Electric radiant heater

for heatingindustrialhigh-temperature

Overview
Completely electrically inert, rugged by design and engineered for continuous cycles lasting several months: long-wave IR is intended for a specific niche where other infrared waves cannot operate. Long-wave IR works safely in the presence of metal splatter, conductive dust or grinding environments. No other infrared technology can operate under these conditions.

Key features and benefits

• Heating elements: element temperatures between 300 and 700°C.
• Power density: typically 5 to 40 kW/m².
• Radiant efficiency: approximately 50–60% (lower than short- and medium-wave IR).
• Thermal inertia: 2 to 5 minutes (absolute electrical inertia: no electrical conduction through emitters).
• Design: robust heating elements without fragile filaments or glass tubes, intended for severe industrial environments and continuous multi-month cycles.

Applications and typical processes

• Nuclear energy: preheating of very large components (e.g., reactor vessels) on long cycles, maintaining heating continuity despite metal splatter.
• Naval and defense: preheating and welding material deposition on large rotating cylindrical parts, elimination of manual adjustment via multi-zone systems and automatic control.
• Heating large masses and heavy components: suited to parts with high intrinsic inertia (large tonnages, large dimensions).

Sopara system and offering

• RadiantLine™ emitters designed for long-wave IR (robust, tested for long cycles).
• ThermIQ™: engineering methods and approaches (FMEA, finite element simulation) to de-risk design.
• ThermalCore™: multi-zone control cabinet (control of up to 120 independent zones with redundant architecture).
• ThermalCloud™: predictive maintenance, data logging and traceability over the installation lifespan.

Contextual comparison (summary)

• Long-wave IR: suited to extreme environments, high inertia (2–5 min), element temperatures 300–700°C, efficiency 50–60%, electrically inert.
• Medium-wave IR: surface temperature 600–1,200°C, inertia 10 s–2 min, efficiency >90% (precision wave).
• Short-wave IR: quartz tube >2,000°C, inertia <1 s, power densities up to 500 kW/m², efficiency 80–95% (power wave).

Illustrative use cases

• Preheating and welding material deposition on reactor vessels: self-supporting systems with hundreds of emitters distributed in independent zones, maintaining 300°C ±10°C over long cycles.
• Preheating for welding on large rotating cylindrical parts: telescopic long-wave IR booms, automatic multi-zone regulation, thermal monitoring, significant energy cost reduction compared with flame burners.

Technical characteristics / specifications

• Element temperature: 300 to 700°C.
• Power density: 5 to 40 kW/m².
• Radiant efficiency: 50–60%.
• Thermal inertia: 2 to 5 minutes.
• Electrical conductivity: 0 (absolute electrical inertness).
• Design: no fragile filament or glass tube, emitters tested for continuous multi-month cycles, ISO 9001 conformity indicated.
• Associated systems: RadiantLine™ (emitters), ThermIQ™ (engineering), ThermalCore™ (multi-zone control), ThermalCloud™ (predictive maintenance and traceability).
• Target sectors: nuclear energy, naval, defense, industries requiring preheating of large masses and continuous service in severe environments.