DS Heaters’ Finned Tubular Heaters are among the most widely used heating elements for heating air and other gases. The addition of fins along the tubular length enhances heat dissipation, promoting efficient and even heat transfer. Unless otherwise specified, all elements feature mild steel fins that are copper brazed to the tubular heating element sheath for maximum durability and performance.
Duct heaters incorporate finned tubular elements in their design to reduce watt density. This design not only enables smoother and more uniform airflow within the duct but also extends the operational life of the heating elements.
In forced convection applications, the use of fins around tubular heaters significantly increases their surface area, thereby enhancing their heat transfer capabilities. Compared to standard tubular heaters, finned tubular heaters operate at lower surface temperatures for the same watt density when placed in similar air streams.
The physical characteristics of a finned tubular heater play a major role in the effectiveness of its heat transfer. Fin material is continuously spiral wound tightly onto the element surface to increase the convective surface area for air and non-corrosive gas heating. Fin spacing and size have been tested and selected to optimize performance. Steel finned units are then furnace brazed, bonding the fins to the sheath to increase conductive efficiency. This allows higher wattage levels to be achieved in the same flow area and produces lower sheath temperatures prolonging heater life. For higher temperature or more corrosive applications, stainless steel fins securely wound on alloy sheath are available.
Application conditions such as vibration and toxic/flammable media should be taken into consideration when installing heaters. The sheath material of a finned tubular heater and its watt density are two critical factors that affect its durability.
