Heat generation is essential in the workplace both for warming employees and in a variety of production processes. The key, when applying heat to a production process, is safety. Heat often equates to flame and the risk of fire. The right heat source, such as catalytic gas heaters, dramatically reduces this risk.
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Understanding Catalytic Gas Heater
Catalytic gas heaters rely on chemical reactions to generate heat. That means there is no flame. The chemical reactions create heat through the breakdown of molecules in a catalyst. The catalyst is inert by itself. But, when combined with natural gas and oxygen it reacts and creates heat.
It should be noted that this type of heat can be used to heat spaces when more traditional options pose a safety risk. However, the main application for a good quality catalytic gas heater is in business production.
Catalytic gas heaters are usually a form of infrared heat. This is because they are flameless and the heat emitted is above 80-90°C.
Production Applications
Catalytic gas heaters come in a variety of sizes. The smallest are actually handheld warmers. The catalyst is inside the warmer and its interaction with gas and oxygen creates low-grade heat to warm hands.
There are several types of catalytic gas heaters:
Enclosures
On a production scale, this type of heat is often used to create an enclosed chamber. These can be as large or as small as needed by the business. The idea is that items are literally baked inside the chamber. The use of catalytic gas heat allows the products to be evenly heated and the temperature to be accurately controlled.
Temperatures can range between 180°C and 550°C. Of course, the higher the temperature the greater the power rating. Traditionally, power varies between 0.4kW and 17kW.
Space heating
Although less common, catalytic gas heaters can be sued to warm the air and individuals. This is generally not the most efficient application of the technology but it is sometimes the only option.
Instrumental protection
This type of heat can also be used to insulate pipes and protect gas appliances from freezing or pilot light failure. Using catalytic gas heating ensures an even temperature is safely maintained.
Heat Sizing
It should be noted that catalytic gas heaters are surprisingly small considering the heat they emit. This makes them a surprisingly efficient heating source and the small size can lower initial installation costs. Of course, this isn’t relevant if you’re looking to create a large heat chamber.
Safety Aspects
Catalytic gas heaters don’t produce a flame, reducing the safety risk associated with many heating sources. However, they do still rely on natural gas which means safety precautions need to be taken. Tanks need to be properly sealed to prevent leakage. Ventilation is also essential to ensure operators don’t inhale too much natural gas. It can cause an array of side effects.
In addition, the catalytic process can still produce carbon monoxide, which is a poison. Effective ventilation is vital for safety.
