A multitude of South African industries including food and beverage, petrochemical and automotive will in the winter months again be faced with the drawbacks of colder ambient temperatures on their manufacturing processes and operational efficiencies. Electrical heat tracing (EHT) can overcome these challenges through control and monitoring technology that ensures constant process temperatures in the production processes.
Giles Maynard, general manager of eltherm South Africa, explains: “EHT can assist plant and process managers alleviate stubborn viscosity sensitive products and processes. This has the benefit of ensuring that pumps do not malfunction due to cavitation and pipes don’t get blocked, mitigating costly repairs and maintenance.”
The term viscosity refers to the time it takes for an amount of product to run through a pipe. For example, water has a low viscosity as it flows more freely than honey. Liquids like honey and oil have a higher viscosity because they contain more complex molecular structures.
Temperature can manipulate the viscosity of liquid. When the temperature drops, liquids like syrup develop a higher viscosity and become more difficult to pour. However, when heated, the molecules begin to move more freely, which lead to lower viscosity.
EHT reduces heat losses
EHT lowers the viscosity of many processes as it acts as a compensating heat source to maintain or raise the heat in pipes, tanks, surfaces and other vessels. It effectively replaces the heat loss in the process and can therefore be used to prevent pipes from gelling or freezing, whilst maintaining the low viscosity of the process on plant equipment.
Colder days and the resultant higher viscosity can also impact domestic water supply as well as the reliable drainage of rain and waste water leading to freeze damage and ultimately frozen and burst pipes.
“To prevent freeze damage, EHT can be installed on these pipes to prevent freezing without any additional insulation,” says Maynard. “A customised, self-regulating heat tracing solution is developed, installed and monitored to ensure pipes are warm enough throughout the winter months.”
EHT can maintain and lower the viscosity of liquids in many industries and applications such as:
• Resins, epoxies and adhesives.
• Petrochemical industry.
• Bitumen.
• Food and beverage such as glucose, chocolates, fats, vegetable and palm oils and other syrups.
• Automotive manufacturing processes such as glues and oils.
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