In-Line Electric Booster for Heat Transfer Fluid
DEC.IEB™
The Inline Electric Booster (DEC.IEB™) heater for industrial heat transfer fluid (HTF) or thermal oil is a flow through electric resistance unit. It targets specific retrofit cases where the temperature of an existing HTF circuit cannot reach the required operating levels. DEC.IEB™ provides rapid temperature increases in a circulating closed loop, fine tuning process heat and preventing viscosity spikes without firing up main fossil fuel boilers; known as Thermal Fluid Systems (TFS).
DEC.IEB™ • Core Functionality and Application
The DEC.IEB™ operates as an auxiliary heating system integrated directly into active heat transfer fluid loops. In many industrial plants, existing central thermal fluid systems cannot deliver localized high temperatures due to piping limitations, system degradation, or updated process requirements. Rather than replacing or overfiring the primary heater, the DEC.IEB™ acts as a targeted booster to deliver exact process temperatures at the point of use.
DEC.IEB™ can also be sized for a different retrofit case: full decarbonization. Where a plant is removing its fossil fuel thermal fluid boiler to meet decarbonization targets, the same in-line electric booster architecture is applied not as a supplementary boost but as the sole heat source — converting the existing thermal fluid circuit from boiler-fed to fully electric.
DEC.IEB™ • Strategic Operational Advantages
DEC.IEB™ • Thermal Power Calculations
This reference page provides thermal power sizing calculations for a stand-alone in-line electric booster, installed directly on an existing TFS hot oil supply line as an alternative to the DEC.HHX™ Hybrid Heat Exchanger. Unlike DEC.HHX™'s two-stage hybrid architecture exchanger, where a utility preheating stage is followed by a smaller incremental electric boost, the DEC.IEB™ in-line booster elevates thermal fluid from the full site utility supply temperature directly to the required process setpoint in a single electric heating step. The calculations below size that step.
The required thermal absorption for a stand-alone in-line electric booster is calculated using the standard heat transfer equation:
Q̇ = ṁ × Cp × ΔT
- Q̇ (thermal power / heat duty) — expressed in kW or MW.
- ṁ (thermal fluid mass flow rate) — expressed in kg/s.
- Cp (specific heat capacity of the thermal fluid) — expressed in kJ/(kg·K).
- ΔT (temperature differential across the heat exchanger) — expressed in °C or K.
Worked Example: Physical Properties of Thermal Fluid
As a generic reference, the table below reports density (ρ) values for Mobiltherm 605 (Mobiltherm 600 Series mineral heat transfer oil) as a function of temperature:
| Temperature (°C) | ρ (kg/l) |
|---|---|
| 15 | 0.867 |
| 50 | 0.846 |
| 75 | 0.834 |
| 100 | 0.816 |
| 150 | 0.786 |
| 200 | 0.756 |
At a representative thermal fluid inlet temperature of 210 °C, we consider a density of approximately 750 kg/m³. The corresponding mass flow rate is:
35 m³/h × 750 kg/m³ ÷ 3,600 s/h ≈ 7.29 kg/s (equivalent to approximately 26,250 kg/h)
Specific Heat Capacity Reference — Mobiltherm 605
As a generic reference, the table below reports specific heat capacity (Cp) values for Mobiltherm 605 (Mobiltherm 600 Series mineral heat transfer oil) as a function of temperature:
| Temperature (°C) | Cp (kJ/kg·°C) |
|---|---|
| 15 | 1.863 |
| 50 | 1.991 |
| 75 | 2.082 |
| 100 | 2.173 |
| 150 | 2.355 |
| 200 | 2.537 |
Applying this mass flow rate to a temperature rise from 210 °C to 250 °C (ΔT = 40 °C), the tabulated Mobiltherm 605 values increase linearly at a consistent rate of approximately 0.00364 kJ/(kg·°C) per °C. Extrapolating this trend to the midpoint temperature of 230 °C gives a representative specific heat capacity of approximately 2.65 kJ/(kg·°C) — confirm against the current Mobiltherm 605 datasheet for a specific project — so the corresponding thermal power is:
7.29 kg/s × 2.65 kJ/(kg·°C) × 40 °C ≈ 773 kW
This thermal power figure is the heat duty absorbed by the process fluid. To size the electric booster's power input, this duty must be divided by the heat exchanger's electrical-to-thermal conversion efficiency, typically approximately 98% for a well-insulated electric process heat exchanger:
773 kW ÷ 0.98 ≈ 789 kW
Explore DEC's Wider Thermal & Energy Recovery Portfolio
DEC.IEB™ is one part of a broader thermal fluid and energy management portfolio — explore the related technologies below.
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FAQs • Frequently Asked Questions
In-Line Electric Booster • DEC.IEB™
What is the DEC.IEB™ in-line electric booster used for?
DEC.IEB™ is a flow-through electric resistance heater installed directly on an existing heat transfer fluid (HTF) circuit. It targets retrofit cases where an existing thermal fluid system cannot reach the temperature a specific process point requires, delivering a rapid, localized temperature boost without firing the main thermal fluid boiler.
How does DEC.IEB™ differ from DEC.HHX™?
DEC.HHX™ is a two-stage hybrid heat exchanger where a utility preheating stage is followed by a smaller incremental electric boost. DEC.IEB™ is a stand-alone in-line booster that elevates thermal fluid from the full site utility supply temperature directly to the required process setpoint in a single electric heating step.
Can DEC.IEB™ be retrofitted into an existing thermal fluid system?
Yes. The compact in-line design is built for retrofits, installing into existing pipe networks with minimal process disruption. It runs alongside the existing thermal fluid boiler, supplying supplementary electric heating power only when needed.
How is the electrical power input for a DEC.IEB™ booster sized?
Sizing starts from the standard heat transfer equation, Q̇ = ṁ × Cp × ΔT, using the thermal fluid's mass flow rate, its specific heat capacity at the operating temperature, and the required temperature rise. The resulting thermal duty is then divided by the electric heater's conversion efficiency, typically around 98%, to size the electrical power input.
Can DEC.IEB™ fully replace a fossil fuel thermal fluid boiler for decarbonization?
Yes. Beyond supplementary boosting, DEC.IEB™ can be sized as the sole heat source on a thermal fluid circuit, allowing a plant to remove its fossil fuel boiler entirely and convert the circuit to fully electric heating in line with decarbonization targets.
Is pricing available for a DEC.IEB™ system?
DEC.IEB™ boosters are custom-engineered, quote-based systems with no fixed list price — each unit is sized and priced per project once DEC's engineering team evaluates the existing thermal fluid circuit and the target process temperature. Request a project-specific quote via the DEC contact page.
