Welcome to T.E.C

We are Thorpe Engineering Consultants, and we are experts in all aspects of submerged combustion heating.

We have the ability to undertake a wide range of submerged combustion heating installations and upgrades across Europe, the USA and South Asia..

General Benefits

• High fuel economy
• Low operating costs
• Easy to operate
• Low maintenance costs
• Low operator input requirements
• Easily retrofitted
• Significant Whole Life Cost savings over traditional heating methods
• Eliminates the need for costly annual boiler inspections and repairs

Uses of Submerged Combustion

The use of a submerged combustion burner as a digester heater is an economical alternative to the use of boilers and heat exchangers. When compared to the traditional boiler/exchanger system the benefits can be seen immediately.

Submerged combustion technology for the pasteurization of sewage sludge was tried and proven to work very effectively during the 1980's and early 1990's. Thorpe Engineering Consultants can provide a reliable low maintenance unit with exceptional fuel economy and low whole life costs.

The use of submerged combustion for the heating of acids and water baths in the steel and associated industries has been common practice for many years. The turbulence created coupled with the high rate of heat transfer make the system an ideal choice for this industry.

Thorpe Engineering Consultants can offer new systems installations for digestion heating, sludge pasteurization, acid and water bath heating, and much more.

Together with an inspection, maintenance and repair service for existing installations we offer a complete submerged heating combustion heating service.

Benefits in Digester Systems

• The unit heats & conditions the sewage sludge to aid digestion
• The increased sludge conditioning promotes a more rapid rate of digestion giving reduced digester residence time thus effectively increasing digester capacity
• Operates primarily on Biogas with Natural gas or LPG as a supplementary fuel in case of low biogas level
• MAD can be achieved in a reduced time frame
• The use of High Efficiency Motors and Variable Speed Drives to control sludge temperature reduces gas and power consumption
• Bespoke system design improves economy

Benefits in Pasteurization Systems

• The unit heats, pasteurises & conditions sewage sludge
• Can be installed pre-digester or post-digester
• If installed pre-digester the increased sludge conditioning promotes a more rapid rate of digestion giving reduced digester residence time thus effectively increasing digester capacity
• Operates primarily on Biogas with Natural gas or LPG as a supplementary fuel in case of low biogas level
• Heating efficiency - ~ 80% at 70°C
• MAD can be achieved in less than 13 days
• Strips out H2S, VOC?s and Ammonia
• Destroys Nocardia bacteria which causes digester foaming
• Produces a final quality sludge to meet USEPA class A standards

Benefits in Acid and Water Bath Heating

• Heating of the process liquid by immersion of the burner gives a direct heating process leading to much higher heat transfer than found in other systems
• Operates on most gaseous fuels including Natural Gas, LPG and hydrogen rich
• The turbulence created by the burner gives an additional cleaning action within the bath giving the option of reducing either acid temperature or product residence time
• All contact parts are acid resistant and therefore do not require regular replacement
• Steam and hot water boilers are redundant removing the need for costly annual inspections
• Units supplied as ?high/low fire? or ?modulating? to suit customers requirements
• Can be installed in to final wash tanks to give a ?hot rinse? thus reducing drying time