High Frequency Heating at a Glance
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Chances are when you think about high power RF frequency sources, it pertains to transmitters for analog or digital data, or maybe for imaging applications like x-ray machines. There is, however, another very large industry that uses high frequency electromagnetic energy for heating of materials in product processing. Frequencies range from tens of kilohertz to tens of megahertz, with power levels into the megawatt realm. This article from a 1945 edition of Radio-Craft points out a few applications used in the day, and now there are many more areas where high power RF is used. Adhesive curing is a major area, especially for laminated materials like plywood and composite structures. Decontamination of medical and food products is another. Both inductive and capacitative heating methods are used in metals processing. Comdel, an RF Cafe advertiser, is a major supplier of high power RF amplifiers for these purposes. High Frequency Heating at a Glance
By William Lyon The art of Radiothermics is divided into two branches: - Induction and Capacitative Heating. Induction Heating works at a much lower frequency than that usually employed in a capacitative rig: - a wide range usually between 20 and 500 kc. It has reached a point of successful application during years of development the metal industries. Highly skilled labor isn't required to operate the equipment. Workers can be quite readily trained. In the accompanying illustrations stippled areas within the field of the coils show the sections being heat-treated. Hardening metals is accomplished with speed and uniformity. Gears and modern cylinder walls are two of the most glowing examples. Annealing and normalizing is accomplished in a fraction of the previously required time. All such applications as well as bracing and soldering have been put on the production line. They pass through the magic coil and, presto, the job is done! And melting metal is almost as simple as flowing water.
Fairly small portable rigs are used for metallurgical analysis and laboratory experiments. Capacitative Heating is also called Dielectric Heating because, unlike Induction Heating, its application is to non-conductive material. The frequency range is higher and greater than that employed in Induction Heating. The subject to be heated is placed between the two plates of a condenser. This is admirably illustrated in the accompanying sketch heating plastic preforms. While on the subject of plastics it is worthy of note that High Frequency Heating will "iron the bugs out" of future Bakelite radio cabinets. These housings have always been held to a wall thickness of one-eighth of an inch because of curing difficulties. Strengthening ribs are rarely over one quarter of an inch thick and at these particular points you will invariably discover distortion in the walls. Future plastic cabinets will have wails one quarter of an inch thick with ribs and bosses from fifty percent to double this thickness. Capacitative Heating will be responsible for the uniformity and strength. Almost any amount of heat at very high frequency can be applied when necessary for high speed of production, or necessary long, or short, curing time. The illustrations showing package sealing and the dehydrating of chemicals. will be understandable from the foregoing. Bonding wood and pressure gluing are especially important in the aviation industry. Further examples could be given in catalogue form. The field is enormous! Not the least engaging of future developments will be the application of Capacitative Heating to the home kitchen. Meals will be cooked in a matter of seconds with all of the major food values retained. In tomorrow's world the Electronics and Radio Serviceman will have an ever expanding field in both the home and industry. Radio-Craft intends to run an article on an experimental 1-Kw Capacitative Heater, with constants and constructional information, in an early issue.
Posted September 9, 2021 |
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