It is a key equipment for asphalt storage and heating, and is widely used in many fields such as road construction and waterproofing projects. Its working principle mainly includes two methods: thermal oil heating and heat pipe direct heating.
The thermal oil heating method uses organic heat carrier thermal oil as the heat transfer medium. First, the thermal oil is heated to a specific high temperature through a special heating furnace, such as a coal-fired, gas-fired or oil-fired furnace. Then, with the power generated by the hot oil pump, the thermal oil is continuously circulated in the closed pipeline system. Inside the asphalt heating tank, there are coils through which the thermal oil circulates. When the high-temperature thermal oil flows in the coil, the heat is transferred to the asphalt in the tank through the coil wall, thereby gradually raising the temperature of the asphalt to the state required for construction or production. The entire system is supplied with heat by the thermal oil furnace, the hot oil pump ensures the stable circulation of the thermal oil, the thermal oil pipeline completes the transmission task of the thermal oil, and the coil assumes the key responsibility of transferring heat to the asphalt.
The heat pipe direct heating method combines fire pipe direct heating with heat pipe technology. The high-temperature gas generated by the burner directly acts on the metal pipe wall through the fire pipe. After absorbing the heat, the metal pipe wall begins to heat up, and then transfers heat to the surrounding asphalt to achieve preliminary heating of the asphalt. At the same time, the heat pipe located at the rear end of the fire pipe plays an important role. The heat pipe consists of a sealed shell, a liquid wick and a working fluid encapsulated in the shell. When the heat of the fire pipe is transferred to the hot end of the heat pipe, the working fluid in the heat pipe boils and evaporates rapidly. Driven by the pressure difference, the steam flows quickly to the cold end of the heat pipe, and condenses into liquid after releasing latent heat at the cold end. Then, under the action of the capillary suction force of the liquid wick, the condensed liquid returns from the cold end to the hot end, and the cycle is repeated, continuously transferring heat from the hot end to the cold end, further enhancing the heating effect on the asphalt, so that the asphalt can reach the expected temperature faster.
Whether it is thermal oil heating or heat pipe direct heating, the working principle of the asphalt heating tank is to safely transfer heat to the asphalt to meet the strict requirements of asphalt temperature in different engineering and production scenarios, thereby ensuring the smooth development and final quality of related operations.
