Free Software Available For Designing Electrical Heat Trace Systems October 2000 Issue Published Date: October 01, 2000
Available as a free download or on CD-ROM, ChromaTrace 2.0 allows users to design and specify heat trace cables for applications such as freeze protection and process temperature maintenance. The software automatically generates a complete bill of materials with exact quantities and part numbers of the equipment needed, plus on-screen product data sheets and manufacturer's cross-reference guidelines for easy reference. Product types covered are self-regulating cable, mineral insulated cable, constant wattage cable, roof and gutter de-icing cable, single point on/off controls, multi-loop PID controllers and connection accessories. To quickly find the most cost-effective solution, the software's What-If analysis allows a user to determine, for example, whether to use a constant-wattage or self-regulated cables and what would happen with a different control scheme. Features include IEEE-compliant heat trace calculations for pipes and tanks, a cable and accessory selection guide, as well as control design procedures.
