Special Heaters 11/28/00 8:18 AM Page 227

W A T L O W

Special Heaters
Advanced Technology
Capabilities
When design parameters exceed
the performance capabilities of
ordinary heaters, or require special
configurations or sizes, or need to
withstand hostile environments,
Watlow’s Special Heaters Depart-
ment is uniquely qualified to service
even the most demanding needs.
High wattage requirements:

Special Heaters
Watlow engineers have designed
heaters that require distributed
wattage with ratios of five to one in a
single unit.
Size requirements: From the
52 foot (15.9 m) long FIREROD®
cartridge heater we built for a nuclear
test facility, to the 0.055 inch (1.40
mm) diameter heater used in earth
core sampling, we won't limit our-
selves when it comes to heater size.
Hostile environments: Extreme
temperatures, corrosive materials, or
contaminating toxins; we can build
heaters to withstand almost any
environment.
Sensing requirements: We can
design heaters that require several • Sizes as small as 0.055 inch • Special configurations are
built-in sensors. Multiple thermo- (1.40 mm) to 1 3⁄4 inch (44.5 mm) designed to fit your equipment
couple, RTDs or thermistors can be in diameter or as long as 0.50 inch precisely, whether the unit is
installed inside the heater or in the (12.7 mm) to 52 feet (15.9 mm). coiled, flat, straight or angled.
sheath. • Special formulated insulating Applications
Performance Capabilities materials, as well as aluminum • Aerospace
• Operating temperatures to 2000°F oxide and boron nitride,
• Nuclear power, both land- and
(1371°C) maximize heater performance.
sea-based
• Watt densities to 2000 W/in2 • In-house, non-destructive
• Medical research, including DNA,
(310 W/cm2) when operating in testing capabilities include
cancer and heart
water liquid penetrant, radiographs,
and hydro and helium leak • Environmental instrumentation
Features and Benefits
testing to assure customer • Defense industry
• Complete documentation specifications are met.
packages include drawings, • Circuit boards
material lists, test and process • Built-in multiple thermo- • Refrigeration systems
procedures, traceability records, couples, RTDs and thermistors
• Packaging equipment
and other documents required for measure internal and external
temperatures. • Freeze protection
compliance with your
specifications. • Semiconductor processing
equipment
• Special sheath materials, such
as zircaloy, titanium or tantalum,
are available for demanding
applications.
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Special Heaters
Advanced Technology
Capabilities
Applications

DNA Heater Designed for Precise

Temperature Control
A medical equipment manufacturer
was developing a test unit for DNA
samples. Specifications included a
30 volt, 40 watt heater with
temperature sensing capability,
designed to fit within an area 0.375
inch (9.5 mm) diameter by two
inches (50.8 mm) in length.
Watlow's Special Heaters
Department designed and built the
heater assembly, which consisted of
a 0.055 inch (1.40 mm) diameter by
111⁄32 inch (34.1 mm) long tubular
element formed into a circle. Watlow
engineers utilized a resistance wire
0.002 inch (0.05 mm) in diameter
and wound it into a 0.020 inch (0.5
mm) diameter coil. The assembly
also included a thermistor to closely
sense temperature change.

Photo shows the finished assembly and

components for the DNA application: heater,
25-Year Old Heaters Finally
thermistor, plus the customer-supplied
Replaced
tantalum heater support and housing.
A nuclear reactor required unusually
long cartridge heaters to heat the
reactor's coolant, keeping the
solution warm during off cycle. The
heater had to maintain a vessel
temperature of 700°F (371°C). The
required measurements were 3⁄4 inch
(19 mm) in diameter by 30 feet 89⁄16
inches (9.4 mm) in length, +1⁄4 inch
(+6.4 mm). The heated section was
18 feet (5.5 m) long, while the cold
section was 12 feet (3.7 m).
Watlow's Special Heaters
Department designed and
manufactured the heaters to the
customer's unusual requirement in
1965. After operating for twenty-five
years, Watlow replaced those
heaters following the same
specifications, but making some
internal improvements. The new
heaters are expected to outlast the
reactor.

How to Order • Dimensional requirements

Special heaters are available as • Operating voltage
made-to-order units only. To order, • Environmental conditions
please specify:
• Lead configuration
• Temperature requirement
• Application requirements
• Watt density
• Material requirements
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