Method of infrared reflectors choice for electrotechnical polymeric insulation energy-efficient drying

Abstract

The article describes the proposed method of choosing the shape of effective infrared reflective devices during the design of energy-efficient hardware complexes for drying polymer insulation of electrical equipment, based on the comparative calculation of radiation viewfactors, using computer-aided engineering analysis technologies. Theoretical calculations on the use of infrared radiation to heat various surfaces are presented as justification of the necessity to choose reflector shapes. The paper analyzes the basic methods of calculating the angular radiation coefficients, identifies the advantages and disadvantages of each. The proposed technique is based on the construction of 3D models of infrared emitters with reflective devices of various shapes, which are located above the copper backing. In this case, the copper backing acts as a recorder of thermal fields. First of all, viewfactors were taken as selection criteria, depending on the shape of the reflective device and its relative position with regard to the emitter. A half-cube method was chosen as a method of calculating viewfactors due to its relative simplicity and high accuracy. The second criterion was the distribution of the thermal fields of heating of the irradiated surface and the reflector itself. The technique consists in a stepwise assessment of these criteria. As a result of the calculations, a trapezoidal reflector with an expansion angle of 150° has the best performance. The proposed technique gives clear and demonstrable results in terms of choosing the effective forms of infrared reflective devices, allowing one to quickly configure heating modes.