Oil refinery preheating from oil-cooling heat
How a 50 tonne-per-day edible oil refinery can preheat crude oil and process water with a heat pump fed from its oil coolers and hot well, cutting furnace-oil boiler steam.
▶Video: Waste-heat recovery heat pumps
V10 · 2–2.5 minLifting warm water from condensers, effluent and process cooling to useful heat
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Steam for low-temperature duties. Degumming, neutralising and washing need oil and water at 70–90 °C, yet they are heated with boiler steam.
- Cooling water heat is thrown away. Refined oil and the vacuum hot well reject heat to a cooling tower at 40–50 °C.
- Storage tanks need warmth. Palm and rice bran oils must be kept warm in tanks and lines to stay pumpable.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning furnace oil in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference refinery processes about 50 tonnes of soybean and rice bran oil a day through degumming, neutralising, bleaching and deodorising. It runs round the clock. Deodorised oil is cooled through an economiser and then a water cooler before storage and packing.
| Heat user | Process temp. | Basis | Heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude oil trim heating | 65 → 90 °C | 50,000 kg/day after economiser, cp 2.0 kJ/kg·K | 694 |
| Degumming and wash water | 30 → 90 °C | 5% of oil = 2,500 L/day | 174 |
| Tank and line heating | 50–60 °C | 4 tanks × 3 kW × 20 h | 240 |
| Storage and pipework standing losses | – | about 5% | 55 |
| Total useful heat | 1,163 | ||
Averaged over 20 running hours, the heat pumps need about 58 kW.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 3 × SE-WWUHT-27 (81 kW total) (SE-WWUHT water-source, R245fa) delivering 95 °C, covering the day's 1,163 kWh in about 14.4 running hours.
- A 2,500 L insulated storage tank decouples the heat pumps from the process peaks.
- Heat source: refined-oil cooler and hot-well water at about 45 °C. Cooling the hot-well water improves barometric condenser vacuum and lowers cooling tower load.
- The furnace-oil fired steam boiler stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- Cooling water from the refined-oil cooler and the vacuum hot well, at about 45 °C, is the heat pump source.
- Crude oil leaving the existing economiser is trimmed to 90 °C in a plate exchanger on heat pump hot water.
- Degumming and wash water and the tank heating coils run from the same loop.
- Bleaching and deodorising stay on the existing high-temperature system.
Selected equipment
| Model | SE-WWUHT-27 × 3 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 27 kW each, 81 kW total |
| COP | 2.8 estimated for a 45 °C source (the data sheet is rated on a 60/55 °C source) |
| Rating | water or steam to 120 °C, R245fa |
| Supply temperature | 95 °C |
| Storage | 2,500 L insulated tank |
Capacity is sized from the heat demand above. COP is an estimate until Sunniva engineering confirms the design.
Control philosophy
TT-101 at the tank top starts the heat pump below 90 °C and stops it at 95 °C. TIC-201 holds crude oil at 90 °C at the degummer inlet. TIC-202 holds process water at 90 °C. TIC-203 keeps storage tanks at 55 °C. If the tank falls below 85 °C, the existing steam heater on crude oil is enabled as standby.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per tonne of oil | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
Oil cooling heat reused
Heat leaving with refined oil now preheats the crude.
Less boiler steam
Steam is used only for high-temperature steps.
Steadier reactions
Stable oil temperature at degumming and neutralising improves separation.
Lower energy cost
Each kWh of electricity delivers about 2.8 kWh of heat at the required temperature, against well under one kWh of useful heat per kWh of fuel burnt.
No flame on site
No burner, flue or fuel tank for this duty, and no fuel deliveries to schedule.
Built-in redundancy
Several machines share the load. If one is serviced, the others and the storage carry most of the day, with the existing heater in reserve.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- Refinery capacity, oil types and process route
- Crude oil temperature after the economiser
- Refined oil cooler and hot-well flows and temperatures
- Process water volumes
- Storage tank sizes and holding temperature
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
Design notes
- Oil-side exchanger. Use gasketed plates with oil-compatible gaskets such as Viton or NBR, and fit a strainer on the crude side.
- Hot well water. Barometric hot-well water can contain fatty matter. Filter it and use a cleanable exchanger.
- Food safety. Keep the heat pump water at lower pressure than the oil side, or monitor for leaks, so water never enters oil.
- Source stream. The source must give up roughly two-thirds of the heat delivered. Confirm its flow and temperature over a full production day, and filter it before the evaporator.
- Water quality. Scale forms quickly above 60 °C. Use softened make-up and keep the heat pump loop closed, with process fluids on the far side of an exchanger or coil.
- Performance figure. The COP on this page is an engineering estimate, not a data sheet value. Sunniva engineering will confirm it for the actual source and supply temperatures.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.
Talk to us
Oil refinery preheating from oil-cooling heat
How a 50 tonne-per-day edible oil refinery can preheat crude oil and process water with a heat pump fed from its oil coolers and hot well, cutting furnace-oil boiler steam.
▶Video: Waste-heat recovery heat pumps
V10 · 2–2.5 minLifting warm water from condensers, effluent and process cooling to useful heat
Video coming soon01Problem statement
- Steam for low-temperature duties. Degumming, neutralising and washing need oil and water at 70–90 °C, yet they are heated with boiler steam.
- Cooling water heat is thrown away. Refined oil and the vacuum hot well reject heat to a cooling tower at 40–50 °C.
- Storage tanks need warmth. Palm and rice bran oils must be kept warm in tanks and lines to stay pumpable.
