Infrared Application of the Month #1:
Anti-icing of Gas Turbine Filters
The gas turbines in a gas compression facility are subject to extreme temperatures. A filtration system is required to keep the turbines free of dust and other particulates, and during winter season the cold, damp intake air can cause icing to accumulate on the filters, causing inefficient system operation or worse. The facility tried a number of approaches to de-icing, including hot water radiators and compressed air, but in both cases performance was unsatisfactory. The experts at Heraeus Noblelight provided a system of mediumwave infrared heaters, arranged in a configuration to provide complete coverage of the relevant surfaces. The thermostat-based system runs only when it needed, providing quick, efficient heat to prevent icing of the critical components.
Click for more IR applications... [ Back to Top ]
Infrared Application of the Month #2:
Flameproofing of Textiles
A manufacturer of textiles for home use (curtains, upholstery etc.) sought a means to make the textiles flame-retardant. The primary means of doing so involves spraying the back of upholstery cloth with a latex flame-retardant coating, and then drying it. The manufacturer previously used long wave heat on the coated upholstery web, but long drying times caused a production bottleneck. Heraeus Noblelight provided a new system based on mediumwave infrared technology; the new system replaced the ood three-pass drying process with a single-pass. As a bonus, the new system also provided extra capacity to dry other textile products in the plant.
Click for more examples of IR for industry... [ Back to Top ]
Tech Center Spotlight: Fast Mediumwave IR Heaters
Stable and efficient, fast response medium wave heaters can transfer high power over long lengths. The high absorption by surface layers and films makes them particularly applicable to thin materials, while the fact that they also have a penetrative effect fits them for use in plastics processing. The heaters can be switched on and off in seconds and are consequently best suited for processes with short cycle times.
Because infrared heaters can be individually matched to a particular application, heating and drying processes can be seamlessly integrated within finishing operations – and with minimum disruption to existing manufacturing lines.
Read more about Fast Mediumwave IR Heaters... [ Back to Top ]
Special Designs:
Short Wave Plug-in Heater
Heraeus offers the short wave infrared heater with a plug in connection. This design makes initial assembling as well as maintenance during production very simple. The plug in heater type helps to reduce maintenance costs.
Technical Data
- Short Wave
- Twin tube, 23 x 22 mm
- Gold reflector
- Single end connection
- Up to 10 Amp current
- 55-480 Volts possible
Advantages
- Simple installation
- Quick disconnect
- Fast replacement
- Tool-free replacement
- Reduce downtime
Learn more about special designs from Heraeus Noblelight.
Click HERE to download a brochure on this product.
[ Back to Top ]
Technical Learning: Introduction to IR Technology, Part 1
There are two basic means of heating a product electrically, by direct and indirect methods. With direct heating, heat is generated within the mass of the material (e.g. by microwave and radio frequency energy in the case of dielectric materials or by induction or resistance heating in the case of electrically conducting materials). With indirect heating, heat is transferred to an article by any of the three familiar methods of conduction, convection, and radiation.
Conductive heating is achieved by placing an article into touch contact with a heat source. The rate of heat transfer is determined by several factors, not just the thermal properties and temperatures of the two bodies.
The surface conditions over the contact area, the pressure of contact and the nature of any gas, liquid or solid films at the interface all play a part in the conductive process. Radiation can also contribute to heat transfer across the interface.
Convective heating relies on the movement of a hot fluid or gas, such as air, which acts as a carrier of heat from one body to another. Natural convection occurs when different zones of the gas or liquid have different temperatures and densities. Industrial process heating commonly makes use of forced (air) convection, whereby the air is directed towards the substrate by a fan.
The rate of heat transfer depends on many factors including the temperature differential between the heating air and the substrate, and the density and rate of movement of the air.
In the context of heat transfer, radiation refers to the thermal variety (non-ionizing radiation), and should not be confused with radiation produced at wavelengths shorter than the visible spectrum (e.g. X-rays).
Thermal radiation takes place without the need for an intermediary agent such as air because energy is transmitted as electromagnetic rays emitted from a heated body. The rate of heat transfer depends on such factors as the temperatures of the heater and the receiver, the ability of each to emit and absorb radiant heat, their geometrical shape, their active areas, and relative positions or proximity.
The human eye differentiates between light-producing or glowing sources and invisible emissions. Infrared radiation occupies a waveband immediately adjacent to the red end of the visible spectrum. "Black heat" is a term sometimes used to describe the infrared band.
Heaters of visible radiation produce thermal radiation within the IR band as well as the visible band. Even at the very intense light producing temperatures in the order of 5000°C, a heater produces more energy in the infrared than in the visible band. Heaters that produce some light energy are also classified as infrared, although in scientific terms the description is not absolutely accurate.
Coming in the next issue: Intro to IR Technology, Part 2.
View more technical bulletins... [ Back to Top ]
That's it for this month's issue of Application Notes for IR Heating. Feel free to encourage your colleagues to subscribe. Just click HERE to send them an invitation to subscribe. It's quick, easy, FREE, and no-obligation.
|
