Energy sector

We rely on being able to turn on the lights, have hot water and power all our appliances every day. We are talking about the energy supply sector, both fossil but above all increasingly regenerative energy.

In various applications, electric heat tracing can be used to keep processes running or to protect certain areas from frost.

Where can the applications be found, for example?

  • Gas supplier facilities
  • Conventional power plants
  • Solar power plants
  • Wind turbines

In gas supplier facilities, for example, heating cables are used to compensate for temperature losses of the gas in the inflow pipes before the pressure regulation station and at the same time to reduce the formation of condensate. As an example, the temperature drop of natural gas corresponds to 0.46°C/bar. A pressure change of 25 bar means a temperature change of 11.5°C. Heating cables such as the ELKM-AG or mineral-insulated heating cables are used in these areas.

In conventional power plants, heating cables and/or heating mats/jackets are installed on steam condensate lines, chemical additive lines, petroleum lines, pumps, vessels and tanks to maintain temperature. This is necessary to keep oil flowing, for example. At the same time, it is important not to exceed the flash point and thus ensure safety. This is where products such as the ELSR-N or ELSR-H self-regulating heating cables, as well as series heating cables such as ELKM-AG are used.

A solar power tower uses a large area of tracking mirrors (heliostats), which direct sunlight to a receiver positioned centrally at the top of the tower, it receives the concentrated sunlight. The receiver contains molten nitrate salt, which is pumped up from a tank at the bottom, absorbing the sunlight and thereby heating it up to 565°C. The molten salt flows back to the bottom of the tower. The hot salt flows back to the bottom into another tank, where it is stored, then pumped through a steam generator to develop steam and generate electricity. Oil is heated in the piping to 75°C and then by the collected solar energy until steam is formed. To prevent the molten salt from solidifying, a temperature around 220°C is necessary. At the same time, frost protection is required in all steam and cooling water piping systems.

So the Sun can Plug in to Power

The average annual solar radiation in the Moroccan desert lies at 2.635 kWh/m², the highest in the world. Great conditions for converting solar radiation into energy. But what is the need to install an electrical heat tracing system in the desert?

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