While we talk about heaters and heating equipment, we have a wide range of products, and we tend to get confused between these numerous options. Among all the options, Tubulars are perhaps the most reliable and versatile for the configuration of wattage, terminations, materials, mounting options, and lengths. These have a lot of applications which we are going to look at later in this article.
Let us first look at what these are and how they work. Later we will go through the advantages and disadvantages these have over other heating devices and the various applications of a Tubular Heater.
What is it, and How does it work?
Tubular heaters fall under the category of electric heaters, which usually have a high surface temperature within a preheated segment of a machine. They use infrared radiation along with airflow for transferring heat to another medium that is liquid or gaseous.
These work on any of the three heating principles that are conduction, convection, or radiation. Irrespective of the actual construction, it varies according to the watt density, shape, size, and sheath. It produces heat within a small or restricted area. The heat resulting from this is directly radiated into the material, conducted through a suitable liquid or convected through a forced-air system.
Applications
- Tubular heaters having copper-based sheath material are ideal for use in the retail food industry in ovens, paint and enamel baking equipment to residential construction where water, oil, and grease need to be heated.
- The stainless steel variety is ideal for industrial applications that have the involvement of strong acids and bases.
- The “incoloy,” “Inconel,” and titanium sheaths are used in the most corrosive of environments.
- These have high employment in large furnaces.
- These are used in animal Incubators for prenatal care too.
- They are widely used in ducts.
The Other Application includes:
- Epoxy Curing
- Fusing Laminated Sheets
- Kettles and Tanks
- Spas and Hot Tubs
- Steam Tables
- Sterilizers and Autoclaves
- Stretch Wrapping Equipment
- Textile and Chemical Dryers
- Welding Preheat Equipment
- Plastic Sheet Bending Equipment
Advantages
- These are available in different shapes and sizes with each category designed explicitly with robust technology for more extended durability of the product
- They have an advanced controlling mechanism for heat transfer and temperature maintenance.
- These have a compact design, which makes it easy to install, maintain, clean, and even replace minor damage without seizing the production period for a longer-term.
- It has a limitless array of custom bend formation options, which includes adapting heater elements around space parameters to maintain maximized efficient heating.
- It is constructed with epoxy or silicone seals to resist oxidation and corrosion resistance (moisture contamination).
- It is compacted with insulating MgO that allows heat to transfer away from resistance wire to the sheath material and media with faster and efficient heat up.
Disadvantages
- These are not a cost-effective option due to the involvement of metal material, which is quite expensive.
- As compared to other heating methods, due to the external metal pipe, it may impact inevitable heat loss and heat conduction.
