1. Main fluids and their applications

1.1 Heat transfer fluid: definition and application examples

A large number of industrial activities involve heating a product to a temperature higher than the ambient temperature. Various heating modes can be identified:

• the product is heated directly by combustion gases (fuel oil, natural gas), by electric resistors, by inductive or microwave heating;

• the product is heated indirectly. In this case, an intermediate circuit is set up between the thermal equipment in which heat is obtained through fuel combustion, the use of an electrical resistor, or even a nuclear reaction in the fuel rods of a nuclear reactor – and the enclosure in which the product is to be packaged. The fluid circulating in this...