PROCESS SYSTEMS

Indirect Heating Systems

OIL

GAS

How to heat process streams without direct flame contact

Cameron offers four types of indirect heaters. In each

system, heat, which is liberated in a separate chamber, is
transferred to the process stream through a medium such
as water, water/glycol, steam, salt, or flue gas.
The primary advantages of indirect heating are: 1) the
heat medium transfer heat evenly and 2) coil inside wall
temperatures are lower than those of direct heaters, which
reduces scaling, coking and plugging.
Indirect heaters are widely applicable to the petroleum
industry and in power generation and industrial systems.
CAMERON indirect heaters offer furnace output ratings
from 50,000 to 50,000,000 BTU/hr. They operate reliably and
efficiently in standard and custom applications.

Water Bath Heater

Temperatures to 180 F
In the water bath heater, the vessel is filled with water
or a mixture of water and glycol. A fire-tube and process
coil are submerged in the bath, which transfers heat to the
process stream in the coil. Typical sizes are shown in Table 1.
Water bath applications include:
Heating high pressure gas and/or oil in oilfield production
Heating high pressure gas from well-heads and main
gas distribution stations prior to pressure reduction to
prevent hydrate formation
Heating natural gas at city gate stations from main gas
pipelines

Data Sheet | TC9814-063

Propane Vaporizers
Cameron water bath heaters can be
specially designed to vaporize light
hydrocarbon liquids. Propane vaporizers
provide industries and municipalities
with a reliable, primary fuel source
where natural gas in unavailable. They
also supply fuel for standby or peakshaving periods.

Heating highly viscous oils to reduce

pumping pressures and to boost
pumping efficiency
Heating oil producing well streams
Table 1. Water Bath Heater Sizes
Duty, Btu/hr

Vessel Size

The process stream enters the coil

bundle as a liquid, is vaporized, and
then leaves the heater as a superheated vapor. The vaporizers meet
Factory Mutual (FM), Factory Insurance
Association (FIA), and OSHA standards as
required. The vaporizing coils are ASME
Code and National Board stamped.
Standard vaporizers range in size from
250 gallons per hour to 10,000 gallons
per hour.

Table 2. Steam Bath Heater Sizes

Duty, Btu/hr

Vessel Size

250,000

24" OD x 7'-6"

500,000

36" OD x 7'-6"

750,000

36" OD x 10'-0"

1,000,000

48" OD x 10'-0"

1,500,000

48" OD x 12'-6"

50,000

12 3/4" OD x 3'-0"

Steam Bath Heater

2,000,000

48" OD x 15'-0"

100,000

18" OD x 5'-0"

Temperature to 215 F

2,500,000

60" OD x 15'-0"

250,000

24" OD x 7'-6"

60" OD x 20'-0"

500,000

30" OD x 10'-0"

4,000,000

72" OD x 22'-6"

750,000

36" OD x 12'-0"

The steam bath heater is similar to

the water bath heater, but only the firetubes are immersed in a water bath.

3,000,000
6,000,000

72" OD x 24'-0"

1,000,000

42" OD x 15'-0"

8,000,000

96" OD x 24'-0"

1,250,000

48" OD x 15'-0"

1,500,000

48" OD x 17'-6"

1,750,000

60" OD x 15'-0"

2,000,000

60" OD x 17'-6"

2,500,000

60" OD x 20'-0"

3,000,000

60" OD x 22'-6"

3,500,000

72" OD x 22'-6"

4,000,000

72" OD x 25'-0"

4,500,000

72" OD x 30'-0"

5,000,000

84" OD x 22'-6"

6,000,000

84" OD x 30'-0"

7,000,000

96" OD x 30'-0"

8,000,000

96" OD x 30'-0"

Low pressure steam generators

10,000,000

96" OD x 30'-0"

(without process coil)

The process coil is located above

the water level and is enveloped by
saturated steam, which transfers heat to
the process stream. See Figure 1.
Indirect steam bath heaters generate
temperatures to 215 F.
These systems operate safely with
steam pressures up to 15 psig and
process outlet temperatures up to 215F.
Typical sizes are shown in Table 2.
Steam bath heater applications include
those of the water bath as well as:

Maintaining flow temperatures for

heavy hydrocarbons in storage.

