wind girder problem

[JP123]

Hi,

I am currently working on a vessel project and one of our customers have a problem with the wind girder. The tank is 253 ft diameter and 56 ft heigh. During the winter, ice is forming all around the wind girder and its now problematic for people's safety.

I have the idea to put electric tracing on the wind girder to prevent ice accumulation and gutter with drainpipe to drain water formed by melted ice.

Have you ever seen that kind of problem and do you have an idea to fixed it?

 

[sailoday28]

Start out with thread
thread391-101875

 

[rmw]

You would have to calculate your heat loss from the wind girder to the open air and see if anyone out there had some kind of heat tracing to provide that much heat.

Frankly, my gut feel is that heat tracing is designed for use under insulation, such as pipe insulation, and to account for heat loss to the process, and/or from the outer lagging. I am dubious about the ability to function as such in the open air and with wind velocity.

The tank jacketing folks have good programs for figuring heat loss to atmosphere from tank walls, and this could help you determine your heat load, and just see if anyone made any tracing that could provide that kind of heat transfer.

Google Tranter, Mueller for the jacketing folks.

rmw