September 2003Temperature Measurement
Integrated Solutions
Piping for some hot process applications requires thermal maintenance devices to keep stream-end piping temperatures within specific limits. In such cases, conventional pipe jacketing has been regarded as a sufficient, but often very expensive, option. One alternative to pipe jacketing, tube tracing, does not effectively prevent problems caused by temperature variations along the process pipe wall. Frequently, tube tracing is used as an economical way to compensate for heat loss.
In low-temperature applications with broad temperature envelopes,steam tracing can be effective. However, in these types of applications, the position of the tracers and the temperature distribution in the pipe material are not considered important.
A new system for process temperature maintenance and uniform pipe wall temperatures consists of contoured bolt-on trace elements. Comparable in price to tube tracing, these elements are positioned strategically after heat dynamics in the operating piping system are modelled.
To prevent problems caused by unwanted heat variation, frequently the key is ensuring uniform pipe wall temperature. To accomplish this, it is necessary to manage the heat distribution in the pipe wall.
Proper heat distribution management depends on the number and placement of heating elements. This placement, in turn, depends on accurate modelling of process thermodynamics. Therefore, the heating element vendor should employ accurate process thermal analysis software for this purpose.
The figure provides an example of process thermodynamics modelling. Heat from steam at 159°C is applied from a contoured heating element to a pipe wall at defined intervals. Directly under the element, the wall temperature is 147°C. Note the decrease in wall temperature as the distance from the element increases, until a minimum of 132°C is reached.
The pipe’s wall temperature decreases as the distance from the heat element increases, until a minimum of 132°C is reached
At this point, heat conducted through the pipe wall from another heating element causes the wall's temperature to rise again. The wall temperature varies within a defined range, and the warmest and coolest points also can be identified readily.
Solving plant problems
The application of contoured pipe tracing after detailed thermal analysis has prevented problems caused by mixed vapours in sulphur processing at one plant, and addressed concerns associated with a common anhydrous vapour process in another facility. In the first case, the system prevented condensation and associated pipe corrosion. In the second, it prevented pipe blockage from precipitated material.
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