Kanthal Porcupine furnace heating unit

Citation

(1999), "Kanthal Porcupine furnace heating unit", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928aad.009

Kanthal Porcupine furnace heating unit

Kanthal Porcupine furnace heating unit

Keywords Furnaces, High temperature, Kanthal

Ongoing development to achieve furnace temperatures up to 800°C has led to increased uses for the Kanthal Porcupine "plug in" heating unit.

Designed for heating industrial air and gases and for new build or retrofit furnace applications, Porcupine elements are said to make it possible to install considerable power into a small space. The light and compact design reportedly means that a very high power concentration can be achieved. Normal values as high as 300-400kW/m³ are claimed.

Porcupine elements are made from Kanthal AF heating wire, spirally wound into specially designed configurations. The elements are mounted on to ceramic tubes which are then inserted into a cassette with a sheet steel casing or frame. All of the elements in a cassette are usually of the same length and diameter but the rating can be varied by utilising different wire diameters or by varying the number of elements in the cassette.

Air is delivered into the furnace by fans and is heated as it flows through the cartridges.

According to Kanthal, the key feature of the element design is that a very large proportion of its surface is in contact with the air. Heat transfer is therefore said to be efficient and the turbulence of the air around the element prevents overloading. As a result, Porcupine elements reportedly can withstand higher thermal loads than tubular elements or conventional spiral elements in ceramic tubes. They can also claim to reach their working temperature quickly and, similarly, also cool quickly and so can be switched on for short intervals, providing energy savings in certain applications.

Industrial applications which have benefited from Porcupine "plug-in" units include paint drying and stoving.

Details from Kanthal Limited. Tel: +44 (0) 1782 224800; Fax: +44 (0) 1782 224820.