Oil-fired frac water heater

A portable system for heating treatment fluids at a remote work site, comprising:

• a closed-bottom firebox having an exhaust stack configured near the top of said firebox;
• a heat exchanger contained within said firebox, said heat exchanger comprising a tubular coil having a single inlet and a single outlet, wherein said tubular coil includes an upper portion oriented about a first axis and a lower portion oriented about a second axis, said lower portion comprising a helical coil oriented about a horizontal axis so as to define a chamber for receiving a substantially horizontal combustion flow, said chamber being substantially enclosed by said helical tubular coil on all but one opened side;
• a fluid supply system including a fluid supply pump connected to said inlet of said tubular coil;
• three or more burner assemblies configured in said firebox, each of said burner assemblies comprising a nozzle that projects an atomized fuel-air spray into said chamber though said opened side, which when combusted results in a substantially horizontal combustion flow into said chamber,
• a primary air system for supplying a first pressurized air flow to each of said burner assemblies, wherein said primary air system comprises a blower pump fluidly connected to a primary air inlet of each of said plurality of burner assemblies, and an intake air filter in fluid communication with said blower pump;
• and
• a secondary air system for supplying a second pressurized air flow to said firebox,
• wherein said helical tubular coil includes a plurality of traversing lateral tubes which substantially enclose said chamber on side opposing said opened side, wherein at least one of said traversing lateral tubes is configured directly in line with said substantially horizontal combustion flow;
• and
• wherein said second pressurized air flow increases the convective heat transfer of thermal energy from said combustion flow to said treatment fluid as said fluid is pumped through said heat exchanger by said supply pump.

A portable system for heating treatment fluids at a remote work site, comprising:

• a closed-bottom firebox having an exhaust stack configured near the top of said firebox;
• a heat exchanger contained within said firebox, said heat exchanger comprising a tubular coil having a single inlet and a single outlet, wherein said tubular coil includes an upper portion oriented about a first axis and a lower portion oriented about a second axis, said lower portion comprising a helical coil oriented about a horizontal axis so as to define a chamber for receiving a substantially horizontal combustion flow, said chamber being substantially enclosed by said helical tubular coil on all but one opened side;
• a fluid supply system including a fluid supply pump connected to said inlet of said tubular coil;
• three or more burner assemblies configured in said firebox, each of said burner assemblies comprising a nozzle that projects an atomized fuel-air spray into said chamber though said opened side, which when combusted results in a substantially horizontal combustion flow into said chamber,
• a primary air system for supplying a first pressurized air flow to each of said burner assemblies, wherein said primary air system comprises a blower pump fluidly connected to a primary air inlet of each of said plurality of burner assemblies, and an air silencer mechanism in fluid communication with said blower pump and said plurality of burner assemblies;
• and
• a secondary air system for supplying a second pressurized air flow to said firebox,
• wherein said helical tubular coil includes a plurality of traversing lateral tubes which substantially enclose said chamber on side opposing said opened side, wherein at least one of said traversing lateral tubes is configured directly in line with said substantially horizontal combustion flow;
• and
• wherein said second pressurized air flow increases the convective heat transfer of thermal energy from said combustion flow to said treatment fluid as said fluid is pumped through said heat exchanger by said supply pump.