Heat can be transmitted via conduction, convection, or radiation. Depending on the application, one method or a combination of them is used in industrial heating. The power source can be electric or gas.
The most efficient ways to transfer heat are via conduction or radiation. For conduction heating, there are many different style of heating elements, like band heaters, open coil heaters cartridge heaters, circulation heater, immersion heaters, strip heaters, tubular heaters, cast heaters, but also flexible heaters like silicone rubber heaters, Kapton heaters, and Mica heaters.
Industrial air heaters work by radiating heat into the passing air / fluid. Typical air heating elements are tubular heaters, strip heaters, open coil heaters in duct and HVAC applications, quartz heaters and ceramic heaters.
Infrared heaters work by transferring thermal energy through matter of space by electromagnetic waves. This means that the air between the heat source and the object is not heated. In industrial heating, the radiation normally used is in the ultraviolet and infrared wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum. How well a material absorbs or emits infrared energy is its emissivity value. The perfect black body is an ideal surface, which completely absorbs or emits all radiant energy. All other materials are not as good as emitters or absorbers. Materials are selective as to the wavelength accepted to absorb infrared energy. The wavelength produced by the heat source is dependent upon the surface temperature. Hence the wavelength of the heat source needs therefore be matched with the best absorption wavelength of the material to be heated. Ceramic heaters, flat panel heaters, quartz tube and quartz lamps (aka halogen lamps) or tubular heating elements are the most common industrial infrared heaters.
A heating system combines the heat source (gas or electric), temperature sensor, temperature controller and the power controller into one unit. These are the four components of an industrial heating application.
Please contact Delta T with any additional questions about industrial gas and electric heaters.
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