Electric heater with temperature sensor

The safety and economic operation of pressurized water nuclear reactors depend to a large extent on the performance of fuel rods. Nuclear research centers often use high-density resistance heaters to replicate these fuel rods to study their thermodynamic behavior, such as:

• Heat flux density
• Related heat flux density distribution
• Heat capacity

One of our customers requested a flashlight heater and internal sensor with a power density of 200 watts/inch2 (310 KW/m²). We manufactured cable heaters with the following specifications:

• 138" long
• 3/4" diameter
• 54kw
• 480V three-phase power supply
• Five internal "K" type thermocouples
• 316SS sheath material.

Five simulator thermocouples with isolation junctions are distributed along the heating length of the electric heater. They should be placed in close contact with the inner wall of the 316SS sheath to accurately read the temperature of the heater sheath and quickly respond. The most important and unique feature of this high-performance heater is that the watt density of the internal resistance element is lower than the watt density of the heater sheath. By designing in this way, the service life of the heater can be maximized.