ELECTRIC HEAT TRACING

Agenda
Why Heat Tracing? Types of Heat Tracing Systems Design Using Vendor Software

Why Heat Tracing?

To compensate for heat losses and to maintain a minimum temperature (i.e. to prevent freezing. The most common heat tracing applications include: - Freeze protection & Temperature maintenance - Heat-up

Freeze Protection & Temperature Maintenance Every pipe or vessel is subject to heat loss when its temperature is greater than ambient temperature. Thermal insulation reduces the rate of heat loss but does not eliminate it. Trace heating is used to replace the heat that is lost to atmosphere. If the heat replaced matches the heat lost, temperature will be maintained. Normally, a thermostat is used to energise when it measures temperature falling below a set temperature value - usually between 3C and 5C and often referred to as the 'setpoint'. The thermostat will de-energise the trace heating when it measures temperature rising past another set temperature value - usually 2C higher than the setpoint value.

-12 C Insulation 10C Heat Heat loss

Heater
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Heat-up This type of application is required where a critical or emergency condition is foreseen Heat-up of the fluid or pipe / vessel may be required during start-up or in order to re-start the system after a shutdown of the system.

Heat Loss
Tp Ta q 1 ln( D 2 / D1) 1 1 D1hi 2k D 2hco D 2ho

As per IEEE 515, neglecting the hi, hco and ho parameters for conservative high heat loss, we get

 Types of Heat Tracing

Hot water jacketing Steam Heat Tracing / Jacketing

Thermic Fluid Heat Tracing / Jacketing

Electric Heat Tracing

 Selecting the method: Considerations while choosing heat tracing system

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Economics Type of pipeline Long or Short Cost of steam Vs electricity Availability of free steam from exothermic reactions. Maintenance temperature required. Temperature control accuracy required. Hazardous area classification. Type of power available during plant shut down.

Steam heat tracing involves laying of steam supply and return pipelines. Steam tracing requires investment in a steam generation boiler with attendant issues of operation and maintenance.

EHT- Circuits and Cables

Types of Electric Heat Tracing Cables Series cables Mineral-insulated (MI) cable Skin-effect current tracing (SECT) Parallel Cables Parallel / Zone Heater Cables. Self-regulating (SR) cable Impedance Direct Joule Effect Heating
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Parallel / Zone Heater Cables

Node Resistance wire

Zone

Bus wires Dielectric insulation Node connection Bus Nichrome heating element (38-41 AWG) wire

(0.5 m to 2 m)

Features:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Maximum Maintenance Temperature upto 66C Maximum Continuous Exposure Temperature - 204C Watt Density upto 33W/m. Circuit lengths upto 200 mtrs.
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Advantages:

1. Cut to length feature. 2. Not subjected to inrush of current as compared to self regulating cables. 3. Flexible 4. Usually inexpensive 5. If one small element fails then the rest of the system will continue to operate. 1. Requires infre-red scanning to detect faults. 2. Cannot be overlapped. 3. Poor impact resistance.

Disadvantages:

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Series Cables

Resistance wire

Plastic dielectric insulation

Braid

Outer plastic jacket

Features:

1. Maximum Maintenance Temperature upto 204C 2. Maximum Continuous Exposure Temperature - 260C 3. Circuit lengths upto 3658 mtrs.

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Advantages:

1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Long circuit lengths Easy to monitor Flexible Usually inexpensive Not suitable for short lengths. Comes in pre-fabricated lengths. Cannot be overlapped. Single failure shuts down entire circuit. Poor impact resistance. High Replacement cost.

Disadvantages:

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+
Bus wire

Self Regulating Cables

Outer plastic jacket Braid Dielectric insulation

Suitable for Low Maintenance and Design Temperature Application. Parallel resistance constant wattage cable.

Heating element Resistance

Temperature

Power

Temperature

Features:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Maximum Maintenance Temperature upto 150C Maximum Continuous Exposure Temperature - 250C Circuit lengths upto 300 mtrs. Watt Density 66 W/m

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Advantages:

1. Higher reliability cannot burnout even if overlapped. 2. Easier to design - Parallel circuit, cut to length. Unconditional T-ratings, Compensates for variations.
3. Lower installation and operating costs.

Disadvantages:

1. Compared to MI cables these are suitable for Lower Maintenance Temp. & Lower exposure temperature 2. Lower Watt Densities upto 66 W/m.
3. Higher start-up / inrush current.

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MINERAL INSULATED (MI) CABLE

Resistance wire

Suitable for High Maintenance and Design Temperature Application. Series resistance constant wattage cable.

