ATEC on the basis of its experience on ships and marine terminals has developed its own technology to heat LPG with sea water and increase its temperature below zero without phase transition and energy losses.
The system, registered under the trade mark G.O.L.H.® , can provide an optimum gas heating in function of the available sea water characteristics and guarantees the control of LPG leakage in recirculated water, if any.
G.O.L.H. ® is therefore a safe equipment to be installed on jetties or quays at the ship side, thus avoiding expensive cryogenic lines to transfer LPG to the storage facilities.
Description of the system G.O.L.H.®
The system is made by a number of sea water pumps capable of providing to one or more heat exchangers the necessary flow to heat the unloaded LP. from -48°C to above 0°C.
The heat exchangers, made of alloys or titanium depending on the salinity and temperature of the available sea water, provide the heat transfer to liquid LPG avoiding phase transition up to the desired temperature.
In order to optimize the energy consumption a cold by pass is provided across the unit; this is also done to reduce the risk of freezing of the heat exchangers during the operations.
An automatic system (PLC based) reduces the propane flow rate if sea water temperature drops to avoid freezing of the tubes and to guarantee safe operations.
The water flow rate is also controlled via PLC and flow regulating valves to provide a sufficient thermal energy for the unloaded LPG.