10,000 lb of a water-like product increase the fuel savings even further, up to 17% more ef-
Blender operating heat load: 4,816,340 BTU/hr ficient than the heat exchanger.
Jacket water temperature: 250°F There are several objections to the use of DSI which need
∆T across jacket: *55°F (250° - 195°F) to be addressed when considering this approach. Most of these
* This is the required ∆T to be made up by the heater. relate to the fact that the steam must be thoroughly absorbed
Water circulating flow rate: 175 GPM into the water at the point of contact or it may result in “steam
Water loop pressure: 50 PSIG hammer”. If the steam is not thoroughly absorbed, it will
Steam pressure: 150 PSIG Saturated expand and then collapse downstream in the piping or the
Hours of operation: 16 hr/day; 4000 hr/year jacket. This creates an implosion due to the dramatic change
Boiler fuel type and cost: Nat. Gas at 0.85 /Therm in volume between steam and water which results in noise and
Boiler efficiency: 82% vibration known as steam hammer. This is especially a problem
with simple steam-to-water static mixers, spargers, and venturi/
Based on these conditions, the steam requirement for eductor type heaters. In order to assure thorough absorption of
heating with an indirect heat exchanger would be 5,620 lb/ steam into water, the steam pressure should be at least 10-20
hr, while the steam requirement using a DSI heater would be PSI greater than the water pressure at the point of injection.
4,662 lb/hr. Factoring in the energy required by the boiler to Furthermore, cold make-up water must be heated at
preheat the feed water and to generate steam at 82% boiler the boiler, because condensate might not be returned to the
efficiency, the indirect heat exchanger will require 7,182,634 boiler. This could result in additional costs for chemical
BTU/hr while the DSI heater will require only 6,612,080 treatment. However, the energy savings from DSI will more
BTU/hr or 7.9% less energy than the heat exchanger! This than offset these costs.
energy savings of 570,554 BTU/hr will result in an hourly
fuel savings of 5.71 therms of natural gas (a fuel heating value MAKING HOT WATER WITH
of 100,000 BTU/therm). At 85¢/therm this translates into a A DIRECT STEAM INJECTION (DSI) SYSTEM
fuel cost savings of $4.85/hr, or an annual fuel savings of over When using an advanced design Pick™ DSI System, steam flow
$19,000. Results may vary depending upon fuel costs and is modulated at two points: the steam control valve, and also at
operating conditions. This example demonstrates the dra- the point of injection within the heater. This dual modulation
matic energy savings to be realized by the DSI heater and is results in superior temperature control over a wide range of hot
based upon the very conservative assumptions that: water demands or when a sequence of varying temperatures or
1. The heat exchanger steam trap does not leak steam. pressures are needed to meet process requirements.
2. There is no volumetric loss due to condensate flashing at In a Pick™ DSI Heater, steam enters the cold water at low
the receiver tank. to moderate velocities through hundreds of small orifices in

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an injection tube (see Figure 3). By breaking up the steam During operation, steam pressure works against a
into multiple small streams and also maintaining a positive spring-loaded piston inside the injection tube assembly.
pressure differential, all the steam is quietly injected and As the steam f low varies, it forces the piston to rise or
instantly mixed into the flow of water within the heater body. fall exposing more or fewer orifices (see Figure 4).
By applying water pressure and spring force against
Heated the incoming steam, the spring-loaded piston constantly
Liquid Out maintains steam pressure in excess of incoming water
pressure. This prevents steam hammer which occurs
when steam and water pressures are at or near equilib-
rium.
Another important design feature of the Pick™ DSI
Heater is the helical f lights within the mixing chamber.
These create controlled turbulence to assure thorough
and immediate mixing of the steam and liquid within
Helical the heater rather than in downstream piping. As a result,
Injection Flights
these heaters are much quieter to operate than (high
Tube velocity) venturi or static mixer type heaters.

Steam In
At minimal steam As steam flow At fully open
flow, piston begins increases, piston position, piston
to rise. is forced up by allows maximum
Unheated steam to expose flow of steam
Liquid In more holes. in water.

Figure 3: Direct steam injection (DSI) heaters inject steam directly into Figure 4: As steam flow varies, it forces the piston to rise or fall exposing more or
the circulating water loop. fewer orifices.

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 Electronic Cascade
Air
Temperature Controller
Vent

Back
Pressure
Relief
Valve

Pick™ Cooling
Heater Water
Valve

Steam Steam Cool

Inlet Control Water
Valve Outlet

Make-Up
Water

Figure 5: The external steam control valve on the Pick™ DSI is actuated by a temperature controller.

The heater creates very little internal restriction to (commonly referred to as cascade temperature control).
liquid f low. Velocities are not excessive and very little With this arrangement, system operation is fully auto-
pressure drop (less than 2 PSI) is generated across the matic. The operator simply inputs the desired product
heater, minimizing friction losses and pump horsepower set point temperature. At the beginning of the cycle wa-
requirements. The hot water discharge temperature can ter temperature is driven to a predetermined maximum
be sensed immediately downstream of the mixing cham- level. Then, as the product approaches set point, water
ber and requires very minimal piping (less than 5 pipe temperature is gradually decreased to prevent overshoot.
diameters) before entering the jacket. Control is automatic – regardless of outf low demand.
The external steam control valve is actuated by a System loop pressure is maintained by an adjustable
temperature controller, which is responding to water back pressure relief valve (BPRV) which eliminates the
discharge temperature. This may be manually set to any need for an expansion tank. As steam enters the system,
desired outlet water temperature as Figure 5 illustrates. an equal volume of condensate is pushed out of the
Water temperature setting may also be regulated remote- BPRV. System pressurization at this valve permits water
ly by a pneumatic or electronic temperature controller loop temperatures above 212°F (100°C).
(PLC, DCS), and by sensing the product temperature A single steam control valve provides better than a

