Electrical Heat Tracing Basics

Minimum ambient temperature ta.

Electrical heat tracing basics. Trace heating may be used to protect pipes from freezing to maintai. Heat trace is an electrical system used to maintain or raise the temperature of pipes and vessels. The pipe is usually covered with thermal insulation to retain heat losses from the pipe. In simple terms it the application of a compensating heat source.

Electrical trace heating system basics. The topics covered are as follows. Part i trace heating products design considerations a. Trace heating takes the form of an electrical heating element run in physical contact along the length of a pipe.

Heating fundamentals before plunging headfirst into a myriad of heat trace designs products and applications one must first have an understanding of the basics of heat loss and why heat trace products are used. Petrochemical plants have many thousands of feet of electric heat tracing. What is heat tracing. Electrical trace heating or as it is often called heat tracing refers to the process of maintaining or raising the temperature of instrument impulse lines pipes and even vessels through specially designed cables.

Maintenance temperature t m. Winterization protection protects lines and vessels from freezing during the colder months. Heat generated by the element then maintains the temperature of the pipe. The first step in designing a heat trace system is to determine the heat loss from each pipe or tank to be traced.

Current heat trace technology utilizes a self regulating polymer that controls the wattage of the element. Electrical trace heating or as it is often called heat tracing refers to the process of maintaining or raising the temperature of instrument impulse lines pipes and even vessels through specially designed cables. Process heating keeps the pipes and vessels warm to enable the system to function properly. This section deals with the basic principles of heat transfer.

It s used primarily for winterization or process heating. Heat loss calculations 2. Heat tracing product training manual chromalox training chapter 1. Ieee electrical heat trace fundamentals tutorial abstract.

The electric heating is achieved by utilizing a resistant element that is run alongside the piping or vessel. Electric heat tracing heat tape or surface heating is a system used to maintain or raise the temperature of pipes and vessels using heat tracing cables. Collect the following data for each pipe for tank applications go to page 6. Heat transfer basics rich hulett 1.