The Heat is On: Optimizing EIectric Heat Tracing

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Electrical Construction and Maintenance
Randal Schultz, Fluor Enterprises, nc.
Fri, 2011-10-21 15:09
Opti mi zi ng the i ndustrial el ectri c heat trace engi neering process
The appl i cati on of heat to pipi ng, equi pment, or i nstrumentati on to offset heat loss due to a lower
ambient temperature, heat traci ng i s a process that can be appl ied through several methods,
i ncl uding electri ci ty, steam, gl ycol, and even hot oi l. Provi ding a basi c foundation of the most
common heat trace systems and components el ectri cal professional s wi ll l i kely encounter i n
i ndustri al appl i cati ons, this art icle wi ll focus speci fi call y on el ectri c heat tracing and di scuss the
makeup of the system, methods for opti mization, and tools avai lable to assi st i n the esti mati ng and
desi gn process.
FundamentaIs of EIectric Heat Tracing
Whi le the general i ntent of heat traci ng i s t o provi de a mai ntained temperature, there are two
commonl y desi gned syst ems that handle the maj ori ty of appli cati ons. These are traci ng for
wi nteri zat ion (commonl y referred to as freeze protecti on) and traci ng for process mai ntenance.
Wi nteri zati on traci ng i s desi gned to protect t he product from freezi ng and is typi cally desi gned to
operate when the ambi ent temperature falls bel ow a certain level commonly 40F to 50F.
Wi nteri zati on traci ng i s typi call y install ed on pipi ng, equipment, and instrumentati on where water
(or other product wi th si mi l ar properties) may be exposed to freezi ng condi ti ons (Photo 1). A
wi nteri zat ion traci ng system is si mpl i sti c i n both desi gn and control .
Heat tracing for process mai ntenance i s much more complex and requi res far more desi gn
considerati ons. This method i s commonl y used where hi gher temperatures must be mai nt ai ned, and
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more exact temperature control i s requi red. With process maintenance traci ng, the vari ous product
fl ow pat hs must be consi dered duri ng the desi gn stage, whi ch often results in the need for additi onal
heater ci rcui ts and more special i zed control methods. Process mai ntenance heat traci ng i s regularly
used to maintai n a hi gher temperature for the purpose of reduci ng product vi scosity and preventing
wax or hydrates from formi ng i n the product.
Al though there are numerous types of heat trace cabl es avai l able, they are generall y of ei ther parall el
or seri es resi stance design. The most common paral lel constructed heater cabl e i s the self-regulati ng
type. These cabl es (Photo u) i ncorporate two bus wi res that are surrounded by a semi conducti ve
pol ymer matri x that i s hi gh i n carbon content. As the temperature of the matrix i ncreases or
decreases, a change i n the chemical compositi on takes pl ace, whi ch resul ts i n a higher or l ower
resistance and more or l ess heat output. This self-regul ati ng characteri sti c all ows the cable to adjust
i ts watt output at any poi nt along the enti re length of the heater circui t, hel ping to eli mi nate hot or
col d spots. Self-regulati ng cabl es are used i n a wi de range of appli cati ons, i ncludi ng appli cati ons
i nvolving nonmetall i c pipi ng and equi pment. Featuri ng a parall el design, these cabl es may al so be
cut to any length wi thout changi ng the overal l resi stance of the cable.
Seri es resi stance-type heater cables (Photo b) use i sol ated si ngle or multi ple resisti ve conductors
to create a heati ng ci rcui t. A voltage i s appli ed to the conductors, and power output i s determined by
a combi nati on of the l ength of the cabl e and the overal l resi stance of the conductor. The power
output of these cables is relati vel y constant, and they do not exhi bi t self-regulati ng characteri stics.
Seri es resi stance cables are avai lable wi th flexi bl e, pol ymer outer-j ackets as well as with a metal
j acket commonl y known as mi neral i nsulated (M ) cable.
Proper i nstal lati on of the seri es resi stance cable is cri ti cal . As the power output i s partly determined
by the overal l l ength of the cable, the cabl e should be i nstal led at the designed length. f the cabl e i s
cut too short or t oo long, the overall resi stance wi l l have changed, resulti ng i n a cable that provi des
ei ther too li ttl e or too much heat output. When designi ng a series resi stance heater cable for a
hazardous area, cauti on must also be exercised as these cables do not self-regulate and may have
exceedi ngl y hi gh sheath temperatures duri ng operati on.
