Pressure Vessels and Tanks – New Available Method

Background

Axiom Heat Treatment sought to develop new technology in an industry that has seen very little change over the years. Axiom developed a new and innovative technology to reduce power consumption and treating time cycles for field heat treating services.

Axiom began a process of developing and testing a new methodology which included design, engineering and fabricating of temporary specialty convection sections that would be formed and installed over the total required heated area. These convection sections could utilize existing conductive heat from applied electrical resistance heating elements, capturing thermal energy inside the sections with the intent to dissipate the applied heat throughout these convection sections while still achieving the required temperature profiles required to meet the industry standards and specifications.

In theory, the thinking was that by taking this action it could capture the thermal through wall conductive heat and dissipate it throughout the formed sections and would enable convective heat to be captured and applied within the sealed formed sections. This would dissipate the heat into the metal thus reducing the total amount of heat required in the thermal gradient areas.

It was also thought that the convection sections, following heat cycles, could also be utilized to facilitate a cryogenic solution that could help expedite the cooling process through engineered manifolds that could be placed inside the convection area with an applied cooling solution used to force cool the metal after design temperatures have been met and which usually is in an uncontrolled state, usually around 800 – 600 degrees F.

Through some detailed research, engineering, and discussion with vendors and manufacturers, a path forward was formulated that would enable the research and development to begin to prove the heating and cooling concept was viable. The convection section panel manufacturing began, specialty coating suppliers as well as other support services and consulting continued as the path to proof of concept

Project Objective

The objective of the R&D project was to prove the safety and efficacy of the pending new patent equipment and process to reduce power consumption and decrease cooling time of a heat treatment cycle

Key Metrics:

1. Prove that the soak and thermal gradient temperatures could be achieved using reduced KW for required time for Post Weld Heat Treatment and Pre Heat and Bake Out.
2. Prove results with internal panels and external heat set up.
3. Prove 800 degrees F to 120 degrees F in 4 hours or less using a select cryogenic solution.
4. Prove similar results with external panels and internal heat set up.
5. Prove installation fixing methods for brackets and panels

Three trials were performed to prove the concepts: 

Trial 1: External Heat – Internal Mimicked Convection Box

Trial 2: External Heat – Internal Convection Box

Trial 3: Internal Heat – External Convection Box

Results & Analysis

Gerry McWeeney

Gerry is CEO and founder of AxiomHT, his experience in the heat treatment industry is unsurpassed and this experience has led to the application of an engineered solution in the form of patent protection on some ground breaking heating and cooling solutions.
With over 40 years industry experience his ability to quickly assess and guide customers on heat treatment, complex geometries and code stipulations keeps him at the forefront of customers minds when heat treatment services are required.
His track record and ability to break things down into easily to digest morsels of info make him the natural go to for planning, costing and scheduling of heat treatment projects
Having taken time out to focus on training and certification in an industry that has been self-certified his focus on addressing the pending code changes along with the new technology AxiomHT brings to the market is a very welcomed addition back into Heat Treatment field services.