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Engineering ToolBox > Heat Tracing Wrapping Factor
When heat loss from pipe or tube is higher than the capacity of the heat trace cable, the cable must be spiral-wrapped around the pipe or tube.
The "heat loss - cable output" ratio can be calculated as
HR = Qhl / Qt (1)
HR = "heat loss - cable output" ratio
Qhl = heat loss from the insulated pipe or tube (W/m, Btu/h ft)
Qt = heat output from the heat trace (W/m, Btu/h ft)
If the "heat loss - cable output" ratio - HR - is larger than one, the cable must be wrapped. The pitch - distance between spirals - can be estimated with the diagram below.
The heat loss from a 4" pipe is estimated to be three times (HR = 3) the heat output capacity of the tracing cable. The pitch - the distance between each spiral - can be estimated as indicated in the table below to 5-6 inches (125-150 mm).
