Electric heat tracing is the main measure for cold protection of the polar transfer coefficient in marine engineering equipment, but thermal equilibrium is the key problem this technology faces. In this paper, the circular tube was the research object. We studied the influence of convective heat transfer by Fluent software and experiments with a wind speed of 0–40 m/s and temperature of −40–0 °C by constant heat flux heating. The results show that the convective heat transfer increases with increased wind speed and decreased temperature. When the temperature is below −30 °C, the effect of temperature is increased; when the wind speed is greater than 25 m/s and the temperature is lower than −20 °C, the effect of temperature on the convective heat transfer coefficient of the circular tube increases. Based on the simulation data, we established a prediction model, and the rationality of the prediction model was verified by tests. The model provides reference for the design of electric heat tracing of circular tubes on polar ships.

Electric heating serves as a major cold-proof measure because engineering equipment often loses efficacy in harsh weather conditions in a polar environment. Because Convective heat transfer is the key issue to solve the cold-proof design, this paper analyzes convective heat transfer of tube and plate in the constant heat flow heating mode. According to fluent numerical simulation analysis with a wind speed of 0–40 m/s and a temperature of −40°C–0°C, both an increase in wind speed and a decrease in temperature would cause the growth of the convective heat transfer coefficient of circular tubes and flat plates, Wind speed displayed a more significant impact on convective heat transfer. In a low-temperature laboratory, a model experiment of convective heat transfer was carried out to validate the reliability of the numerical simulation. Last, a prediction model for convective heat transfer coefficient of circular tubes and flat plates in polar environment was developed using numerical and experimental data.