Applications for Direct Contact Water Heaters

QuikWater has been designing, manufacturing, and delivering direct-contact industrial hot water heaters since 1984, when the first QuikWater heater was built for curing concrete at cold ambient temperatures. Since then, the QuikWater heater has been refined and applied to many other industrial, commercial, and institutional applications.

Direct-contact water heaters can be used in a variety of industrial water heater applications.

Most applications for direct-contact water heaters fall into one of three general classifications.

 

 

 

 

 

Commercial LaundrySingle-Pass Applications

Single-pass applications for direct-contact water heaters are defined as systems in which the water is heated to the desired temperature in one pass through the heater. The water is then consumed and not returned to the heater. This is the most efficient use of direct contact water heating technology.

Single-Pass Applications Include

  • Industrial Plant Cleaning
  • Bird Scalding
  • Railcar Washing
  • Truck Washing
  • Concrete Batches
  • Dyeing
  • Parts Cleaning
  • Ore Mining
  • Commercial Laundry
  • Industrial Laundry
  • Barrel Washing (Wine Industry)

 

Bottle Warmers

Open-Loop Applications

Open-loop applications for direct-contact water heaters are defined as systems in which the water is heated and circulated through the client system. Some of the water is consumed while the rest is returned to the QuikWater heater.

Open-Loop Applications Include

  • Bottle Warming
  • Railcar Washing
  • Hospital Systems
  • School Systems
  • Prison Systems
  • Fruit Cleaning
  • Showers
  • Sinks

 

Hydronic Heating

Closed-Loop Applications

Closed-loop applications for direct-contact water heaters are defined as systems in which the water is heated and circulated through the client’s system. None of the water is consumed. All of the water is returned to the QuikWater heater. The water is circulated continuously.

In closed-loop applications, the maximum flow rate requirements of the circulation loop are important. Since the maximum and minimum flow rates will differ, sometimes significantly, the physical size of the heater, the atmospheric storage tank capacity, and/or the number and size of the transfer pumps may need to be increased to accommodate the maximum flow requirements.

Due to special maintenance and performance concerns of closed-loop systems, operators must carefully consider the design of both the heater and the system.

Closed-Loop Applications Include

  • Hydronic Heating
  • Caustic Fluids
  • Tank Heating
  • Chemical Heating
  • Railcar Warming

 

Quikwater offers three direct-contact water heater models: the Flagship, the MultiTower, and the MegaHeater. If you’re unsure of which system works best for your application, or if you’d like to find out how a QuikWater direct-contact water heater can replace your traditional boiler or provide clean, hot water on demand at your operation, contact a member of the OGI Sales Team.