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Trace Heating – From the Invention to Latest Use

Author: Rolando Teodoro
by Rolando Teodoro
Posted: Apr 18, 2015

Electric heat tracing or surface heating is a system employed to sustain or increase the temperature of vessels and pipes. Heat tracing takes the shape of an electrical heating component run in bodily contact alongside the length of a tube. Then the tube must be capped with thermal insulation to maintain heat losses from the tube. Heat produced by the component then keeps hold of the temperature of the tube. Heat tracing may be employed to safeguard pipes from cold, to retain a steady flow of temperature in warm water systems, or to keep hold of process temperatures for piping that must move substances that solidify at standard temperature. Electric heat tracing cables are a substitute to steam heat tracing where steam isn’t accessible or not needed.

Development:

Electric heat tracing started in the 1930s but primarily no devoted gears were accessible. Mineral insulated cables were operated at high electric densities to generate temperature, and control appliance was modified from other applications. Mineral-insulated resistance heating cables were launched in the 1950s, and similar kind heating cables were promoted in 1971.

Control system for heat tracing systems developed from tube filled thermostats and contractors in the 70s to networked automatic control in the 90s, in larger systems that need centralized control & monitoring.

Uses:

The Most Typical Pipe Heat Tracing Uses Include:

  • Freeze protection
  • Temperature protection
  • Ramp & stair snow or ice protection
  • Gulley & roof snow or ice protection
  • Underfloor heating
  • Window de-misting
  • Door or frame interface ice-protection
  • Pond freeze protection
  • Anti-condensation
  • Anti-cavitation purpose
  • Soil warming

Temperature Maintenance:

Industrial uses for heat tracing engineering range from oil refineries, chemical industry, food factories, nuclear power plants, etc. for instance, wax is a substance which begins to harden below 70 degree Celsius which’s generally far beyond the temperature of the neighboring air. Thus the pipeline should be supplied with an outside source of temperature to prevent the pipe and the substance within it from freezing down. Trace heating can be accomplished also with steam, but this need a resource of steam and possibly unsuitable to set up and run.

In labs, researchers working in the subject of material science employ heat tracing to heat up a sample isotropically. They might employ trace heating in combination with a variac to handle the heat power supplied. This is a productive way of steadily heating an item to gauge thermodynamic properties like thermal expansion.

About Author :

Rolando Teodoro is a regular freelance writer who had his reputation in the heat tracing industry. He had successfully written several articles on heat tracing engineering, heat tracing drawing and heat tracing design. For more information visit at : www.marubeniheattracing.com

About the Author

Rolando Teodoro is a regular freelance writer who had his reputation in the heat tracing industry.

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Author: Rolando Teodoro

Rolando Teodoro

Member since: Jan 21, 2015
Published articles: 9

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