Heat Trace Construction Comparison

[@thegreatga]

We use these at work to keep raw materials from freezing in the pikes. We also use them to heat outside safety showers in the winter to prevent the water lines from freezing. Almost all heat tracing is temperature controlled. In areas of our plant where its an explosion hazard we use steam heat tracing to prevent any shorts becoming ignition sources.

[@NickMoore]

Most of our heat trace is externally regulated as well, the self regulating stuff doesn't get hot enough.

[@wantmp3]

Very interesting. Thanks for showing us Nick!

[@NickMoore]

Glad you like it!

[@HitAndMissLab]

Please make more videos. You are my biggest channel discovery this year. I never seen your science stuff anywhere else.

[@NickMoore]

Thanks, I will hopefully have some new videos in 2018. Glad you like my work!

[@hamedghasemi7380]

HI . DO YOU KNOW WHATS THE CORE MATERIAL IN REGULATING CABLE ?

[@robs9574]

Any idea where to source that black cable? Nursery centers are very proud of these.

[@imajeenyus42]

Awesome info, thanks for sharing! I never know such things existed - I can think on a couple of uses for them already ;-) I'd love to see the machine that winds the nichrome-type cable; must take a bit of care to get all that aligned properly.

[@NickMoore]

I would love to see that machine too, the skinning machine would also be interesting. I wonder if it is a monolithic process or if they wind/coat/skin it in stages, coiling it up between steps.

[@sabin5162]

Hey nick, nice video. What is the application of such a cable? I thought heating elements were just connected directly to live and neutral ends.

[@NickMoore]

+hehtrs sjetn Some elements are self regulating (like the black cable) and some are not and require an external thermostat to stop them from overheating. These cables are used to keep pipes and tanks above the melting point of the materials they hold. They can also be placed in concrete to prevent ice from forming.

[@butilikethecookie1]

I work on-board ships, which burn heavy fuel oil (residual fuel, e.g. HFO 380 cSt), the fuel needs to be kept hot (around 90 to 130 degrees Celsius), in order to obtain the correct viscosity to be burnt, i.e diesel engines, steam boilers etc. So we use heat tracing underneath the fiber glass insulation (or equivalent) to keep the fuel hot. I hope that this helps to explain the uses a bit better, if you have anymore questions I am happy to answer them. :)

[@NickMoore]

Interesting. I never thought about preheating fuel for an internal combustion engine.

[@sabin5162]

That has been a field of study for quite some time, particularly compression ignition engines. Raising the temperature of the injected fuel helps in better atomization. This is done because there is a limit to the maximum pressure it can be injected with, as beyond it the fuel will just splash against the wall and not utilize the extra pressure in further atomization.

[@Skunkhunt_42]

Im in the chemical processing industry, we use these to preheat the feed into our high vacuum short path distillation units. Because the time spent inside the evaporator is so short (

[@rondoschiavoni8840]

I HAD THIS INSTALLED UNDER MY HOME A MOBILE HOME FROM THE CROCK UP . ABOUT 5 FEET WELL WHEN i CHECKED AFTER THE ELECTRICIAN LEFT i NOTICE HE DID NOT TAPE THE ROUND BLACK DOT ON THE PIPE ITS JUST HANGING YET THE OTHER PART IS TAPED WELL AGAINST THE PIPE WITH A FOAM COVER OVER IT.IS THIS OK?

[@epoly]

Great instruction!

[@johndoyle3611]

Nick , I would like to point out you are calling both of these SR cables, but they are not. one is self regulating , one is power limiting. the BTV cable you used is constructed different than other SR cables. I good comparison would be between the different types of SR. the Nodes on the power limiting ( the inconsistencies you speak of) are different lengths apart for different wattage cable(5 10 15 and 20 watt)

[@AL-HD]

what are these cables used for?

[@AusiKifaru27]

To prevent water pipes from freezing. There's probably other applications, though.

[@NickMoore]

+AusiKifaru27 We use them on water pipes and wrapped around tanks that hold materials that are too think to pump at room temperature.

[@sdttnkara]

I would like to see more your job related videos.

[@NickMoore]

+Sdttn I will try as they come up but there are a lot of rules about what I can talk about due to there being some proprietary processes where I work. I do have some interesting fire alarm sensors to look at though if you are interested.

[@sdttnkara]

I would. Btw your channel is just amazing! I subscribed to your channel 5-6 years ago. Thanks for these videos.