Railcar bitumen preheating and discharge unit

Normally transportation of high viscous products like bitumen or heavy fuel oil involves significant time and money expenditure. Such expenditure is caused by long transportation time from Oil Refinery to point of discharge and generally by a necessity to preheat product in railcar before discharge.

Currently preheating and discharge of viscous products from railcars are maintained with traditional outdated solutions involving steam, electric power and boilers for petroleum products evaporation.

These outdated solutions cause a number of problems: high costs, product residue in a rail car, flooding etc.

 However there are bitumen and high viscous products preheating practices today allowing to reduce energy costs 3-4 times and to avoid flooding a railcar to preheat and discharge without leaving residue in it.

 Magna Engineering offers you automatic Bitumen Preheating and Discharge unit. Process maintenance requires 2 people only. Calculations prove that our bitumen preheating solution is seven times better than traditional ones utilizing steam or electric power. The system allows utilization of a cheaper alternative such as natural gas or fuel oil.

Unit operation is based on preheating cold product with hot product that prevents from flooding. However there is no need for permanent storage of a “launching” hot product.

Functional design

 Submersible heat exchanger is introduced to railcar with cold product through the filler with cantilever revolving crane (thermal oil preheated to 200°С serves the coolant purpose), that creates a certain amount of heated product around. The product is unloaded through Petroleum Products Discharge Unit. Preheated product enters a system of heat exchangers that heats it up to 160°С. Hot product is then unloaded to railcar through Upper Jetting Device attached to submersible heat exchanger. Bitumen Upper Jetting Device comprises foldout jetting pipes that supply hot product to so called “dead zones” of a railcar under pressure. As a result circulating hot product volume increases and railcar heats up completely.

 After complete heating up a railcar a pump is actuated to unload product to tank farm.

 Coolant preheating unit manufactured by Magna Engineering comprises three-course boiler with closed cycle, efficiency output 90%. Depending on site conditions natural gas, diesel or heavy fuel may be utilized as a power generator. Coolant preheating unit comprises Riello burners (Italy), other burners manufacturers may be used if required.

 Allweiler thermo-oil pump (Germany) is used to maintain thermal oil circulation within Coolant preheating unit. Coolant preheating unit utilizes silicone basalt heat insulation that contributes to a rather light weight compared to its substitutes. The unit is insulated and has stainless steel housing.

Bitumen Preheating and Discharge Unit components:

• cantilever revolving crane, 1 ton c/w hoist;
• submersible heat exchanger c/w upper jetting device;
• horizontal stage heater – 2pcs;
• vertical cascade heater;
• top and bottom unloading device;
• bitumen pump, 1 m³/min;
• servicing rack;
• HP flexible hoses;
• valves;
• system piping.

Coolant preheating unit components:

• Coolant preheating unit (boiler), 600 kW (boiler capacity depends on site process characteristics);
• Allweiler thermal oil pump;
• Control box.