HIGH POWER-DENSITY PLANE-SURFACE HEATING ELEMENT

摘要

An electrical heat production device comprising a thin resistive layer sandwiched between a pair of plates having high thermal and electrical conductivity, the stack of layers being insulated around the side surfaces. When a voltage potential is applied across the plates in the disclosed electrical heat production device, an electrical current flows across the resistive layer producing heat within the resistive layer that is conducted through the plates and across the outer surfaces of the plates. A guard heater can be positioned adjacent to one of the outer plate surfaces to bias the heat flow from the resistive layer toward the opposite outer plate surface, such that the apparatus can have a single planar heating surface.

主权项

1. An electrical heat production apparatus comprising:
a resistive layer having a first planar surface, an opposing second planar surface, and side edges, the resistive layer having a thickness in a direction transverse to the first and second surfaces, the resistive layer having a first electrical conductivity; a first plate having an inner planar surface, an opposing outer planar surface, and side edges, the inner surface being coupled to the first surface of the resistive layer, the first plate having an electrical conductivity that is greater than the first electrical conductivity; a second plate having an inner planar surface, an opposing outer planar surface, and side edges, the inner surface of the second plate being coupled to the second surface of the resistive layer, the second plate having an electrical conductivity that is greater than the first electrical conductivity; a thermal and electrical insulation material insulating the side edges of the resistive layer, the side edges of the first plate and the side edges of the second plate, the insulation material having an electrical conductivity that is lower than the first electrical conductivity; and a first terminal electrically coupled to the first plate and a second terminal electrically coupled to the second plate, such that when a voltage potential is applied across the first and second terminals an electrical current flows through the first plate, across the thickness of the resistive layer and through the second plate; wherein the electrical current is converted into heat within the resistive layer, the heat being conducted from the resistive layer, through the first and second plates, and across the outer surfaces of the first and second plates.