Heater bundles with local power switching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021190379-A1
Application number	US-202117197542-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2021
Priority date	Mar 2, 2016
Publication date	Jun 24, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A heater system includes a heater bundle. The heater bundle includes at least one heater assembly, where the heater assembly includes a plurality of heater units, and more than one of the heater units defines at least one independently controlled heating zone. The heater bundle includes a plurality of power conductors electrically connected to the independently controlled heating zone. The heater system includes means for determining temperature and at least one power switch, the power switch disposed proximate the heater bundle. The heater system includes at least one 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 the heater assembly. The controller is configured to provide power to the power switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heater system comprising:
a heater bundle comprising:
at least one 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 the independently controlled heating zones;
means for determining temperature; at least one power switch disposed proximate the heater bundle; and at least one controller configured to provide a control signal to the at least one power switch such that the power switch modulates 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 the at least one heater assembly.

2 . The heater system according to claim 1 , further comprising an enclosure, wherein the at least one power switch is disposed within the enclosure.

3 . The heater system according to claim 2 , further comprising a temperature regulation device that cools the enclosure.

4 . The heater system according to claim 3 , wherein the temperature regulation device cools the enclosure using a liquid cooling medium.

5 . The heater system according to claim 3 , wherein the temperature regulation device cools the enclosure using forced air.

6 . The heater system according to claim 5 , wherein the forced air is provided inside the enclosure and outside the enclosure.

7 . The heater system according to claim 3 , wherein the enclosure is sealed from an outside atmosphere.

8 . The heater system according to claim 7 , wherein the temperature regulation device cools the enclosure using an interior fluid cooling flow and an external fluid cooling flow, each of the cooling flows being coupled by a heat exchanger.

9 . The heater system according to claim 3 , wherein the temperature regulation device is at least one of a thermoelectric element and a refrigeration system.

10 . The heater system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one controller is disposed within the enclosure.

11 . The heater system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is remote from the heater bundle and communicates with the at least one power switch through at least one of wirelessly and over the plurality of power conductors.

12 . The heater system according to claim 1 further comprising a heat sink disposed proximate the at least one power switch.

13 . A heater system comprising:
a heater bundle comprising:
at least one 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 the independently controlled heating zones;
means for determining at least one of heating conditions and heating requirements; at least one power switch disposed proximate the heater bundle; and at least one controller configured to provide a control signal to the at least one power switch such that the power switch modulates power to the independently controlled heating zone 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 the at least one heater assembly.

14 . The heater system according to claim 13 , further comprising an enclosure disposed proximate the plurality of heater assemblies, wherein the at least one power switch is disposed within the enclosure.

15 . The heater system according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one controller is disposed within the enclosure.

16 . The heater system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one controller is remote from the heater bundle and communicates with the at least one power switch through at least one of wirelessly and over the plurality of power conductors.

17 . The heater assembly according to claim 13 , 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.

18 . The heater system according to claim 13 further comprising a heat sink disposed proximate the at least one power switch.

19 . A heater system comprising:
a heater assembly comprising a plurality of heater units, more than one heater unit defining at least one independently controlled heating zone; a plurality of power conductors electrically connected to the heater units; at least one power switch disposed proximate the heater assembly; and at least one controller configured to provide a control signal to the at least one power switch such that the power switch modulates power to the independently controlled heating zone 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.

20 . The heater system according to claim 19 further comprising a means for determining temperature.

21 . The heater system according to claim 19 further comprising a means for determining heating conditions or heating requirements.

22 . 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 19 , the heater assembly being disposed within the internal chamber of the housing, wherein the heater assembly is adapted to provide a predetermined heat distribution to a fluid within the housing.

23 . The heater system according to claim 19 further comprising a heat sink disposed proximate the at least one power switch.

Assignees

• Watlow Electric Mfg

Inventors

• Everly Mark
• Smith Trevor
• Spooler Jacob

Classifications

• F24H9/1818

  Arrangement or mounting of electric heating means · CPC title

• H05B2203/021

  Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids · CPC title

• H05B2203/022

  Heaters specially adapted for heating gaseous material · CPC title

• H05B2203/014

  Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54 · CPC title

• H05B3/82

  Fixedly-mounted immersion heaters · CPC title