Tutco SureHeat Your Custom Heat Solutions Partner By Matt Hargreaves General Manager, Tutco SureHeat High-capacity electric in-line air heaters, as an integral part of a compressed air system, are used throughout the aviation and aerospace industries for R&D simulation of the high-temperature and high-pressure conditions produced by an aircraft turbofan compressor. Open-coil electric heaters provide the most optimum heating solution for rig testing as compared with traditional sheathed (‘tubular’) heating elements. The advantages of open-coil technology for high-temperature and high-pressure A turbofan engine compressor stage generates the high-temperature and high-pressure air that directly feeds the engine internal combustion process and indirectly feeds the environmental control systems via high and low ‘bleed’ valve ports in the compressor. Traditional Heater Technology aviation industry Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of turbofan engines, ACMs, flow control valves, and other auxiliary equipment need a compact, efficient, and controllable system to provide pressurized hot air to enable their ongoing development efforts for new products. Similarly, FAA-certified repair stations also need this capability to provide pass/fail testing as part of the routine service and repair work on the ACMs, valves and other components necessary to extend the operating life of the aircraft. Historically, the aviation industry used sheathed element type tubular electric heaters for heating the compressed air for tes

Required Temperature Range: Tutco SureHeat open coil electric air heaters can produce up to 1652°F (900°C) in standard designs and 1922°F (1050°C) in custom designs Pressure Ratings: Typical electric heaters can withstand up to 600psi (40 bar) standard and greater than 1100 psi (75 Bar) in custom designs Domestic Code Requirements: Either ASME Section VIII Div. 1 or B31.3 (process Piping) International Code Requirements: Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) certification Special control requirements On-site startup assistance or training The protective construction of a tubular heater is ideal...

Control Method Open-coil heaters require faster responding control systems to safely operate. However, this can be achieved easily with modern power and temperature control systems. Key components to a good control system include the use of a phase angle-fired or burst-fired (zero crossing) SCR power controller, PID loop temperature controller, and high-limit safety devices.These control systems can be easily configured for remote or local operator access. Application to Aerospace Industry Larger open-coil in-line heaters are commercially available to handle the extremely high pressure and flow...

A number of considerations must be given to sizing and selecting an open-coil heater. Of primary importance is to specify the temperature rise across the heater needed, and the air mass flow through the heater. A simple formula for sizing the heater power (kilowatts) is given by: kW = SCFM x (Delta T)/3000, where SCFM is the mass flow rate in standard cubic feet per minute, and the Delta T is given in degrees Fahrenheit across the heater. When determining the temperature rise across the heater, the customer should take into consideration the heat losses that occur between the heater and the test...