Electric Heaters Information
Electrics heaters generate heat by passing an electric current through a high-resistance material. These heating devices have been adapted to various industrial, commercial, and consumer applications.
Electric heaters radiate heat with the use of a flat panel emitter, radiant reflective element, flexible heater element, tubular element, or other type of heating element. A heating element is usually made up of a coil, ribbon (straight or corrugated), or strip of wire that gives off heat like a lamp filament. When an electric current flows through it, it glows red hot and converts electrical energy into heat.
Heating elements are mostly either nickel-based or iron-based. Nickel-based heating elements are usually made of nichrome, an alloy that consists of about 80 percent nickel and 20 percent chromium. Nichrome is a popular material for heating elements because it has a high melting point of 2,550° F (1,400° C), will not oxidize at high temperatures, and does not expand much when it heats up. It also maintains a consistent resistance of about 10 percent between ambient temperature and maximum operating temperature.
Some key features of electric heaters are design flexibility, precision temperature monitoring and control, and portability.
Electric heaters are used throughout industrial and consumer products to heat all types of liquids, gases, vapors, and solids. In consumer products, electric heaters are commonly used for heating air, water, and even flooring. Industrial applications can utilize much higher wattages and industrial electrical heaters can be used for applications such as annealing, heat treating, melting, and heating of all types of process fluids.