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Railcar thaw sheds were originally designed to thaw raw materials from
coal to paper pulp. When the railcar travels through different climate
conditions; the problem exists that a fair percentage of raw materials
are frozen to the inside of the railcar. This can become extremely costly
for the company receiving the material. Raw material can be lost in an
improperly thawed railcar that is still housing a percentage of their
purchase. It also poses problems in manufacturing. Raw material that is
still frozen and unclaimed can cause time and manufacturing delays.
Many railcar thaw sheds still utilize the inefficient
gas fired, open flame heaters that heat from beneath the railcar. This
causes several concerns. First, an open flame heater can cause damage
to the hydraulics & grease fittings of the railcar that can result
in additional damage charges from the railcar owner. Second, these heaters
have a perforated emitter that gets clogged & causes a decrease in
Btu output and performance. Finally, the heaters are a maintenance nightmare
& working on them is incredibly dirty.
A customer in Gary, IN was interested in saving fuel
and maintenance time on their outdated railcar thaw shed. PRP assisted
in designing and providing a alternative method of thawing the railcars
by utilizing a modified gas fired tube type of heating equipment for his
railcar thaw application. The unit is capable of thawing materials in
a timely fashion, provides a quick payback in fuel cost savings, and is
much easier to maintain.
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