Salt Bath Heater

Temperature to 700 F
Cameron salt bath heater vessels
are filled with eutectic salt that melts
at approximately 288F. See Figure
2. High process outlet temperatures
are attainable because of the high
degradation temperature of the salt.
Proven vessel designs increase unit life
for operating at high bath temperatures.
Coils in the salt bath indirect heater
can be serpentine or multi-tubular for
high rates and low pressure drop. Typical
sizes are shown in Table 3.
The salt bath heater is suited to
applications that require high process
temperatures:
Regeneration gas service
Vaporization of hydrocarbon liquids in
stabilization service

Figure 1. Steam Bath Heater Diagram

PROCESS SYSTEMS
CHFTM Controlled Heat Flux
Heater
Temperature to 1,000 F
The CHF Controlled Heat Flux heater
is an advancement in indirect heating.
It is a forced draft system where the
products of combustion act as the heat
transfer medium. The heat generation
and heat transfer sections are separate.
See Figure 3.
Heat is transferred to an extended
surface area coil bundle by means
of forced convection. The flue gas
circulates from the burner section,
across the coil bundle, to the stack.
Part of the flue gas is recirculated to
the burner section from the stack.
Recirculated flue gases reduce the flame
and flue gas temperatures, eliminating
radiant heat transfer.
Table 3. Salt Bath Heater Sizes
Duty, Btu/hr

Vessel Size

150,000

18" OD x 5'-0"

200,000

24" OD x 5'-0"

300,000

24" OD x 7'-6"

400,000

24" OD x 10'-0"

500,000

30" OD x 7'-6"

750,000

30" OD x 10'-0"

1,000,000

36" OD x 10'-0"

1,500,000

36" OD x 15'-0"

1,750,000

42" OD x 15'-0"

2,000,000

42" OD x 17'-6"

2,250,000

48" OD x 15'-0"

2,500,000

48" OD x 17'-6"

3,250,000

54" OD x 15'-0"

4,000,000

60" OD x 15'-0"

4,500,000

60" OD x 17'-6"

5,250,000

60" OD x 20'-0"

5,750,000

72" OD x 17'-6"

6,500,000

72" OD x 20'-0"

7,500,000

84" OD x 20'-0"

10,800,000

84" OD x 22'-6"

13,500,000

96" OD x 24'-0"

CHF heaters produce temperatures to 1,000 F

Shop-assembled units are available in

sizes to 50,000,000 BTU/hr, producing
process outlet temperatures to 1,000F.
All CHF units are designed to customer
requirements.
CHF Heater Applications Include:
Heating regeneration gas for
adsorption processes
Vaporizing and superheating LNG and
LPG
Heating pipeline oil, crude oil,
oil-water emulsions

Figure 3. CHF Controlled Heat Flux Heater Diagram

Generating steam
Preheating or post-heating gas in
conjunction with pressure reduction
Heating fluids used in heat transfer
systems
Heating sensitive fluids or gases where
close bulk-to-film temperatures are
critical
Providing combination waste-heat
exchange with alternate source
capability

PROCESS SYSTEMS

Options

Advantages

Heater features

Simplified Maintenance

Oil, gas, or both fired burners on some models

The standard designs of NATCO indirect heaters provide

maximum heating efficiency and operating simplicity.
Burner equipment and process coils are easily accessible for
inspection and maintenance.

Forced draft or natural draft burners

Gas manifolds with fuel regulators
Flame arrestors

Economy

Firetube liners for salt bath heaters

The pilot and burner designs are selected for maximum

thermal efficiency and reduced fuel consumption.

Fuel gas scrubbers

Stack spark arrestors
Instrumentation FM of FIA approved control systems

Safety

Dual temperature controls

The heat transfer media provide constant heat for safe

unattended operation. Additional safety features are
available on all models.

Pilot or flame detectors

Adaptability and dependability

CMA pilot guard safety shut-down on pneumatic systems

A wide variety of standard and custom models are

available with heater sizes from 50,000 to 50,000,000
BTU/hr. These designs have been proven in hundreds of
applications

Alarm systems with first-out annunciation

Automatic pilot relight system

Process Coil
Coil pressures to 15,000 psig
Coil design with carbon steel, stain-less steel or

other

special materials

Indirect Heaters Operating Ranges

CHF Heaters to 50 MMBTU/hr and 1000F

Custom coil design for pressure drop, as required

Salt Bath Heaters to 13.5 MMBTU/hr and 700F

Corrosion allowances as required

Steam Bath Heaters to 25 MMBTU/hr and 215F

Water Bath Heaters to 25 MMBTU/hr and 180F

Vessel
Special paints or coatings
Aluminum jacketed insulation
Skid mounted and piped

L O C AT I O N S

O T H E R L O C AT I O N S

United States of America

United Kingdom

Singapore

Abu Dhabi

Japan

11210 Equity Dr., Suite 100

Cameron House

2 Gul Circle (Gate 2)

Australia

Malaysia

Houston, TX 77041 USA

61-73 Staines Road West

Jurong, Singapore 629560

Brazil

Mexico

TEL +713.849.7500

Sunbury-on-Thames

TEL +65.6861.3355

Calgary

Middlesex, UK TW16 7AH

Colombia

Russia

TEL +44.1932.732000

France
w w w. c - a - m . c o m

2010 Cameron | CHF is a trademark of Cameron | Printed in USA | 12/10 TC9814-063

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