Catalogs >
Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company >
FIREBAR® Flat Tubular Heaters

FIREBAR® Flat Tubular Heaters
8Pages

Catalog excerpts

Solution Problems FIREBAR*... ATo Your Heater For over half a century, people have been using round tubular heating elements for surface heating. The Watlow® FIREBAR® flat tubular heater is an innovative concept that provides a wide array of design improvements. A Solution to Heater Power and Responsiveness Problems In oil and other viscous materials, a FIREBAR flat tubular heater operates at a higher watt density than a round tubular heating element without changing the sheath temperature. The FIREBAR heater also enables you to place more wattage into applications at the same watt density...

Open the catalog to page 2

FIREBAR 1000 Heater Round Tubular The thin profile on top of FIREBAR heating elements provides little space for solids to settle. The velocity of fluid flowing past the flat surface of a FIREBAR element also has a “wiping” effect on the surface of the heater. In oil or similar products where coking is a problem, the round tubular heating element’s sheath temperature may be too high. FIREBAR heaters provide the benefit of a lower sheath temperature than a round tubular element, without reducing wattage or watt density. FIREBAR 1000 Heater Oil Test 40 W/in2 (6.2 W/cm2) Tested at different...

Open the catalog to page 3

Unique Design Features The FIREBAR heater is manufactured with nichrome resistance wire and magnesium oxide insulation. Heater A traps heat next to the heater due to the fluids swirl pattern. Heater B has a lower operating sheath temperature because liquid quickly moves away from the heater. Watlow’s FIREBAR heater is manufactured with three precisely wound resistance wires, arranged side-by-side in a flattened tubular metal sheath and insulated with extremely pure, compacted magnesium oxide (MgO). Flat surface, greater surface area, thin MgO walls and three-coil are all...

Open the catalog to page 4

The flow pattern around the flat tubular heater is streamlined; the flat surface has less restriction on the liquid as it moves up and past the heater sides. This efficient and faster flow pattern permits the liquid to move heat away from the sheath very quickly; resulting in the flat tubular heater’s lower operating sheath temperature. 2. Greater “buoyancy force”: Natural convection phenomena depends partially upon the ratio of a buoyant force to the viscous force of the heated fluid. This buoyant force, or flow of liquid up and across the heater surface, is primarily determined by the...

Open the catalog to page 5

IMPROVING YOUR EQUIPMENT DESIGN The FIREBAR heater provides more than just a menu of immersion heating design improvements. Here are a variety of other benefits you can put to use. USING A FIREBAR HEATING ELEMENT CAN GIVE YOUR EQUIPMENT THE EDGE OVER YOUR COMPETITION The multiple performance, flexibility and convenience options the FIREBAR heater provides allow you to improve equipment design in so many different ways. You can make equipment: THE THREE-COIL DESIGN OF A FIREBAR HEATER PROVIDES VOLTAGE AND HEAT OUTPUT VARIETY By using a special center resistance wire coil, Watlow can build...

Open the catalog to page 6

1 in. (25.4 mm) FIREBAR 180 degree Major Axis Bend Self-Supporting FIREBAR Heaters Often Make Supporting Metal Brackets Unnecessary FIREBAR heaters are rigid enough to withstand the turbulence in immersion applications that severely warp unsupported round tubular elements. FIREBAR Heaters Offer the Versatility of Numerous Mounting Options Mounting options for FIREBAR heaters include mounting brackets, threaded bulkheads and water-tight double leg threaded fittings. For air heating, stainless steel mounting brackets are commonly used. For liquid heating, 0.236 in. (6 mm) thick steel...

Open the catalog to page 7

Better Thermal Solutions...Faster Find out more about Watlow and how we can provide thermal solutions for your company: Phone: 1 . 800 . WATLOW2 E-mail: info@watlow.com Web site: www.watlow.com Watlow Products and Technical Support Delivered Worldwide North American Technical Support & Sales Offices North America 1-800-WATLOW2 Asian Technical Support & Sales Offices Australia China Japan Korea Malaysia Singapore Taiwan European Technical Support & Sales Offices France Germany Italy Spain United Kingdom Latin American Technical Support & Sales Office About Watlow Watlow designs and...

Open the catalog to page 8