Solar-Powered Heat Tape

Story Behind the Invention

Electric heat tracing is commonly used to keep gutters and pipes from freezing at home locations. It also sees much use in industrial settings to maintain process temperatures, protect product, and prevent freezing. However, such tracing obviously requires electrical power to operate. This requirement is not difficult to fulfill in homes, factories, chemical plants, refineries, or other industrial establishments, but is almost impossible at remote sites. Such sites include gas wells, which are typically located miles from any source of electrical power. It is obviously not feasible to run power to such sites that may only have a need for a maximum of 100 watts of power on a few cold days. Nonetheless, should such wells shut down due to a frozen regulator; thousands of dollars may be lost in production.

With a practical solution to this dilemma, inventors Jared J. McCabe and Jason McCabe of McAlester, OK, have developed a flexible heat tape that is activated by a solar-powered tracing system in order to prevent gas line regulators from freezing.

The Solar-Powered Heat Tape consists of a solar power panel mounted atop a pole near a remote gas well site. It is capable of powering anything up to 400 watts from a self-contained battery source. The heat tape retains a desired temperature and is powered-on only when needed. Reserve power may also be used for other purposes, such as for testing equipment, telemetry equipment, and the like. Specifically designed to prevent gas well regulators from freezing, the invention requires minimal maintenance and provides electrical power in a manner that is efficient, practical, and effective.