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The next step i n the heat trace process i s determi ni ng the type of control method requi red for the
appli cation. Control of the heat trace system i s typi call y achieved by one of three methods. These
i ncl ude mechani cal thermostats, power di stri buti on panels using ambi ent-sensi ng thermostat
control , or the more advanced microprocessor control. The most si mpl e and cost-effecti ve control for
heat traci ng is through the use of a mechani cal thermostat (Photo ). Thi s device is normall y pipe-
mounted, using a capi llary bulb to sense the pi pe wall temperature and provi de basi c "on/ off
temperature control.
A typi cal mechanical thermostat wi l l moni tor only the temperature, and no alarm functionali ty is
provi ded. One di sadvantage of the mechani cal thermostat is that, wi thout al armi ng, you may not
reali ze there is a fai lure. f fai led-cl osed, the thermostat wi ll conti nue to energize the heater cable i n a
"runaway condi ti on. Thi s could al so present a serious i ssue, dependi ng on the type of heater cable
used, product bei ng heated, and possi bly area cl assi fi cation. Another drawback is local access to the
thermostat. As the t hermostat i s mounted to the actual pi pe bei ng heat traced, it wi ll often be located
i n an area that's not easi ly accessible. Di rect access to the thermostat is requi red to adj ust the
temperature set poi nt and provi de access for replacement, i f requi red.
When a l arge amount of winteri zati on traci ng i s desi gned, i t i s common to provi de control wi th a
dedi cat ed power di stri buti on panel . Thi s i s very simil ar to a standard power di stri bution panel but
i ncl udes an ambi ent sensi ng thermostat and mechani cal contactor for control. The thermostat wi ll
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sense when the ambi ent temperature fall s bel ow a certai n level (typicall y 40F to 50F for
wi nteri zat ion traci ng), at which ti me t he contactor wi ll energi ze the panelboard. Thi s t ype of control
panel can normall y be further enhanced wi th moni tori ng capabi l iti es for vol tage and current. For
more exact temperature control , a microprocessor-based control panel may be considered (Photo
q). Thi s i s al so si mi lar to a standard power distri buti on panel but i ncorporates advanced control
modules and pipe-mounted RTDs to all ow for moni tori ng, control , and al armi ng of both
wi nteri zat ion and process mai ntenance heat traci ng.
Pipe-mounted resi stance temperature detectors (RTDs) are used for temperat ure sensi ng of process
mai ntenance heat traci ng and provi de real-time feedback for cl ose tolerance temperature control.
Using RTDs establ i shes a centrali zed locati on of the control panel, wi th placement possible in either
an el ectri cal room or outdoors in the operational uni t. From this central location, any of the heater
ci rcui t temperature set points or al arm parameters may be adj usted. Typi cal alarm functi onal i ty for
thi s type of panel i ncl udes both hi gh and low temperatures, high and l ow current, RTD fai lures, and
ground fault current leakage. Control methods that are commonly avail able wi th thi s type of
advanced panel are on/ off, ambi ent sensi ng, and proporti onal control .
Estimates and Front-End Engineering and Design Studies
Duri ng the earl y st age of a proj ect, all of the i nformati on requi red to develop a complete heat trace
desi gn i s rarely avail able. On l arge proj ects, i t's common t o employ the services of a heat trace
consulti ng firm to assi st with developing the heat trace scope and determi ni ng esti mated cost s.
Essenti al i nformation that should be provi ded to the heat trace vendor i ncl ude al l relevant
speci fi cati ons, a scope of work, avai lable pipi ng and i nstrumentation di agrams (P& D), area
classi ficati on drawi ngs, compl ete pi pi ng l ine li st, equi pment l i st , instrument li st, and pi pi ng l engths
(ei ther estimated or from pi pi ng i sometri cs). There are addi tional documents that may be requi red
as the scope of work di ctates. f power di stri buti on i s to be included, the heat trace contractor wi ll
also requi re pl ot plans and equipment/ i nstrument locati on pl ans.
Because much of thi s i nformati on is either unavai l able, incompl ete, or i n a constant state of revi si on
at t hi s early stage of the project, l ack of i nformation wi ll often result i n a heat trace esti mate bei ng
based on many assumpti ons, whi ch is normall y not representative of the end product. As the project
progresses and the requi red informati on becomes avai labl e, this frequently results in a substantial
i ncrease to the heat trace scope of work, anti ci pated power loads, and overall system cost. These
growths may al so resul t i n a si gni fi cantl y negati ve i mpact to the proj ect schedul e.