Magnesium Oxide Dielectric Insulation

Metal Sheath

Features: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Maximum Maintenance Temperature upto 500C Maximum Continuous Exposure Temperature - 600C Circuit lengths upto 1200 mtrs. Watt Density 262 W/m.

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Advantages:

1. Compared to SR cables these have: -High maintenance temperature -Suitability for High exposure temperature -High Watt Densities 2. Easy to monitor. 3. Rugged. 4. Uniform Power along entire length. 1. Pre-fabricated lengths. 2. Difficult to install due to non-flexibility. 3. Cannot be overlapped. 4. MgO Dielectric Extremely Sensitive to Moisture.
5. Not suitable for short lengths.

Disadvantages:

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SKIN-EFFECT CURRENT TRACING (SECT)

.0 .

Pipe Insulated conductor

Insulated conductor

High voltage AC

Weld Heat tube

Advantages:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Suitable for Very long circuit lengths (1.5-30) km. High watt density up to 60 w/m per tube. High temperature capability up to 205C. Low installation, operation and maintenance costs. Rugged.
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Disadvantages:

1. Not suitable for complex piping 2. High voltage (500-5000 volts) 3. Special transformer required. 4. Custom design for each circuit 5. Must be welded to process pipe

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Impedance Direct Joule Effect Heating

Advantages:

1. Low Voltage Operation less than 30V. 2. Uniform Heating since entire pipe acts as heating element. 3. Low installation, operation and maintenance costs. 4. No hot-spots and burn-outs. 5. Wide temperature range from below freezing to 850C
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Disadvantages:

1. Usually operates at very high currents. 2. Special transformer required.

3. Isolating flanges required. 4. Terminals must be welded to process pipe.

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Comparison between different types of cables

Sr. No

Description

Series Cable
Uniform & length dependant

Parallel Cable

MI Cable

Self Regulating Cable

1 2

Power output Start up currents Variation in output to match heat losses with variation in ambient temperature Site modification / cutting & field repairs

Uniform & length Independent

Uniform & length Independent

Not Uniform High

Not possible

Not possible

Not possible
Difficult to install over complicated shapes. Can tolerate brief period of overheating Large 262

possible

Cumbersome Possible design Dependent Large 25

Possible Possible design Dependent Only Faulty portion 33

Possible

5 6 7

Burnout possibility Effect of circuit failure Watt density - W/meter

Burnout proof Only faulty portion 66

Suitability for following criterias:

Can be used Upto 3~4 kms 204 260 Can be used 66 204 Can be used Upto 1.2 kms. 500 600 Can be used 150 250

8.1 Short length -Pipe lines (Upto 300 meters) 8.2 Long length Pipelines (Above 301 Meters) 8.3 Maintenance Temperature (Deg. C) 8.4 Exposure / Design Temperature (Deg. C)

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EHT- The Design

INPUT DATA
Line List (Process & Piping) -Maintenance Tempertaure -Design / Exposure Temperature -Pipe Line Material, Length and Diameter -Insulation Type and thickness -Pipe Fluid / Material P&ID Piping Isometrics Area Classification Safe / Hazardous Application Maintenance / Heat-up Instrument Hook-up drawings
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OUTPUT DELIVERABLES / DOCUMENTS

Design & Calculation Sheet Circuit Schedule EHT Isometrics SLD Cable Schedule BOQ

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Sample Calculation q = 2K(Tp - Ta)/ln(D2 / D1)

Pipe Size 4 with Outer Diameter 114.31 mm K : Cellular glass insulation thermal conductivity 0.0494 W/mC Insulation Thickness 40 mm D2 : Outside Diameter of the Insulation 0.1143 mtrs. D1 : Inside Diameter of the Insulation 0.1943 mtrs. Tp : Temperature to be maintained - +80C Ta : Minimum Ambient Temperature - +5C

Using the above formula, we arrive at Heat loss Q = 43.85 W/m Same can be verified using the vendor design software.

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Standards And Codes

IEEE 515 - Testing, Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Electrical Resistance Heat Tracing for Industrial Applications. NFPA 70 Article 427 IEC 60800 - Heating cables IEEE 844 - Practice for induction and skin effect heating BS 6351 - Electric surface heating
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TYPICAL HEAT TRACING PANEL WITH OFFLINE THERMOSTATS

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TYPICAL HEAT TRACING PANEL WITH ONLINE THERMOSTATS

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EHT- The Design

Figure 7: Typical Config. (MI)

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EHT- The Design

Figure 8: Typical Config. (MI)

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EHT- The Design

Figure 9: Typical Config. SR Cable

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EHT- THE END

Thank you!

Questions?

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