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Thermal anchors improve temperature uniformity

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This white paper supports the case for the use of a thermal anchor for temperature uniformity over a range of temperatures, which can dramatically reduce design and development time while actually improving thermal performance in the process.

By Mark Everly, Principal Systems Engineer for Watlow’s Single Iteration Division

Many processes require that a volume of material inside a container, like a tank, bottle, vessel, oven, or furnace, be held at a uniform temperature. In many cases this uniform temperature must also be selectable, meaning various set-point temperatures must be accommodated. In many cases, multiple boundary conditions must also be accommodated. Examples of these types of thermal systems include heat treatment and sintering furnaces, curing ovens, heated enclosures for process instruments, fermentation vats, and material property test chambers.

To maintain a uniform temperature in such situations, all the sources of heat gain and loss must be considered. Often the supporting structure for the container is a significant heat loss path. Heating the supports will help, but unless the temperature at the support is independently controlled, the temperature uniformity can be degraded for variations in boundary conditions or set-point temperatures. An independent zone of temperature control at a support, or thermal anchor, can be used to control the temperature of the support at its interface with the container which can substantially improve the temperature uniformity inside the container for a range of conditions.

File Size: 290 KB
File Type: PDF

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