The heat energy emitted by a surface is disproportionate to the difference in temperature. With radiant heaters, the thermal energy flows in the form of electromagnetic waves, meaning to say there is no heat transfer medium. While in conduction and convection, the thermal energy flows from the location of higher temperature to the lower one in the form of molecular motions.

This type of heat is beneficial for an industrial application, when trying to avoid physical contact with the object that is being heated, or want to prevent the contamination of the product being heated. Radiant heaters are capable of heating without direct contact with the heat source (for instance a person does not need to touch the sun to feel its warmth). The objects in a room absorb the radiant energy and warm the space the same way clothes absorb light from the sun. The radiant heat travels through the air nearly without loss and heats only when it hits the floor, walls, or body. The interception of these waves by any object or people causes them to be converted into heat. When radiant heaters generate heat internally, it is transmitted through electromagnetic waves. Therefore, no dry air is experienced as convection heaters create. It radiates heat to the people and physical objects within the space. At peak efficiency, wavelengths are selected for the product to be heated, minimizing energy usage.Ī radiant heater does not heat the air of the surrounding environment like other types of heaters. Its energy is emitted between 0.7 and 6 microns (µ). Infrared heating uses electromagnetic waves to transfer energy from the infrared source to the product to be heated without heating the air between. When we feel warm on our bodies on a sunny day, it is because of the infrared radiation (heat energy) generated by the sun. The sun is a basic example of a radiant heater. Radiant heaters are systems that generate heat internally and then radiate it to the nearby objects and people. This chapter will discuss what radiant heaters are, how they work, and their construction.

Radiative heater