# US 2019/0170400 A1 · Heater bundle for adaptive control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170400 A1 - Document ID: US20190170400A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/272,668 - Filed: 2019-02-11 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-02 - Assignees: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company - Applicants: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company - Inventors: Mark Everly; Louis Steinhauser - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170400A1 ## CPC - F24H 9/2028: {Continuous-flow heaters} - F24H 1/103: {with bare resistances in direct contact with the fluid} - F24H 15/20: characterised by control inputs - F24H 15/37: of electric heaters - H05B 1/0283: {For heating of fluids, e.g. water heaters} - H05B 3/04: Waterproof or air-tight seals for heaters - H05B 3/48: heating conductor embedded in insulating material - H05B 3/82: Fixedly-mounted immersion heaters - F24H 15/128: Preventing overheating - F24H 15/25: Temperature of the heat-generating means in the heater - H05B 2203/014: Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54 - F24H: FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL (steam generation F22) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A heater system includes a heater bundle having a plurality of heater assemblies and a plurality of power conductors. More than one of the heater assemblies includes a plurality of heater units, and more than one of the heater units defines at least one independently controlled heating zone. The plurality of power conductors are electrically connected to the independently controlled heating zones. The heater system further includes means for determining temperature, and a power supply device including a controller configured to modulate power to the independently controlled heating zones through the power conductors based on the determined temperature to provide a desired power output along a length of more than one of the heater assemblies. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heater system comprising: a heater bundle comprising: a plurality of heater assemblies, more than one of the heater assemblies comprising a plurality of heater units, more than one of the heater units defining at least one independently controlled heating zone, and a plurality of power conductors electrically connected to the independently controlled heating zones; means for determining temperature; and a power supply device including a controller configured to modulate power to the independently controlled heating zones through the power conductors based on the determined temperature to provide a desired power output along a length of more than one of the heater assemblies. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heater system according to claim 1, wherein sizes of the independently controlled heating zones are equal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heater system according to claim 1, wherein sizes of the independently controlled heating zones are different. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heater system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the heater assemblies is a cartridge heater. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the number of the independently controlled heating zones is n, and a number of power supply and return conductors is n+1. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The heater system according to claim 1, wherein a higher number of independently controlled heating zones is provided by the controller through at least one of multiplexing, polarity sensitive switching, and thermal arrays. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heater system according to claim 1, wherein at least one set of a power supply and a power return conductor comprise different materials such that a junction is formed between the different materials and a resistive heating element of a heater unit, and the junction is used to determine temperature of one or more of the independently controlled heating zones. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An apparatus for heating fluid comprising: a sealed housing defining an internal chamber and having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; and the heater system according to claim 1, the heater system being disposed within the internal chamber of the housing, wherein the heater bundle is adapted to provide a predetermined heat distribution to a fluid within the housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the heater assemblies include resistive heating wires, wherein at least one of the resistive heating wires functions as a sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The heater system according to claim 1, wherein the heater assemblies include a plurality of resistive heating wires and multiple pairs of power conductors to form multiple heating circuits. ### Claim 11 A heater system comprising: a heater bundle comprising: a plurality of heater assemblies, more than one of the heater assemblies comprising a plurality of heater units, more than one of the heater units defining at least one independently controlled heating zone, and a plurality of power conductors electrically connected to the independently controlled heating zones; means for determining at least one of heating conditions and heating requirements; and a power supply device including a controller configured to modulate power to the independently controlled heating zones of the heater units through the power conductors based on the at least one of heating conditions and heating requirements to provide a desired power output along a length of more than one of the heater assemblies. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The heater assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one of heating conditions and heating requirements are selected from the group consisting of life of the heater units, reliability of the heater units, sizes of the heater units, costs of the heater units, local heater flux, characteristics and operation of the heater units, and entire power output. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The heater system according to claim 11, wherein sizes of the independently controlled heating zones are equal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The heater system according to claim 11, wherein sizes of the independently controlled heating zones are different. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The heater system according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the heater assemblies is a cartridge heater. ### Claim 16 A heater system comprising: a heater assembly comprising a plurality of heater units, more than one of the heater units defining at least one independently controlled heating zone; a plurality of power conductors electrically connected to each of the heater units; means for determining temperature; and a power supply device including a controller configured to modulate power to each of the independently controlled heating zones of the heater units through the power conductors based on the determined temperature to provide a desired power output along a length of the heater assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The heater system according to claim 16, wherein sizes of the independently controlled heating zones are equal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The heater system according to claim 16, wherein sizes of the independently controlled heating zones are different. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The heater system according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the heater assemblies is a cartridge heater. ### Claim 20 A heater system comprising: a heater assembly comprising a plurality of heater units, each heater unit defining at least one independently controlled heating zone; a plurality of power conductors electrically connected to the heater units; and a power supply device including a controller configured to modulate power to the independently controlled heating zones of the heater units through the power conductors based on at least one of heating conditions and heating requirements to provide a desired power output along a length of the heater assembly.