what is the difference between steam tracing ,jacketing,insulation

Insulation is the material placed around a pipe or piece of equipment with the intention of keeping the heat inside, cold inside or to protect people from burning themselves.

Jacketing has two definitions.

1. It is the cladding placed over insulation to protect the insulation material from damage or from the elements (such as rain) It can be aluminum, stainless steel, fiberglass, PVC, mastic, etc.

2. Jacketing as a heating mechanism is a seperate chamber typically attached to the pipe or piece of equipment which holds steam, hot oil, etc. Jacketed pipe looks like a pipe within a pipe. The inner pipe carrying the product and the outer pipe carrying the heat transfer fluid. Typically seen in the manufacture of plastics. Vessel jackets can come in a variety of forms; most typical are full jackets, half-pipe, and dimple. You can google those terms rather than go into a lengthy explaination of the different types and their advantages.

Steam trace is typically a small diameter tube attached to a pipe that carries steam. The intention is to provide freeze protection for the pipe contents. Normally the tube is copper, fractional inch diameter and installed beneath the pipe insulation. Electric trace is a variation on this concept.

Many thanks. Very informative!

Steam tracing is usually used to heat a pipe run. It can also ber used to heat or cool vessels or tubing depending upon the type of process. It works by passing steam through a tube that runs parallel to and touching or wrapped around the pipe, vessel or tube carrying the process material usually a fluid or gas. It is often used for freeze protection and it can be used to heat a pipe to keep the contents above a critical temperature.

Jacketing is when the product pipe, tube or vessel is put inside another larger pipe, tube or vessel and the thermal transfer gas or fluid is circulated through the larger pipe to heat or cool the inner pipe. It is used primarily to keep the contents of the inner pipe at a regulated temperature to keep the product flowing or to keep or bring the product to a certain temperature.

Insulation is when a thermal barrier is placed around a pipe, tube or vessel to restrict the gain or loss of heat. Insulation may be used with jacketing or steam tracing to reduce the heat gain/loss or it may be used by itself without active external thermal transfer measures.

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Many thanks!

Very informative!

One can find <...steam tracing...> on pipes carrying concentrated caustic soda, for example, as it has this annoying tendency to solidify below +8degC. A small-bore pipe connected to a steam supply can appear, strapped to the main pipe, and the <...jacketing insulation...> is then applied over the lot to keep the heat in and to stop people burning themselves on the steam pipe _{(been there, done it, second-hand T-shirt now on an internet auction site)}.

Another way of doing it is electrical trace heating tape instead of <...steam tracing...>; same principle.