Refinery Winterization Strategies for Edmonton

Drastic temperature changes, if unplanned, can create harmful effects on fluid systems. Refinery winterization programs in Edmonton equip you to prepare your process plants against temperature failures and their resultant damages.

Insulations are great, but they alone won't help for lines exposed to winter temperatures well below freezing. An active heating element can be used to prevent disruptions in tubing used to transport process media for analytical purposes. The heating?elements of the traced tubing?come in two general styles, electrical and steam/glycol. While electrical is preferred for long tubing that accompanies sampling or impulse lines, Steam/Glycol is an alternative solution for areas where electrification may be harder.

Sealing is another important method for the efficiency and longevity of heat-traced lines. Heat-shrink end- and entry-seal boots create waterproof seals when transitioning to or from enclosures. Steam jacketed lines, where the fluid line is directly encapsulated by the steam, are an option for winterization of piping. This setup allows for a large heat transfer surface, significantly increasing the thermal flux capability.

Heat tracing lines and the installation of steam traps only cover a tiny amount of the steps required to prevent system failure or downtime throughout the extensive winterization process. For a detailed list of other miscellaneous processes to help protect refineries against Edmonton's extreme weather conditions, please refer to our winterization blog.