Electric Heating Systems for Liquid-Gas Vaporization

Hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon based gas products are transported and stored at low temperatures. The most common examples of liquified gasses are liquified natural gas, butane, propane, nitrogen, and oxygen. In liquid form gases are more convenient and efficient to transport, however once at their destination, they must be changed back to the gaseous state.

There are many ways to accommodate the phase change from liquid to gas and picking the best option is dependent on many criteria including plant location, climate conditions, available energy sources, and infrastructure available.

Transitioning from liquid phase to gas phase is a gradual process usually taking place at higher pressures, through several containment vessels, heat exchangers or heating coils which slowly warms the liquified gas.

Some thermal heat exchanging systems use fluids such as hot oil, hot water or a glycol-water solution to efficiently transfer heat to the liquified gas.

Electrically heated, closed-loop circulation systems play an important role in providing an efficient, compact, easily transportable and less complex method to accommodate liquid-gas vaporization. Electric heaters of all sizes, wattages and voltages can be designed and outfitted with the required plumbing and control system to heat any job. Many of these systems come as skid-mounted packages with everything in place. The end-user only needs to provide electrical power and connect the process to the inlet and outlet of the skid.

These type of electric heaters are commonly referred to as circulation heaters and can be designed with many options. Examples are:

Temperatures to 1400°F (760°C)
Watt densities to 100W/in²
Up to 600 volts; up to 1 MW+
Fittings and flanges from 1” to 30”
Copper, steel, 304SS, 316SS & Incoloy® sheaths
Standard, seamless & heavy wall elements
ASME Section VIII code stamp
Insulation
Passivation and special cleaning
NEMA 1, 4, & 7 enclosures
Thermostat or sensors
Inconel®, titanium, other materials available

As with any engineered system, you must consult with a heating system expert prior to designing, selecting or specifying any liquid-vaporization heating system.