Source: heat processing online
Nico Schmitz, Christian Schwotzer, and Herbert Pfeifer with the Department for Industrial Furnaces and Heat Engineering (IOB) in Germany have collaborated on an analysis of metallic recirculating radiant tubes, their purpose in the heat treating process, and their design and installation. In particular, the authors, with access to a furnace-equipped pilot plant operated by IOB, investigate the factors that affect tube productivity and contribute to tube failures. They have reported on these findings in an exclusive paper published at heat processing online, the official publication of the European Committee of Industrial Furnace and Heating Equipment Association (CECOF).
An excerpt:
“It is common to assume a homogeneous temperature distribution for construction calculations. In real operation, inhomogeneous temperature distributions occur. The temperature gradients induce thermal stresses that can substantially influence the lifetime of the tubes. In addition to that, higher furnace temperatures come along with an increasing thermal load.”
Read more: “Increasing Lifetime of Metallic Recirculating Radiant Tubes”
Photo credit: heat processing online. Caption: Radiant tube test furnace at IOB
