The elements of an interrelated system provide an overview of key points to consider when specifying or building heating equipment for process instrumentation. For instrumentation in chemical and petrochemical plants, and especially in sample conditioning systems for analysers, the maintenance of an elevated temperature is often essential in order to prevent the condensation and/or crystallisation of media. Complete insulation of the measurement and analysis station is rarely possible due to the requirement for maintenance and calibration. Some users create ad hoc solutions in the form of a ‘hot air shower’ where a fan (or compressed air) warms the local environment. These can be very energyintensive and can be difficult to build for hazardous areas (and are not usually suitable for applications demanding closely regulated temperatures). The optimal solution is a so-called ‘hot box’ consisting of an enclosure for the equipment in question, fitted with a heating element and controller. For best results when building a hot box, care needs to be taken with the design: choosing and considering the elements as an inter-related system, rather than simply assembling the box from
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