What are Longline Trace Heating Cables?

What are Longline Trace Heating Cables used for?

Longline trace heating cables are used when circuit lengths exceed the ratings of conventional parallel-resistance heat trace cables and you need a single power source. Industrial longline trace heating is necessary to heat long pipelines for -

• Transfer lines between processing plants.
• Condensation prevention.
• Temperature maintenance.
• Viscosity control.
• For pipe freeze protection.
• Between storage or transportation facilities

The intricacy of this pipe heat trace system comes from the need for long electrical circuit lengths, usually with a single electrical power point.

Ideal applications for longline trace heating systems might include -

• Pipes between petrochemical facilities 
• Piers for ocean transport vessels
• Freeze protection or temperature maintenance of tank farms
• Condensation and coagulation prevention on filters, etc…

Why is longline trace heating important? Well without it, the following problems could occur -

• Liquids freezing resulting in disastrous pipe failures.
• Liquids becoming too viscous.
• Gases condensing.

Here at Cross Electrical Ltd we design, manufacture, install and supply a complete range of heating cables suitable for every Trace heating application. We offer a wide range of industry-proven longline trace heating solutions as a complete heat management system. This includes the selection of suitable pipe heat trace technologies, highly developed control system technologies, in addition to engineering design services and site services!

 Some of our longline length heating cables include:

XSWE Single Wire Heating Cable

Teflon PFA insulated heating cable for maintaining temperatures up to 120°C, medium to long length heating circuits. Maximum withstand temperature of 230°C (power off).  Approved for use in hazardous areas.

XCN Mineral Insulated Cupro Nickel Sheathed Single Conductor Heating Cable

For maintaining temperatures up to 250°C medium to long heating circuits, maximum withstand temperature 400° (power off), approved for use in hazardous areas.

XINC Mineral Insulated Inconel Sheathed Single Conductor Heating Cable

For temperatures up to 600°C, highly corrosion resistant for medium to long length heating circuits, maximum withstand temperature 1000°C (power off) approved for use in hazardous areas.

XSS Mineral Insulated Stainless Steel Sheathed Single Conductor Heating Cable

For maintaining temperature up to 500°C medium to long length heating circuits, maximum withstand temperature 1000°C (power off), approved for use in hazardous areas.

Our general applications include –

• Heating Pipelines, tanks & vessels,
• Frost Protection for water pipes,
• Condensation prevention within hoppers and process equipment,
• Snow and ice prevention for roads, ramps and stairs,
• Underfloor heating,
• Emergency Maintenance Services,
• Annual Test and Survey Contracts.

For more details on these applications please see out website! Simply click here

What is Trace Heating?

With this month’s blog we are going back to basics, explaining exactly what Trace Heating is and what it is used for. As we are specialists in Trace Heating systems, we automatically assume that everyone knows exactly what it is and how is works, which is obviously not the case. So what is Trace Heating? Read on to find out...

What is Trace Heating?

Trace heating, known as Electric heat tracing, heat tape or surface heating, is a system used to maintain or raise the temperature of pipes and vessels. Trace heating takes the form of an electrical heating element run in physical contact along the length of a pipe. The pipe must then be covered with thermal insulation to retain heat losses from the pipe. Heat generated by the element then maintains the temperature of the pipe. Trace heating is used for many applications from protecting pipes from freezing, to maintaining a constant flow temperature in hot water systems, or to maintain process temperatures for piping that must transport substances that solidify at ambient temperatures.

When did Trace Heating come about?

Electric trace heating began in the 1930s but to begin with no dedicated equipment was available. Mineral insulated cables were run at high current densities to produce heat, and control equipment was adapted from other applications. Mineral-insulated resistance heating cables were introduced in the 1950s, and then parallel-type heating cables that could be cut to length in the field became available. Self-limiting thermoplastic cables were marketed in 1971.

So what is Trace Heating used for?

The most widespread pipe trace heating applications include:

Temperature maintenance

Road & Ramp Outdoor Surface Heating

Anti-condensation

Gulley and roof snow / ice protection

Frost protection and freeze prevention

Door / frame interface ice protection

Window de-misting

Pond freeze protection

Soil warming

Anti-cavitation purpose

Here at Cross Electrical, we’ve been controlling the temperature for industries for over 40 years, so why compromise? Call us today on -01159722050

Temperature Maintenance from Cross Electrical

Many raw materials and products will only remain in a liquid state if they are kept above a specific temperature. Electric trace heating and thermal insulation isa system used to maintain or increase the temperature of vessels and pipes. This process can be used to protect pipes from freezing or to maintain process temperatures for piping that must transport substances that solidify at ambient temperatures.

Traceheating is an electrical heating element placed in physical contact along the length of a pipe. The pipe is then covered with thermal insulation to maintain the temperature and reduce any heat losses, so that the heat generated by the element then preserves the temperature of the pipe.
Electrical trace heating and thermal insulation provides the solution of maintaining the temperature of a product in a pipe or vessel ensuring that your process pipework and systems deliver your product to the point of delivery at the required temperature.

When subjected to low ambient temperatures, heat loss can cause the contents viscosity to increase. This can cause the material to harden or set within the pipework, either slowing down the process or causing problems to pumping equipment. For example, wax is a substance which starts to solidify below 70 °C, which is usually far above the temperature of the surrounding air. Therefore the pipeline must be provided with an external source of heat to prevent the pipe and the material inside it from cooling down.

Trace heating can also be done with steam, but this requires a source of steam and may be inconvenient to install and operate. By utilising the correct type of Heating Cable, Thermal Insulation and Temperature Control, process pipework will operate efficiently for many years.
From our range of XSSTC (mineral insulated heating cables) XSW, XSWE (single wire), XHP and self-regulating heating cables we can confidently Design and Install, Maintain and Supply heating systems ensuring  production never stops.

With CrossElectrical controlling the temperature for industries for over 40 years why compromise? Call us today on -01159722050

Remember last winter? Frost protection

Remember the drastic temperatures and weather spouts of last winter? Since then, trace heating has since become a requirement in many homes across the UK.

Since then we are all too aware of the damage that frozen pipe work can cause to domestic homes after temperatures plummet below freezing including building damage, temporary blockages and inconveniences while pipes and ice thaws out, the same problems are also very prominent in industrial, commercial and agricultural environments.

Particular problems during last winter were caused by heating condensate pipes which caused boilers to shut down due to frozen pipe work between boilers and homes which ran externally to the properties.

Note: It is important to note that it is not always the freezing that causes the expensive consequences and outcome such as leaks, but the splits and cracks once the pipes thaw out that do causing widespread damage to homes, businesses and production lines.

We all know that a proactive approach is always better than a reactive approach, and this same system applies to frozen pipe work with the best prevention being to install trace heating cables onto all pipes which are likely to be exposed to the freezing conditions.

This can involve wrapping a cable to pipes which heats up when temperatures plummet below a certain temperature. We offer various trace heating cable options as Cross Electrical which can be tailored to suit your output levels and temperature requirements to ensure optimum levels of performance with less downtime.

Once pipes are wrapped with these cables, thermal insulation is then be applied to the pipes to further insulate and keep heat in equaling a very cheap and cost effective alternative to the consequence that frozen pipe work can bring to businesses and homes, as a barrier against freezing temperatures.

Cross Electrical can manufacture, design and install a complete trace heating system to solve any problems that future winters may cause and will ensure that your pipe work never freezes again.

Apply anywhere from outbuildings and outside taps through to garages and processing pipe work.