Panel heater assembly for use in a corrosive environment and method of manufacturing the heater
AssigneeProcess Technology Inc.
InventorsDennis J. Rezabek, Robert J. Walty
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Abstract
An apparatus and a method of assembling a panel heater for use in a corrosive environment includes a planar heating element, a planar non-conductive carrier for supporting a conductive ground plane thereon, a planar heat sink supporting the heating element, and a fluoropolymer envelope enclosing the heating element, the carrier, the ground plane and the heat sink to protect same from corrosive environments. The heat sink and carrier have a coefficient of expansion which is substantially equal to minimize the effects of unequal expansion and contraction of the heater.
Claims23
A method of assembling a panel heater for use in a corrosive environment comprising the steps of:
- providing a planar heating element;
- supporting said planar heating element on one side of an electrically non-conductive carrier with said planar heating element extending substantially uniformally over the entire extent of said one side of said non-conductive carrier;
- supporting said non-conductive carrier on a planar heat sink with an electrically non-conductive material;
- supporting a conductive planar ground plane which is substantially coextensive with said planar heating element at a location spaced apart from said heating element and said heat sink on said non-conductive carrier;
- and
- encapsulating said planar heating element, said non-conductive carrier, said heat sink, and said ground plane in a fluoropolymer envelope to protect said heating element, said carrier, said heat sink, and said ground plane from corrosive environments.
A panel heater for use in a corrosive environment comprising a planar heating element, a planar non-conductive carrier for supporting said heating element on one side thereof, said planar heating element extending substantially uniformally over the entire extent of said one side of said non-conductive carrier, a planar conductive ground plane supported on the opposite side of said non-conductive carrier and being substantially coextensive with said planar heating element, a rigid planar heat sink for supporting said non-conductive carrier and said heater element, and a fluoropolymer envelope enclosing said heater element, said carrier, said ground plane, and said heat sink to protect said heater element, said carrier, said ground plane and said heat sink from corrosive environments.
A panel heater for use in a corrosive environment comprising a first planar heating element, a second planar heating element, a rigid planar heat sink for supporting said first planar heating element on one side thereof and for supporting said second planar heating element on the opposite side thereof and conducting heat from said first and second planar heating elements, each of said first and second planar heating elements extending substantially uniformally over the entire extent of the side of said planar heat sink on which said planar heating element is supported, and a fluoropolymer envelope enclosing said first and second planar heating elements and said planar heat sink to protect said heating elements and said heat sink from the corrosive environment.
A rigid panel heater for use in a corrosive environment comprising a planar heating element, a rigid planar heat sink for supporting said planar heating element and conducting heat from said planar heating element, a fluoropolymer envelope enclosing said planar heating element and said planar heat sink to protect said heating element and said heat sink from the corrosive environment, a planar conductive ground plane disposed within said fluoropolymer envelope for conducting stray currents from said heating element in the event the hostile environment penetrates said fluoropolymer envelope, a planar electrically non-conductive carrier for supporting said ground plane, said non-conductive carrier having a coefficient of expansion which is substantially equal to the coefficient of expansion of said heat sink, said planar heating element being disposed on one side of said planar heat sink and a second planar heating element disposed on the opposite side of said planar heat sink.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.