- Losses between fuel and process. Burning furnace oil in a boiler or heater and distributing the heat loses a quarter or more of the fuel's energy before it reaches the process.
- Compliance, safety and handling. Fired equipment brings boiler inspections, fuel storage and unloading, flue emissions and an attendant on every shift.
02Use case
The reference refinery processes about 50 tonnes of soybean and rice bran oil a day through degumming, neutralising, bleaching and deodorising. It runs round the clock. Deodorised oil is cooled through an economiser and then a water cooler before storage and packing.
| Heat user | Process temp. | Basis | Heat, kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude oil trim heating | 65 → 90 °C | 50,000 kg/day after economiser, cp 2.0 kJ/kg·K | 694 |
| Degumming and wash water | 30 → 90 °C | 5% of oil = 2,500 L/day | 174 |
| Tank and line heating | 50–60 °C | 4 tanks × 3 kW × 20 h | 240 |
| Storage and pipework standing losses | – | about 5% | 55 |
| Total useful heat | 1,163 | ||
Averaged over 20 running hours, the heat pumps need about 58 kW.
03P&ID
Tags: HP heat pump, TK tank, SG steam generator, P pump, PHE plate heat exchanger, TCV temperature control valve, TIC temperature indicating controller (panel), TT temperature transmitter, MT moisture transmitter, PT pressure transmitter, LT level transmitter, FS flow switch, NC normally closed. Process fluids are heated through their own exchanger, coil or jacket.
04Solution
System description
- 3 × SE-WWUHT-27 (81 kW total) (SE-WWUHT water-source, R245fa) delivering 95 °C, covering the day's 1,163 kWh in about 14.4 running hours.
- A 2,500 L insulated storage tank decouples the heat pumps from the process peaks.
- Heat source: refined-oil cooler and hot-well water at about 45 °C. Cooling the hot-well water improves barometric condenser vacuum and lowers cooling tower load.
- The furnace-oil fired steam boiler stays connected behind a normally closed valve as standby.
- Cooling water from the refined-oil cooler and the vacuum hot well, at about 45 °C, is the heat pump source.
- Crude oil leaving the existing economiser is trimmed to 90 °C in a plate exchanger on heat pump hot water.
- Degumming and wash water and the tank heating coils run from the same loop.
- Bleaching and deodorising stay on the existing high-temperature system.
Selected equipment
| Model | SE-WWUHT-27 × 3 |
|---|---|
| Heating capacity | 27 kW each, 81 kW total |
| COP | 2.8 estimated for a 45 °C source (the data sheet is rated on a 60/55 °C source) |
| Rating | water or steam to 120 °C, R245fa |
| Supply temperature | 95 °C |
| Storage | 2,500 L insulated tank |
Capacity is sized from the heat demand above. COP is an estimate until Sunniva engineering confirms the design.
Control philosophy
TT-101 at the tank top starts the heat pump below 90 °C and stops it at 95 °C. TIC-201 holds crude oil at 90 °C at the degummer inlet. TIC-202 holds process water at 90 °C. TIC-203 keeps storage tanks at 55 °C. If the tank falls below 85 °C, the existing steam heater on crude oil is enabled as standby.
05Energy saving and ROI
Change any input to match a customer's site. Defaults are typical Indian prices for October 2026. The installed cost is a placeholder; replace it with the actual quotation.
| Existing | Heat pump | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily consumption | – | – |
| Annual energy cost | – | – |
| Cost per tonne of oil | – | – |
| CO₂ per year | – | – |
06Benefits
Oil cooling heat reused
Heat leaving with refined oil now preheats the crude.
Less boiler steam
Steam is used only for high-temperature steps.
Steadier reactions
Stable oil temperature at degumming and neutralising improves separation.
Lower energy cost
Each kWh of electricity delivers about 2.8 kWh of heat at the required temperature, against well under one kWh of useful heat per kWh of fuel burnt.
No flame on site
No burner, flue or fuel tank for this duty, and no fuel deliveries to schedule.
Built-in redundancy
Several machines share the load. If one is serviced, the others and the storage carry most of the day, with the existing heater in reserve.
07Engineering pointers
Site data to collect
- Refinery capacity, oil types and process route
- Crude oil temperature after the economiser
- Refined oil cooler and hot-well flows and temperatures
- Process water volumes
- Storage tank sizes and holding temperature
- Present fuel or electricity use and monthly bill
- Sanctioned electrical load and spare capacity
- Space for the heat pumps and storage, with service access
Design notes
- Oil-side exchanger. Use gasketed plates with oil-compatible gaskets such as Viton or NBR, and fit a strainer on the crude side.
- Hot well water. Barometric hot-well water can contain fatty matter. Filter it and use a cleanable exchanger.
- Food safety. Keep the heat pump water at lower pressure than the oil side, or monitor for leaks, so water never enters oil.
- Source stream. The source must give up roughly two-thirds of the heat delivered. Confirm its flow and temperature over a full production day, and filter it before the evaporator.
- Water quality. Scale forms quickly above 60 °C. Use softened make-up and keep the heat pump loop closed, with process fluids on the far side of an exchanger or coil.
- Performance figure. The COP on this page is an engineering estimate, not a data sheet value. Sunniva engineering will confirm it for the actual source and supply temperatures.
Service and warranty
Sunniva has supplied 5,000+ heat pumps since 2012, with nine service technicians across India, including remote sites such as Leh. All components carry a one-year warranty.