steam tracing vs electric tracing 1

[mallikarjun07]

when do we use steam tracing and when do we use electric tracing for lines ?

do we have any standard for usage of these two different types.

 

[pennpiper]

You need to do a Cost/Benefit analysis for your specific need, project type, commodity and project location.
Consider:
- Are you Steam rich or Steam poor?
- What is the price comparison between Steam & Electricity?
- How reliable is your Electricity supply?
- What would happen to your product if you lost the Heat Tracing (Steam or Electric)?
- What would happen to your Product if it got too much Heat?
- Which method (Steam or Electric) is more reliable?
- Is your plant located in an arctic environment?
- What other Tracing Fluids(*) have you considered?


(*) = Other Tracing Fluids (These require an investment for a closed system with a storage tank, pumps, heater, temperature controls:
- Treated Water
- Synthetic Organic Fluids (Dowtherm or equal)



prognosis: Lead or Lag

 

[mallikarjun07]

so u say that I can replace my electric tracing with steam tracing if its cost effective !!!!

 

[pennpiper]

"if its cost effective" is the operative statement. But yes both are equally effective.

prognosis: Lead or Lag

 

[racookpe1978]

OK.

Let me flip both the question AND the response on you.

What is the REQUIREMENT for the heat tracing (regardless of steam or electric source), and which will of the two will ALWAYS be available WHEN it is needed?

We were inside a gas turbine generator providing the steam supply to a nearby refinery in north TX working on CT-1. CT-2 was providing ALL of the refinery's steam supply (via the CT-2 heat recovery steam generator) when it (CT-2) suddenly tripped. Result? No steam. (No power either.) On a 14 degree north TX night. So they had no steam heat tracing anywhere - even after the electric power was restored.

So. Is your steam supply reliable? Reliable enough?

Two years ago, the TX entire electric grid was threatened when the wind turbines crapped out during the calm after a severe cold front went through, but several coal and natural gas plants ALSO tripped off because their sensor and control lines and air-operated valves froze up. Those plants had no steam available (because they were froze out) and the coal storage areas were iced-up. (Up north, the coal yards would also have been frozen, but the operators would had ways to deal with it. In TX? They did not expect frozen coal. )

So - If your electric source is reliable enough, use electric tracing. If your steam supply has backups, or is reliable enough for your risk analysis, use steam. If your heat tracing is REQUIRED to keep your steam supply on line, use electric. Consider that, under emergency conditions, you can always run a gas-powered generator to get some electric power - even if only from a U-Haul/Renta-Center generator - but a emergency steam generator is hard to locate.

 

[europipe]

First You need to know:
1) what temp. do You need.
2) is this temp. precise or with great tolerance.
3) what capacity do you need
4) what system is in the neigbourhoood (el. or st.)

 

[25362]

A visit to the following threads may be of help:

thread124-265606
thread124-65844
thread124-363376