Steam Heat Exchanger - Indirect Heater

Steam Heat Exchanger - Indirect Heater is used to heat the well effluent after it flows out of the well and prior to the separating process.

Heat is required for the following reasons:

• - To reheat the process fluid after it cools due to pressure drop expansion across the choke.
• - To prevent hydration.
• - To reduce the surface tension and viscosity of the oil to aid in the separation of Emulsions, foaming crude, etc.
• - To dissolve paraffin and asphaltenes to prevent deposits from forming on the interior components of the separation equipment.
• - To reduce the viscosity of the oil to improve the following characteristics of high pour point crudes (The reduced viscosity will also improve the atomization of the oil at the burner, resulting in a cleaner burn.

This Type heat exchanger is also called direct heating furnace which allows to heat up the process coil directly. This is a kind of heating furnace that has the maximum heat exchange efficiency among the heating furnaces which are used in well testing. The superheated steam from the steam generator enters the pressure shell of the heating furnace to heat up the coil directly. Higher heat exchange efficiency and lower heat consumption are achieved on this equipment when compared with indirect heating furnaces. The coil is divided into upstream and downstream sections with an adjustable nozzle fitted between them to reduce the flow rate in the downstream coil section by throttling thus enabling more adequate heat exchange

Steam Heat Exchanger - Indirect Heater requires an adequate steam supply for operation. Some rigs have a sufficient steam supply, but usually a steam generator is required.

The typical specification of steam heat exchanger are 4 MMBTU/HR capacity, Process Coil 3" NB, 10,000psi, 10 passes Upstream of Choke, 14 passes Downstream of Choke, Process Inlet Connection 3", 1502 Union, Female (Thread half), Process Outlet Connection 3", 602 Union, Male (Wing half),Steam Inlet 2", 602 Union, Female (Thread half), Steam Return 2", 602 Union, Male (Wing half), Safety Devices Relief Valve, Rupture Disc, skid mounted.

Design Code (Coil) ANSI B 31.3, NACE MR-01-75

Design Code (Vessel) ASME VIII Div, 1