Steam Tracing
STEAM TRACING
Steam tracing is heat tracing performed by circulating steam around process pipes to heat them.
A steam tracing is a heat tracing which use the steam as heating medium. The heating medium of steam tracing can be saturated Low Pressure (LP) Steam or Medium Pressure (MP) Steam or High Pressure (HP) Steam. The condensing temperature can be about 150-180 0C (for LP steam) or 200-270 0C (for MP steam) and 350-400 0C (HP steam).
Heat tracing
Heat tracing is a small bore pipe system that is laid along process piping and equipment inside the insulation, on one or both sides - inner and outer sides - of the process pipe. Heat tracing is used for heating up a process piping system using utilities such as steam, electricity etc. In engineering, the requirement for heating of piping and instruments, using heat tracing is normally indicated on the Piping and Instrument Diagram (P&IDs) or on the line lists.
Steam tracing applications range from freeze protection to maintaining temperatures close to that of the steam itself. Thermo steam tracing systems have a low installed cost compared to multiple bare tracers, “light” tracing with spacer blocks, or jacketed systems. “Thermalized” systems also provide predictable operation and maintenance that process plants demand.