Barrel-mounted immersion heaters
Definition and general information
Electric barrel immersion heaters are designed to raise or maintain the temperature of liquids or viscous products contained in vats, tanks or industrial baths.
The resistors are not in direct contact with the fluid. They must be inserted in a watertight immersion sleeve fixed to the container. This mounting method protects the resistor from corrosive fluids and facilitates replacement in the event of maintenance, without having to drain the container.
This equipment is widely used in a variety of industrial sectors, including automotive, food processing and industrial processes, for applications such as fluidizing a fluid before transferring it, or heating frying oil baths or washing water.
The resistor heats the air in the thermowell, which then transfers the heat to the fluid by natural thermal conduction through the walls of the thermowell.
Barrel-mounted immersion heaters consist of bare, wound resistance wires mounted in ceramic barrels. These cylinders hold the resistance wires in place and insulate them electrically.
Accessories include thermowells (weld-on, screw-in or flange-mounted), as well as connection protection boxes for electrical connections.
- Unit power from 100 W to 10,000 W.
- Single-phase (230 V) or three-phase (400 V) voltage
- Resistor diameters: 47 and 58 mm
- Resistor lengths: from 50 mm to several meters
- 316L stainless steel immersion sleeve
Applications
Barrel-mounted immersion heaters are used in a wide range of applications. Here are just a few examples:
Food industry
Heating of vegetable oil frying baths in the food industry.
Automotive
Lubricating oil fluidization before filling gearboxes.
Industrial processes
Water-based heating for cleaning and degreasing mechanical parts.
Maintaining the temperature of bitumen-containing containers before unloading or use
Technical data
Immersion heaters with barrel resistors consist of :
- Resistive heating wire in Nickel/Chromium alloy
- Ceramic barrels hold resistive wires in place and insulate them electrically. 2 diameters available: Ø 47 mm and Ø 58 mm)
- Electrical connection is made via threaded terminals or metal braids.
- 316L stainless steel immersion sleeve (available as accessory).
2 diameters available: Ø 51 mm (for Ø 47 mm resistors) and Ø 63.5 mm (for Ø 58 mm resistors).
The finger can be supplied smooth for welding directly to the tank wall, fitted with a threaded plug or a standardized round flange.
A protective cover for the connections (available as an accessory), in polyamide or aluminum, for the electrical connection.
Further information
- Barrel-mounted immersion heaters are not suitable for ATEX environments.
- In addition to the wide range of finished products shown in our online catalog, Vulcanic is able to design custom-made equipment to meet your specific requirements (power, voltage, length, etc.).
Recommendations
Precautions for use
The diameter of the thermowell should be as close as possible to that of the barrels, taking into account their tolerance; aim for a diameter no more than 2 mm greater than the nominal diameter of the resistor.
The heating length must not be located outside the zone where heat exchange is to take place (e.g. for liquid heating with a vertical immersion heater, the heating length must always be below the minimum level).
Installation and connection
Vulcanic glove fingers and housings are preferred for mounting resistors.
Please refer to the instruction manual for all recommendations relating to the equipment.
