Inductive heater humidifier
AssigneeWatlow Electric Manufacturing Company
InventorCal Swanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inductive heater humidifier for heating fluids is provided by the present disclosure. The humidifier includes a reservoir having a ferromagnetic bottom plate. The reservoir is disposed on top of a non-metallic cover plate, which rests on a topless ferrite base. The ferrite base includes induction coil for generating heat. The induction coil is energized to produce eddy currents that generate heat, which is convectively transferred to the reservoir via the bottom plate to heat fluid in the reservoir.
Claims23
An inductive heater humidifier comprising:
- a ferrite base defining a peripheral sidewall, a central core, and a cavity disposed between the peripheral sidewall and the central core, the ferrite base being formed of a ferrous oxide having a transition metal element;
- magnetic wire disposed within the cavity and wound around the central core to form an induction coil;
- a non-metallic cover plate having a bottom surface and a top surface, the bottom surface of the cover plate disposed on top of the ferrite base;
- and
- a reservoir for storing fluid, the reservoir having a ferromagnetic base plate disposed on the top surface of the cover plate;
- wherein the induction coil is selectively energized to produce eddy currents and alternating magnetic polarizations that generate heat, the heat being convectively transferred to the reservoir via the base plate to heat the fluid.
An inductive heater comprising:
- a ferrite base defining a peripheral sidewall, a central core, and a cavity disposed between the peripheral sidewall and the central core, the ferrite base being formed of a ferrite oxide having a transition metal element;
- magnetic wire disposed within the cavity and wound around the central core to form an induction coil;
- and
- a non-metallic cover plate having a bottom surface and a top surface, the bottom surface of the cover plate disposed on top of the ferrite base,
- wherein the induction coil is selectively energized to produce eddy currents and alternating magnetic polarizations that generate heat, the heat being convectively transferred to a target through the cover plate.
An inductive heater comprising:
- a ferrite base defining:
- a bottom portion;
- a peripheral sidewall extending from the bottom portion;
- an exposed upper portion;
- a central core;
- a cavity disposed between the peripheral sidewall and the central core;
- and
- magnetic wire disposed within the cavity and wound around the central core to form an induction coil,
- the ferrite base being formed of a ferrous oxide having a transition metal element, and the induction coil being selectively energized to produce eddy currents and alternating magnetic polarizations that generate heat, the heat being convectively transferred to a target through the exposed upper portion.
A method of operating an induction heater humidifier comprising:
- energizing an induction coil disposed within a ferrite base;
- directing heat generated from the induction coil to a reservoir base;
- restricting an operating temperature of the induction heater humidifier to below a ferromagnetic curie point of the reservoir base in order to oscillate magnetic domains within the reservoir base to generate additional heat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.