To mi nimi ze potent ial heat trace l oad and system cost overruns, consi der i nvolvi ng the heat trace
contractor as an additi onal resource duri ng the esti mate stage. Thi s person can provi de cri ti cal
knowledge and gui dance at this earl y stage of a proj ect . When requested, i t i s common for the
contractor to offer his assi stance to revi ew or advi se on speci fi cations, helpi ng to esti mate power
loadi ng and system cost. Whi le the heat trace contractor wi ll typi call y provide thi s assistance at no
cost, i t's i mport ant to understand that thi s i s a symbi oti c relati onshi p. Not only does thi s provi de the
contractor wi th an opportuni ty to further devel op a professi onal relati onshi p wi th the engi neer, but
also the fi rm is now i n a posi tion to request the opportuni ty to bi d on the heat t race scope of work.
The ti me the contractor has spent assisti ng wi th the heat trace esti mate wi l l ulti matel y provi de hi m
wi th the in-depth and thorough knowledge of the proj ect that wi ll al low him to offer a bi d consi stent
wi th the speci fi cati ons.
Duri ng the esti mate stage, there are options that shoul d be explored i n an effort to opti mi ze the heat
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trace system and mini mi ze overall system cost. These i nclude revi ewi ng t he type of heat trace to be
i nstal led, the thermal insulati on system speci fi ed, and the option of i ncorporating a "turnkey
approach i f i nstal lati on services are requi red. Recommendati ons may al so be made at thi s stage
regardi ng the use of el ectri c, steam, or other types of traci ng.
The thermal i nsulati on i s highly cri tical to the overall heat trace desi gn, and i ts i mportance i s often
overlooked. When the selecti on of thermal i nsul ation for heat traced pipi ng i s made, rarely i s
considerati on gi ven t o what type of i nsulati on would best opti mi ze the heat trace desi gn. The thermal
conducti vi ty also known as "k value or "thermal resisti vi ty vari es greatl y between t he di fferent
types of i nsul ati on. Changing from the speci fi ed type of insulati on to an alternate i nsulati on can have
a dramat ic effect on the heat loss. Under certai n design conditi ons and types of insulati on, i t is
possi bl e to have a reduction i n heat loss by nearly one-half. This situati on resul ts i n l ess heat input
bei ng requi red and potenti all y less heater cable bei ng install ed. Dependi ng on the overall i mpact, thi s
can result in a si gni fi cant reduction of heater circui ts, control panels, and power di st ri but ion
requi red. Thi s si ngle i tem i s often the most effective method for reducing overall system power
requi rements and syst em cost.
Beyond the heat trace desi gn, a common area for i neffi ciency and risk i nvolves the i nstall ati on of the
thermal i nsulati on. When i nstallati on servi ces are required for the heat trace system, i t i s not
uncommon for the i nsul ati on to be overl ooked. Often, the i nstall ation of i nsul ation on heat traced
i tems wil l be requested from an insulati on speci fi c contractor. Heat trace contractors routinel y
provi de and i nstal l i nsul at ion on heat trace i nstall ations. Wi th the i nsulati on included as part of their
scope of work, i t all ows for a more effi ci ent and seaml ess work flow and shi fts responsibil i ty to t he
heat trace contractor for ensuring that the i nstall ed heater cable i s not damaged.
One fi nal consi derati on i s to veri fy the coverage of t he heat trace warranty. The heat trace contractor
may provi de onl y li mi ted warranty coverage i f the install ation of associ ated i nsul ati on i s done by
another contractor.
Heat Trace during DetaiIed Engineering
Once a proj ect moves i nto the detai led engineeri ng stage, the conti nued i nvolvement of the heat trace
contractor wi l l further ensure a successful heat trace system. Whi le prepari ng the bid package for
heat trace on larger projects, i t has become routi ne to include the provisi on for i n-house support by
the heat trace contractor. Thi s should include, at mi ni mum, a proj ect manager and several qual i fied
heat trace desi gners. Havi ng the contractor in-house al lows for a more direct invol vement wi th the
numerous disci pli nes from which he wi ll have to i nterface for i nformati on. This wi ll enhance
communicati ons, all owi ng the contractor to be informed of and invol ved wi th new proj ect
developments as they occur. The overal l resul t i s a more effi cient worki ng rel ati onshi p that benefi ts
both the contractor and engi neeri ng firm and establ ishes a coordi nated effort that wi ll be essenti al to
the success of the project.