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10:1 turndown capability. Turndown capabilities up to • r apid response to changing process conditions –
100:1 can be obtained with the use of dual steam control ensures precise temperature control within a frac-
valves. This capability is particularly important in heat- tion of a degree.
ing jacketed vessels because the hot water demand at • demonstrated costs savings – 100% energy efficien-
reactor start-up is significantly greater than it is as the cy saves as much as 17% in fuel costs.
product approaches set point. • c ompact design and ease of maintenance – saves
In conclusion: space and system down time.
Water is superior to steam for heating jacketed reac- In particular, Pick™ DSI heaters with dual
tors because it: modulating steam injection control provide:
• e liminates hot spots and uneven heating – unlike • t horough mixing of steam and water within the
steam, where temperature control is difficult to heater body – eliminates the need for excessive
maintain and easily overheats. downstream piping.
• a llows smooth transitions from heating to cool- • t he ability to handle the widest range of steam f low
ing with no thermal shock – unlike steam which turndown of any DSI heater.
requires complete purging of steam prior to the • lowest water pressure drop and lowest noise level of
addition of cooling water. any DSI heater.
• i s environmentally safe and non-f lammable – un-
like heat transfer f luids which require special Philip Sutter is a Vice President with Pick Heaters, Inc., West Bend,
handling and constant monitoring. WI (262-338-1191; Fax 262-338-8489). He has over 30 years of experience
Direct steam injection (DSI) is superior to indirect ex- designing, engineering, and selling liquid process heating systems for the
changers for heating water because of: food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

23 Next Page u
Innovation in Direct Steam Injection
Heaters Since 1945
In 1945, Pick Heaters developed and patented a unique concept of
Direct Steam Injection Heating. The original approach has remained Why choose Pick for
unaltered...keep it simple and self-stabilizing, minimize moving parts Direct Steam Injection?
and make it completely reliable regardless of operating environment.
It is this design philosophy that has Pick at the heart of heating for Energy Efficient
over 60 years in industries ranging from food to chemical and 100% heat transfer cuts
pharmaceutical processing, pulp and paper to power plants. fuel costs up to 28%

Out of this philosophy has come a continuous flow of refinements Precise Temperature Control
and innovations. to within 1°C or less
for many systems
• Pick is the only DSI company to offer a true Variable Flow
design for multiple use points and on/off applications. Wide Operating Range
variable orifice injector provides
• Pick’s BX heater is truly innovative. It’s open design allows slurry flow unlimited turndown
without obstruction, at negligible pressure drop. For industrial starch
cooking and slurry heating. Low Noise Level
normally below 85 dba
• Pick’s fabricated heaters allow for flow
rates and pressures far above the norm - up to 25,000 Low Liquid Pressure Drop
does not exceed 2PSI
gpm or 1,400 PSIG. They also conform to existing
within normal flows
piping from 1/2 to 32 inches and beyond,
and in various materials of construction.
Complete Mixing
in Heater Body
•P
 ick was the first direct steam no need for pipe lengths
injection (DSI) company to introduce a after heater
3A certified Sanitary Heater in
1984 and was also the first DSI company to
offer a pilot scale version especially for R&D. Pick Heaters has a worldwide
network of qualified engineers
• Over 20 years ago Pick expanded its scope of along with its highly qualified
supply to include custom designed, factory staff to work with you to
packaged systems including skid mounted design a process heating system
pumps, instrumentation and other ancillary to meet your specific require-
equipment to meet customers needs. ments. Pick’s international
certifications include: CRN/
•N
 ow, through PCD (Pick Custom Design) you can Canada, CE/Europe, SA/Swe-
combine Pick’s experience in heat transfer and den, and TÜV/Germany.
packaging to meet all your process heating needs -
direct or indirect heat transfer systems.

Pick combines the Right Products with the Right People - Pick The Best.

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LARRY SCHUBERT FLAT LINED!
(And feels like a million bucks...)
Actually, the first thing he felt was relieved. Because Larry finally
discovered absolute precision temperature control for all his chemical
processing. Thanks to Pick Direct Steam Injection Heaters, now his
process temperature graphs show one, long, beautiful, flat line.
That’s because Pick’s exceptional temperature control automatically
holds discharge temperatures to extremely close tolerances – within
1°C or less, while providing rapid response to changing process
conditions.
Whether you require jacketed heating or other processs
liquid heating applications, Pick eliminates BTU losseses
rry’s
for 100% energy efficiency. This alone could save Larry’s
company up to 17% in fuel costs. In addition, Pick’s
compact design, along with its ease of maintenance,
saves valuable space and invaluable down time.
All this, combined with an unlimited supply of hot
water, low water pressure drop, the lowest OSHA
noise level, and the widest operating range of any
direct steam injection heater is enough to make
800.233.9030 or 262.338.1191 anyone’s heart go pitter pat.
FAX 262.338.8489
E-mail: info1@pickheaters.com Which is precisely what flat lining can do to a guy.
www.pickheaters.com