Weatherise Air Compressors | A Heating Solution For Offshore Well Testing

Published 20 Jan 2021

Hazardous Areas | Weatherise Air Compressors

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Offshore Well Testing

This Case Application for “The Bulldog” electric heater, which is manufactured by EXHEAT and is stocked and distributed exclusively in the UK by Thorne & Derrick, focuses on a recent application where the client required a winterisation solution to weatherise air compressors situated in a Hazardous Area. The client provides products and services to the well testing sector, and relies on air compressors to keep critical systems operational in explosive atmospheres where an accumulation of flammable gas or vapour which, when mixed with air, has the potential to catch fire or explode.

Industry Sector | Offshore Well Testing

Hazardous Areas & Explosive Atmospheres

Electrical Heater Application & Benefits | The portable electric fan heaters with ATEX Certification were selected after careful competitor evaluation to provide a winterisation / weatherising solution for two air compressors used in vital offshore well testing.

The portable heaters were purchased and supplied to the UK’s leading provider of air compressors, steam generators, rig cooling equipment and qualified personnel to weatherise air compressors for the well testing market sector worldwide.

These air compressors were specifically dedicated to well testing applications; in both onshore and offshore hazardous areas and explosive atmospheres. The majority of today’s well test burners rely on compressed air as the propellant to provide the energy to atomise the well fluid in preparation for combustion.

Weatherise Air Compressors

Given the risk posed while working in a hazardous area, it was paramount that the essential Zone 2 air compressors were maintained correctly in order to continue to provide safety to operating personnel along with reliability and to enable productivity.

A common threat posed to the safe operation of systems in hazardous areas is winterisation. Air compressors, which are used in vital applications including well testing, can be greatly affected by the impacts of winter and freezing temperatures.

The following guide on air compressor best practices, focuses on important steps to avoid the significant impacts of winterisation on air compressors.

Temperature: No industrial air compressor should be operating in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is recommended to keep your compressor room around or above 45 degrees during the winter.
Room Heating: You simply need enough heat energy inside of the room to keep the room above freezing when the compressor is not in operation.
Minimise Energy Losses: While optimizing the productivity, energy efficiency, and durability of your compressed air system throughout the winter, ensure system operators weatherise it.

An air compressor needs to be prepared for winterisation to maintain its reliability and performance. Some units are prohibited from starting if the temperature of the atmosphere is below freezing. Keeping an air compressor warm prevents cold starts, which can cause wear and tear on the motor, and in some cases, lead to catastrophic failure. The Bulldog electrical heater, supplied by Thorne & Derrick, was carefully selected to mitigate the discussed issues and to enable the continuation of a safe and productive hazardous area environment.

EXHEAT MFH

The client required a heater certified by ATEX for safe use in hazardous areas to heat up the room from -40°C to a target temperature of 0°C. Following a heat loss calculation provided by Thorne & Derrick, we concluded that two electric heaters totalling 12kW output would heat up the required area in just under 40 minutes.

We provided the solution to the client of the EXHEAT MFH, 6-230 model, which is ATEX & IECEx certified, and offers Ingress protection of IP65. The MFH heater (“Bulldog”) is constructed with polyamide PA66 with glass and steel fibre reinforcement.

T Class Rating T3
Classified Hazardous Area Zone 1/2 (IIB) or Zone 21/22 (IIIC)
Nominal Heat Output 6kW

Manufacturer EXHEAT | Heater Range MFH The Bulldog | Heater Model MFH-6-230

View complete range of Electrical Heating Equipment & Products for hazardous areas and explosive atmospheres.

The MFH Portable Fan Heater | Features & Benefits

ATEX Heaters Hazardous Area Heating EXHEAT Bulldog

The MFH Portable Fan Heater manufactured by EXHEAT and Distributed Exclusively in the UK by Thorne & Derrick is the world’s first truly portable fan assisted heater with dual hazardous area ATEX & IECEX Certification. The portable heater has been extensively adopted by the process and hazardous area industries to safely provide temporary and portable air warming to workplaces in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Also Ask About The EXHEAT LFH

LFH

EXPERTS IN EQUIPMENT FOR EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES

LEADERS IN ATEX INNOVATION TO THE HAZARDOUS AREA INDUSTRIES

Thorne & Derrick are leaders in the development and distribution of Product Innovations that deliver significant improvements to clients plant, people and operational safety in the explosive atmosphere industries.

Your proactive problem solvers experienced in succession planning for the replacement of obsolete, non-conformant and legacy equipment in hazardous areas.

Your first-choice provider of innovative and competitive solutions to ensure ATEX & IECEx Compliance for Hazardous Area Electrical, HVAC & Process Instrumentation Equipment to UK and international projects.