Separable junction for electrical skin-effect pipeline heating system
A separable junction for an electric pipeline system of the type including a tracer for skin-effect heating, which tracer comprises an insulated conductor within an electrically conductive conduit, incorporates flanges at the ends of the pipe section to be joined and the pipes are joined by securing bolts through holes in the flanges. Each end of the tracer conduit on each of the sections of pipe is terminated at and electrically connected to a metallic junction box adjacent to a flange and the tracer conductor thereof extends into the box. Each box has an opening aligned with one of the flange holes for the fastening bolts, but when the junction is assembled, the flange bolt which would be in alignment with the junction box opening is replaced with a hollow, threaded metallic nipple which is dimensioned to fit freely through the bolt holes in the flanges and is long enough to extend between and into the openings of the junction boxes at either side of the junction and electrically connect the boxes. The nipple is held in position by a pair of spaced nuts which are screwed onto the nipple and against the opposed flanges. An insulated jumper wire extends through the nipple between the two junction boxes and connects the tracer conductors. The jumper wire, junction boxes and nipple then become part of the tracer, whereby skin-effect heating is achieved along the entire length of pipe and, particularly, in the flanges at the separable junction.
- Assignee:
- TPCO Inc.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4472621
- Application Number:
- TRN: 85-007856
- OSTI ID:
- 5942635
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 18 May 1981; Other Information: PAT-APPL-264231
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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