US 12,409,426 B2
Direct electrical heating of process heater tubes using galvanic isolation techniques
Lanyon Carr, Gold River, CA (US); Jon A. Bickel, Murfreesboro, TN (US); Grégoire Quere, Lyons (FR); and Benoît Stefanski, Eybens (FR)
Filed by Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc., Foxborough, MA (US); Schneider Electric Industries SAS, Ruell Malmaison (FR); Eurotherm Automation SAS, Dardilly (FR); and Schneider Electric USA, Inc., Boston, MA (US)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/477,843.
Application 18/477,843 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/142,933, filed on May 3, 2023.
Application 18/142,933 is a continuation of application No. 17/532,571, filed on Nov. 22, 2021, granted, now 11,697,099, issued on Jul. 11, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2209906 (FR), filed on Sep. 29, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0024834 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. B01J 8/06 (2006.01); B01J 19/00 (2006.01); B01J 19/24 (2006.01); B01J 21/04 (2006.01); B01J 23/755 (2006.01)
CPC B01J 8/067 (2013.01) [B01J 19/0013 (2013.01); B01J 19/2415 (2013.01); B01J 21/04 (2013.01); B01J 23/755 (2013.01); B01J 2208/00389 (2013.01); B01J 2208/00407 (2013.01); B01J 2208/00415 (2013.01); B01J 2219/00132 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of heating a reactor system, wherein the reactor system comprises:
a plurality of heater tubes, wherein each of the plurality of heater tubes has at least one electrically conductive surface; and
wherein fluid enters each heater tube of the plurality of heater tubes via an associated inflow pipe header and exits each heater tube of the plurality of heater tubes via an associated outflow pipe header; and
wherein the method comprises:
galvanically isolating the plurality of heater tubes such that each of the plurality of heater tubes can be directly connected to the inflow pipe header and the outflow pipe header;
providing electrical energy to the at least one electrically conductive surface of each heater tube of the plurality of heater tubes; and
individually adjusting a current level of the electrical energy provided to the at least one electrically conductive surface of each heater tube of the plurality of heater tubes to individually control the temperature of each heater tube.