Speci ali zed heat trace software is commonly used to assi st i n the design effort. Most heat trace
compani es have either developed thei r own propri etary desi gn software or use the software of the
heat trace cable manufacturer they represent. These speci ali zed programs al low the heat trace
desi gner to i nput basi c design cri teri a to calcul at e possi bl e tracing solut ions. More advanced software
has recently been developed that i ncorporates data di rectly from the proj ect 3D model , all owi ng for a
much reduced heat trace desi gn schedule. Essent ial ly, certai n data fi les from the 3D model are
extracted and can be provi ded to the heat trace contractor for i nput i nto thi s program. Wi thi n the
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program, many of the basic heat trace desi gn functi ons are automat ed.
A key advantage of thi s type of program i s the reducti on i n ti me for design and creati ng the heat trace
del iverables. From thi s program, the heat trace contractor i s abl e to generate deli verables at a
fraction of the ti me normal ly requi red. Typi cal deli verables i nclude heat trace isometri c drawings,
li ne l i sts, load calculati ons, materi al take-offs, and heater ci rcui t power l ocati ons. Thi s method also
greatly reduces typographi cal and other si mi lar type errors t hat are common when generating heat
trace drawi ngs i n the traditi onal manner. Wi thout thi s software, heat trace i sometrics are created as
new drawi ngs by manual ly enteri ng data, typi call y using the pi pi ng spool drawings for i nformation.
Thi s method i s ti me consumi ng and much more suscepti ble to input error.
A successfull y compl eted desi gn does not guarantee a successful ly completed heat trace system. Even
the most wel l-desi gned heat trace systems can be headed for troubl e i f not i nstalled as specified and
i nstructed by the heat t race desi gn contractor. f the i nstal lati on is to be performed by a third party,
one opti on t hat may be avai labl e to mini mi ze risk i s to request that the heat trace contractor provi de
a quali fi ed i ndi vi dual to supervi se the i nstal lati on. Dependi ng on the contractual requi rement s, thi s
i ndi vi dual may be expected to perform many roles. These coul d i nclude: advisi ng on scope of work
and i nstal lati on issues; veri fyi ng the proper i nstal lati on of heat trace materi al, thermal insulati on,
and power di st ri but ion equi pment; provi ding any trai ning that may be requi red to operate the
system; and assi sti ng i n the commissi oni ng and start-up of the heat trace system. Thi s supervisi on
not only helps ensure the system i s i nstal led as desi gned, but also may be requi red, depending on the
type of warranty.
Most heat trace compani es, i f not i nvolved i n the i nstal lati on, wi ll only provide a basic warranty of
desi gn and materi al. t's not uncommon for the heat trace contractor to offer a more comprehensive
warranty i f requested; however, supervi si on of the install ati on wi l l typi cal ly be requi red. The
avail abi li ty and extent of any warranty, along wi th the avai l abi li ty of supervi sion to oversee the
i nstal lati on, should be addressed as early as possi bl e. Preferably, thi s should be requested at the
esti mate stage. Thi s i s a t ime when most heat trace contractors are wi l li ng to aggressi vel y negoti ate
addi tional requests i n an effort to successful ly wi n the proj ect heat trace award.
In Summary
Because heat traci ng i s a speci ali zed fi eld, these servi ces are better l eft to a qual ified heat trace
contractor. Heat trace desi gn can i nvol ve much ri sk i f performed by i nexperi enced persons; thus,
most engi neeri ng firms look to the heat trace contractor for thi s guidance. Thi s rel ationship and how
i t i s managed i s hi ghly i mportant. f the task of managi ng t he heat trace contract fal ls to a j uni or
engi neer, he i s unl ikely to be aware of the traps to avoi d or the i mportance of addressi ng criti cal
i ssues that are oft en overlooked. Wi th a basi c understandi ng of the heat trace requirements, al ong
wi th gui dance from a quali fi ed heat trace contractor, one wi ll be better prepared to handle the
chall enges that wi ll ul ti mately l ead to a successful and safely desi gned heat trace system.
Schultz is cn experienced hect trccin cnd electriccl desiner emploed b Iluor Enterprises, Inc.,
Sucr Lcnd, Texcs. He ccn be recched ct: rcndcl.schultzQjluor.com.
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