Abstract
The break down mechanism of a cylindrical electric heater is investigated by studying the uneven heating behavior of the heater by measuring the surface temperature variation of the heater when it is subjected to a boundary condition of constant heat transfer coefficient. The internal heating condition is inferred based on surface temperature profile through heat conduction analysis. A commercial electric heater appears to generate an uneven heat flux distribution on the surface, and the unevenness increases with the number of heating-cooling cycles that the heater has experienced. The mechanism responsible for this behavior is discussed, which leads to a physical model accounting for heater breakdown.
Chyu, M. C. (1988). A Study on the Failure of Industrial Electric Heater. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.eslwin.tamu.edu). Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /92385.