16-24 IES LIGHTING HANDBOOK

Applications of Infrared Energy

518
Infrared radiant energy is used for a variety of purposes, including
(see Fig. 16-14):
Drying and baking: paints, varnishes, enamels, printer's ink, glue.
Preheating: products to speed production operations such as molding or
shaping of plastics for example.
Heating: used for degreasing metals; warming wood (prior to gluing),
metal parts (for shrink fit assembly).
Dehydrating: textile yarn, leather, meat, fruits, vegetables, potter's
ware, sand molds.
The baking of automobile finishes was the first widely publicized com-
mercial application of infrared radiant heating.
Industrial infrared-energy sources are employed primarily for elevating
the temperature of material objects as they are exposed to the radiant
energy, either in a batch or continuous conveyor-type oven. The informa-
tion desired in radiant heating is contained in an expression that predicts
the variation of temperature as a function of time and independent parame-
ters such as radiant intensity and the various physical properties of the
stock. The rate of temperature rise depends primarily on the difference
between the energy gain of the stock by absorption of radiant energy and
the loss of heat by reradiation and convection. If the temperatures of the
material and its surroundings are of the same order of magnitude, loss of
energy by reradiation is negligible. Most of the energy losses, then, con-
sist of heat transferred to the surrounding atmosphere.
Factors in Baking by R diant Energy
For economical baking of industrial finishes with infrared energy the
over-all absorptivity of the object should be high. Properties of both
finish and undersurface determine absorptivity. Combinations consisting
of transparent coatings and highly reflective materials possess low over-all
absorptivities, and an attempt to employ infrared radiant heating directly
to them may meet with little success. If infrared radiant energy is to be
used successfully to attain high heating rates, close attention must be paid
to obtaining finishes with both high absorptivities and linear absorption
coefficients.
In starting a radiant-heat oven, the lamps deliver their full working
intensity immediately. However, the air temperature, does not reach
its equilibrium value until some time later. Therefore, in the initial period
of operation both the rate of temperature rise and the maximum tempera-
ture attainable by the stock will be lower than corresponding values after
the oven has operated for some time. During the preliminary period
compensation may be provided as follows: the work may be run through
the oven more slowly. Auxiliary heaters may be used to increase the air
temperature. The energy density may be raised by using a large number
of lamps.
Maximum utilization of electrical energy is obtained when the air