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New Infrared Measurement and Diagnostic Machine Tool for Better Understanding and Use of IR Heat - 11.07.2013

The core of the innovation partnership centre at Trinity College Dublin, launched in 2012, is on developing a method to make infrared and its effect on a target material visible using energy (watts) as the unit of measurement. For this purpose our long-term cooperation partner Ceramicx Ireland, together with the scientists at Trinity College Dublin, led by Dr. Tony Robinson developed a robot supported measurement and diagnostic system which will be presented to a broad public at forthcoming K show, this October in Düsseldorf (www.kshow2013.com).

The new measurement and diagnostic system measures the influence of infrared heating on target bodies; including key performance metrics such as temperature homogeneity as well as the net target efficiencies. The system precisely maps the energy required to perform the required heating of the target body compared with the energy required to produce the heat at the source. Freek & Ceramicx have always faced issues in that the product we sell to customers "infrared" is invisible. There are a number of reasons that temperature is not the correct medium for the measurement of Infrared but it is the industry accepted standard and remains a disservice to the application of energy efficient solutions to customer requirements. To make it clear, if 2 ceramic elements are put on test with Thermocouples in each one, pass the same amount of energy into each infrared emitter and measure the temperature of each emitter using the Thermocouples. If one emitter was to measure 20% hotter then another, most people would assume that this is the better unit. They would be wrong, the purpose of an infrared emitter is to emit energy to the target material not to act as a storage heater. If an infrared emitter is being read as cooler with the same amount of energy going into that emitter it implies that it is a more efficient emitter and better at converting electrical energy into infrared output.

The machine tool being developed as parts of the Innovation partnership will for the first time make available scientific measureable evidence of various infrared emitters looking at the factor that matters most energy efficiency and the production of higher volumes of infrared at lower temperatures.

Dr. Tony Robinson will be on-hand at the K show in October to demonstrate and discuss the finer details of the machine tool and discuss the tests and information it is possible to gather from the same machine. The Ceramicx/TCD research will lead to opportunities for increased production control, accuracy and cost savings through effective IR heatwork; it's correct application will lead to a better mapping and understanding of the measurement that every producer should be concerned with energy content per part produced.

For more information on the partners involved please see

www.enterprise-ireland.com
www.tcd.ie/mecheng/research/fluids-heat-transfer/


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