Ambient proportional control reduces electrical heat tracing costs

A 1998 Pulp and Paper Industry Committee Conference paper addressed revisions to Article 427 in the National Electrical Code and alternatives to using specialty circuit breakers for electric heat tracing (EHT). Further advancements in electronics for electrical heat tracing controls are now providing significant reductions in the costs associated with the design, installation, operation and maintenance of electrical heat tracing systems. This paper addresses some of the technological challenges of configuring the control relays to reduce or eliminate electrical noise, as well as the specific cost savings associated with every aspect of such systems.