Trinity Endeavors, LLC, a North Dakota-based R&D company, has been developing and distributing seals and gaskets, fasteners, and safety products for all industries. With the proper parts and technologies, equipment failure can be mitigated as much as possible.

Fire tubes are used in heater-treaters in the oil and gas industry. The heater-treater is a vessel used to break oil-water emulsions, allowing the oil to be accepted by a pipeline for transport. The fire tube heats fluids which are then passed through the heater-treater. The fire tubes have short service lives due to the constant exposure to high temperatures and stresses. The life spans range from 2-3 months to a few years.

Trinity Endeavors have designed and patented a fire tube with an improved life span. Their design has achieved a reliable 5 year life expectancy without needing to remove the fire tube at all. The design results in a fire tube with three hollow tube sections. Two of these sections are parallel to each other and one is perpendicular. The bottom-most tube section contains a burner and has an inner ceramic liner with multiple ceramic tubular sections. Cooling fins run through the top part of this bottom section and additional cooling fins surround the bottom part of the section.

The ceramic liner is designed to absorb the heat from the burner, transferring it out to the lower portion of the tube where the cooling fins are set. This creates a more uniform distribution of heat and a greater efficiency in heating the treater vessel. Additional structural improvements include:

  • A bar at the bottom of the lower tube to facilitate installation of the fire tube;
  • A spray washer rail situated on top of the lower cooling fins. This directs high pressure water to the fins for pressure washing;
  • A threaded opening for insertion of a baroscope which can be used to observe and inspect the fire tube without removing it.

These structural improvements allow for better maintenance – a huge contributor to the improved life span.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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