Steam Tracing Control

Steam tracing is still the most common type of industrial pipe tracing used for freeze protection. Steam has a high latent heat, thus making it an effective heating medium and does not create electrical sparks like its alternative, electric heat tracing. Steam traced systems use a facility’s existing steam supply but can be costly because of the winterization procedures and unregulated steam.

Typical winterization procedures at a plant require steam tracing to be turned on during periods of cold weather when temperatures could drop below freezing. Since temperatures fluctuate throughout the winter, many plants turn on the trace system at the beginning of their winter season and leave it on until spring. While this eliminates the chance of freeze damage from forgetting to activate the steam on any particular day, it wastes a lot of steam on those days that temperatures are above freezing.

ThermOmegaTech’s thermally actuated steam control valves regulate the flow of steam, gas, or other fluid by sensing the ambient or surface temperature. These highly durable self-actuating valves will automatically turn on steam to keep water lines from freezing. Then, they will turn it off whenever the ambient or surface temperature reaches the specified closing temperature. The system’s automatic response to temperature ensures your water lines are freeze protected while eliminating wasted steam.

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Valve Options

TV/SC-A and US/A valves can be used to turn on steam, air, gas, or liquids in response to ambient temperature change to protect lines from freezing. US/S-X or TV/US-X valves regulate the flow of heating media in response to the process temperature or the pipe’s surface temperature to control heat trace lines. US/A and US/S-X valves are available with NPT connections, and TV/SC-A and TV/US-X valves have tube fitting connection ends.

HAT or TV/HAT valves act as steam traps and discharge condensate well below the steam temperature, eliminating live steam loss. For heating temperature-sensitive instruments or process fluids, the reduced temperature available for tracing simplifies operations and eliminates overheating problems.

By relying on an automatically operated system to manage steam tracing, you can save thousands of dollars and eliminate errors associated with manual operations.

In cooling applications, systems can overheat if not adequately controlled. To prevent overheating, cooling jackets or coils are often used; however, if temperatures are not regulated, you could be wasting money or miscalculating the cooling flow needed. ThermOmegaTech’s reverse-acting US/S-XR or TV/US-XR can be used to control the flow of cooling media through a system.