Air heaters work by continuously passing air/fluid over a heated element. This air/fluid is heated and then discharged from the heater, giving a consistent supply of reliable heat. The material being heated can either be inert gas, compressed air or air from a regenerative blower. Unfiltered gas that may contain dirt, grease, oil, oil vapors, corrosive or reactive gases along with volatile or combustible gases should never be used. It should be noted that material should always be flowing over the element before and even after power is supplied to the heater or the result may be overheating of the element and reduced life.

• Temperature up to 1500°F
• Clean electric heat without the flame
• Compact size with rapid heat-up and cool-down
• Controllable by varying voltage, flow rate or temperature controls
• Excellent repeatability
• Directable heat
• Easy installation

Optimum heater life is achieved by operating the element within its specified performance characteristics and monitoring the element temperature. Elements operating outside their recommended limits will glow beyond the midsection of the heated length.

Best operating results will be obtained by using a thermocouple feedback temperature control and phase angle power control. When using only a voltage control extra caution should be taken. Apply voltage to the heater until the desired air temperature is obtained.

Air Heater Selection:

When selecting a heater you must first determine the power required to heat air. This can be done by using the following formula:

Power (Kilowatts) = [(SCFM x Delta T) / 3000] x 1.2
SCFM = Standard cubic feet per minute
Delta T = Temperature (exit) - Temperature (inlet)
In Degrees Fahrenheit

This will give you an approximate power requirement which can aid you in selecting a heater.

When selecting heaters it is important that a good control system is also selected. A good control system is critical for long heater life. Convectronics offers open-loop (manual) controls, closed-loop (feedback) controls and all the components necessary to run our heaters.