What Is a Tubular Heater?
Tubular heaters are heaters with a silicone rubber heater wrapped around a silicone rubber tube or a fluoroplastic tube. It was invented as an applied product of a silicone rubber heater. It excels in flexibility and is expected to keep liquids and gases warm when used in piping. The silicone rubber heater is a surface heating element that replaces metal heaters, which had difficulty in terms of flexibility.
While conventional surface heating elements are mainly made of carbon, silicon rubber heaters are made of patterned nickel alloy resistance wires and can be manufactured according to demand.
Uses of Tubular Heaters
The use of tubular heaters is literally to heat tubes. The purpose is to retain heat rather than to heat up. In terms of chemical resistance, it is resistant to mineral oil, water, hydrochloric acid, ammonia water, gasoline, and organic solvents, although conditions are also relevant.
There are also some precautions for use. Outdoor use should be avoided due to increased deterioration, and heaters should be kept below 180°C (350°F), as the resistance is weak at temperatures above 180°C (350°F). Other than the above, chemical resistance is not guaranteed.
Principle of Tubular Heaters
The mechanism of a tubular heater consists of a resistance element placed between two silicone rubber sheets (top and bottom). After removing the internal air, the element is compressed and pressed into a thin, sheet-like integrated structure.
The heating wire is sandwiched between the silicone rubber. The heating wire used here is a durable heating wire called nichrome wire, which is often used in electric heaters. Applying voltage to this wire causes the entire sheet to heat up.
The heat resistance temperature of the sheet itself depends on the product but is around 180°C. The heating temperature is completely different. The heating temperature is calculated by the formula: heater area x power density = wattage, and the heating temperature can be obtained by looking at the function graph of wattage and temperature.
The temperature is regulated by thermocouples, platinum resistors, thermistors, and thermostats. Temperature sensors can also be built into the surface of the heater to prevent overheating. The thermostat or temperature sensor can be built into the surface of the heater to prevent overheating, and if used properly, it is a convenient product because of its flexibility chemical resistance, and long service life.